Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to step into team leader, supervisor or middle management roles. It sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, above a Certificate IV and below a bachelor degree. You'll study how to lead a team, manage budgets and financial plans, develop workplace policy, build business relationships and handle the operational side of running a department or small business. Assessment is practical. You'll write plans, run projects and respond to workplace scenarios rather than sit long theory exams.

How the course is structured

Australian diplomas are usually delivered over one year full time, split into two semesters or three trimesters depending on the provider. You complete a set number of units of study, each worth credit points, and you need to pass all core units plus a choice of electives to graduate. Delivery can be face to face, online or blended, and some providers timetable evening or weekend classes for people who are already working. Check the official CRICOS listing and the provider's course page for the exact unit list, intake dates and mode of study before you apply.

What you'll learn

Expect units on managing operational plans, leading and motivating teams, managing recruitment and onboarding, developing and using emotional intelligence, and implementing customer service strategies. You'll learn to read a profit and loss statement, prepare a budget, manage risk, and give feedback that actually changes behaviour. Group work is common because the job is about people. By the end, you should be able to walk into a workplace and run a shift, a small team or a project without being told what to do next.

Who it suits

This course suits three groups. People already working in retail, hospitality, aged care, logistics or administration who want a formal qualification to move into supervision. Career changers who need a short, practical business qualification rather than a three-year degree. And international students who want an Australian qualification in a year and then apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. While you study, a student visa usually allows up to 48 hours of work per fortnight, so many students build local experience alongside the course. English requirements vary: IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for coursework at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Always confirm fees, entry rules and English requirements on the official page.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, aged care, warehousing and call centres across Australia.
• Office or administration manager, professional services firms, government departments and not-for-profits.
• Operations coordinator, logistics, transport, manufacturing and facilities management.
• Assistant store manager or duty manager, national retail and fast-food chains.
• Project support officer, construction, IT and event management companies.
• Customer service manager, banks, insurers, utilities and telecommunications providers.
• Small business owner or operator, running your own trade, café, consultancy or online business.

Graduates often use the qualification as a stepping stone into a bachelor degree in business or management, with credit for units already completed. Confirm credit arrangements with the receiving institution.