Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a hands-on qualification for people who want to run the show in hotels, restaurants, bars, events and tourism businesses. You learn how to manage the day-to-day: rostering staff, controlling stock and costs, handling food safety and liquor licensing rules, looking after guests, and leading a team through a busy service. The course sits at diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which puts it below a bachelor degree and above a certificate III or IV. It is delivered over 1.5 years, usually across three or four study periods rather than the two semesters a bachelor degree uses.

What you actually study

Australian diplomas are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points. You complete a set number of core and elective units, and the credit you earn can be counted towards a related bachelor degree at some institutions if you decide to keep studying. Typical units cover managing finances, leading and managing people, managing diversity in the workplace, controlling and ordering stock, implementing and monitoring work health and safety, and managing food and beverage operations. Assessment is practical as much as written. You might run a simulated service, build a roster, cost a menu or investigate a workplace incident.

Work-integrated learning and placement

Hospitality is a field where you learn by doing, so work-integrated learning is a normal part of the diploma. Many providers arrange a professional placement or require you to complete a set number of hours in a real venue, a hotel, restaurant, club, catering company or event space. That placement is where the theory sticks. It also gives you Australian referees and a local work history before you finish.

Who it suits and what you need

This diploma suits school leavers who want a fast route into supervisory work, career changers moving into hospitality, and international students who want a practical qualification with a clear pathway to further study. International applicants need to evidence English proficiency. The common standard for a course like this is IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or Cambridge C1 Advanced. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so check both. While studying on a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight, which many hospitality students use to pick up paid shifts in the industry they are training for. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is available to eligible graduates. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 112278E. Confirm fees, entry requirements, placement arrangements and unit lists on the official course page before you apply.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in a hotel, motel or resort
• Food and beverage supervisor or restaurant manager
• Front office supervisor or guest services coordinator
• Bar or gaming supervisor in a pub, club or licensed venue
• Events and functions coordinator in a conference centre, catering company or venue
• Housekeeping supervisor or rooms division team leader
• Small business owner or operator in cafes, restaurants and catering

These roles sit across Australia's accommodation, food and beverage, events, clubs and tourism sectors, industries that hire year-round and often promote from within. The diploma also gives you a credit pathway into a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management if you want to go further.