Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical qualification for people who want to run hospitality operations, hotels, restaurants, events, clubs, catering. You study food and beverage management, accommodation operations, financial control, marketing, human resources and leadership. Assessment is mostly hands-on: you plan menus, cost dishes, roster staff, handle complaints, run service periods. The course is delivered over 26 weeks, so it suits students who want to get qualified and into the workforce quickly rather than commit to a three-year degree. It is listed on CRICOS as course 106129B, so international students can enrol on a Student visa.

How the qualification is structured

This is a vocational qualification, not a university degree. It sits at diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree. You complete a set of units of competency, each with a credit value, and the course is delivered over 26 weeks. There is no research thesis or capstone project in the university sense. Instead, you build a portfolio of practical assessments and may complete a work placement in a hospitality venue, depending on the training provider's arrangements. Confirm the exact unit list, delivery mode and placement requirements on the official CRICOS page or with the institute.

What you actually learn

You learn to manage a hospitality business, not just serve customers. That means reading a profit and loss statement, setting room rates, managing stock and suppliers, dealing with difficult guests, leading a team through a busy service, and keeping the venue compliant with licensing, food safety and workplace health and safety rules. You practise these tasks in a simulated or real workplace. By the end, you should be able to step into a supervisory or duty manager role and handle the day-to-day problems that come with it.

Who it suits

This course suits people already working in hospitality who want a formal qualification for promotion, career changers who want to enter the industry at a supervisory level, and international students who want an Australian qualification that leads to work. If your goal is a corporate head office role or an MBA, you would normally need to continue to a bachelor degree and then postgraduate study. The Advanced Diploma gets you into the industry quickly. International students can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after completing the course, check the Department of Home Affairs for current rules.

• Duty manager, hotels, motels, resorts
• Restaurant manager, restaurants, cafes, catering companies
• Front office manager, hotels and resorts
• Events coordinator, event venues, conference centres, clubs
• Food and beverage supervisor, hotels, clubs, pubs
• Banquet manager, hotels and function centres
• Hospitality business owner, small bars, cafes, catering
• Club manager, registered clubs

Australian industries that hire these roles include accommodation, food and beverage service, event management, clubs and pubs, and tourism. The qualification is recognised nationally under the AQF. Check with the institute about any work placement and whether the course meets the requirements for specific state or territory licences.