Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical, two-and-a-half-year qualification for people who want to run food and beverage operations, front office, events or a whole venue. You study the things you actually do on the job: managing budgets and financial reports, rostering and leading staff, planning and monitoring work, controlling stock and purchasing, designing and costing menus, managing food safety, and handling the legal side of serving alcohol and dealing with guests. Assessment is competency-based, so you show you can do the task rather than just write about it, and most of your time is spent in a training kitchen, restaurant or simulated service environment before you go into a real workplace.

How the qualification is structured

Australian vocational qualifications are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points. A full-time load is usually around four units per study period, and study periods run across the year in semesters or trimesters. Because this is an advanced diploma, the units sit at a higher level than a certificate III or IV: you move from performing tasks to planning, delegating and taking responsibility for other people's work. The course is 2.5 years full time, which gives room for a supervised work placement in a hotel, restaurant, club or event venue. That placement is where you put rostering, cost control and customer service together under real pressure, and it is often what employers ask about first in an interview.

What you learn

By the end you can write a roster that meets a wage budget, read a profit and loss statement for a restaurant, cost a menu and set prices, run a shift, resolve a guest complaint, manage a stocktake, and keep an operation compliant with food safety and liquor laws. You also learn how to recruit, induct and coach staff, and how to prepare operational and business plans. Communication, teamwork and problem-solving run through every unit, because hospitality is a people business and the technical skills only work if you can lead a team through a busy Friday night.

Who it suits

This suits someone already working in hospitality who wants to move into a supervisor or duty manager role, and also school leavers who want a hands-on qualification rather than a three-year bachelor degree. If you are an international student, 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, subject to the Department of Home Affairs requirements. English proficiency is required for entry; check the official page for the exact score and the accepted tests. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 110896F, so confirm fees and start dates there or with Canberra Institute of Education and Technology directly.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in a hotel, pub, club or restaurant
• Food and beverage manager or restaurant manager
• Front office supervisor or guest services manager
• Events and functions coordinator
• Banquet or catering operations supervisor
• Bar or beverage manager
• Housekeeping supervisor
• Venue or small business owner in the hospitality sector

These roles are found across Australia in hotels and resorts, restaurants and cafes, licensed clubs, catering companies, event venues, airlines and cruise operations, and aged care and hospital food service. Some graduates go on to further study, such as a bachelor degree in hospitality or business, with credit for the units they have completed.