Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Diploma of Leadership and Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to step into a team leader, supervisor or front-line management role, or who are already in one and want formal recognition of what they do. It sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, which puts it above a certificate IV and below an advanced diploma or associate degree. At the Australian Workplace Skills Institute, you study full time over one year, with the year broken into study periods and each unit carrying credit points. Confirm the exact unit list, study period dates and credit point values on the official CRICOS register entry and the institute's own course page before you apply.

What you actually study

The coursework covers the day-to-day work of leading a team: planning and managing team performance, developing and using emotional intelligence, managing operational plans, leading and managing effective workplace relationships, managing recruitment and onboarding, implementing and monitoring work health and safety, and managing budgets and financial plans. You look at how to give feedback, handle conflict, run a meeting that finishes on time, and report against targets. Assessment is usually a mix of written tasks, case studies, role plays and practical projects based on real workplace scenarios, so you build a portfolio of evidence you can show an employer.

How the qualification is structured

Diplomas in Australia are made up of units of competency or units of study, each worth credit points, and you need to complete all required units to graduate. Some institutions deliver in semesters, others in trimesters or shorter study periods. Where the course includes work-integrated learning, it takes the form of a professional placement or a workplace project where you apply leadership and management skills under supervision and reflect on what you did. There is no research thesis at diploma level, but there is usually a capstone-style project that pulls the units together. Ask the institute whether placement is part of your course and how many hours are required, because this varies between providers.

Who it suits

This diploma suits school leavers who want a practical business qualification rather than a three-year bachelor degree, people already working in retail, hospitality, aged care, construction, logistics or office administration who are moving into a supervisory role, and international students who want an Australian qualification with a pathway into further study. If you are an international student, you will need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall is the usual standard for coursework at this level, though it rises to 7.0 to 7.5 for teaching, nursing, medicine, law and social work. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes may be accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. On a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Check the current rules with the Department of Home Affairs and confirm tuition, intake dates and entry requirements on the official page.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, aged care, warehousing and logistics, construction, and contact centres.
• Office or administration manager, small and medium businesses, professional services firms, and government agencies.
• Operations coordinator, manufacturing, transport, and facilities management.
• Front-line manager, fast food and quick-service restaurants, supermarkets, and hotel groups.
• Project support officer, construction, IT, and event management organisations.
• Customer service manager, banks, insurers, utilities, and telecommunications companies.

Graduates often use the diploma as a pathway into a bachelor degree in business, management or a related field, with credit for prior study depending on the receiving institution's rules.