Diploma of Hospitality Management (Hospitality Management)

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a two-year qualification that prepares you for supervisory and operational roles in hotels, restaurants, resorts, events and food service. You study how a venue actually runs: rostering and labour cost, stock control and purchasing, food safety and hygiene, customer service recovery, budgeting, marketing, and the legal side of serving alcohol and managing staff. Assessment is practical as much as written, so you spend time on service scenarios, simulated shifts and business tasks rather than only exams.

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 of the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree and above a certificate. This one is delivered over two years, which is longer than many diplomas, so the timetable usually spreads units across semesters or trimesters. Each unit carries credit points, and you need to pass the set number of units to graduate. Providers in this field normally build in a work placement or industry-based component, because hospitality employers want to see real service hours. Ask the institute how placement is arranged and whether it is paid or unpaid.

Skills you come out with include leading a team on a shift, writing rosters that match wage budgets, handling complaints without losing the customer, controlling stock and wastage, and reading a profit and loss statement for a food and beverage outlet. You also learn the compliance side: responsible service of alcohol, food safety plans, workplace health and safety, and fair work basics for casual and part-time staff.

This suits people already working in hospitality who want to move into supervision, and school leavers who want a practical qualification rather than a three-year degree. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your visa situation and the current rules. English entry is typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. Check the official CRICOS listing and the institute's page for the exact tuition, intake dates and unit structure.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants
• Food and beverage supervisor in hotels, resorts and function centres
• Restaurant or café manager in independent and chain venues
• Front office supervisor in hotels and serviced apartments
• Events or banquets coordinator in conference centres and catering companies
• Housekeeping supervisor in hotels and resorts
• Bar or gaming supervisor in licensed clubs and pubs, subject to state licensing
• Small business operator running a café, catering business or food truck

Hospitality is one of Australia's largest employing industries, with work across capital cities, regional tourism towns and mining and resources camps. Employers include hotel groups, hospitality chains, clubs, event venues, airlines, aged care and hospital catering, and tourism operators.