Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a two-year qualification that trains you to run the day-to-day operations of a venue, a restaurant, hotel, pub, events company or catering business. You learn how to manage staff, rosters and budgets, handle food and beverage service, keep a workplace safe and compliant, and deal with the practical problems that come up when you're the person in charge. The course mixes hands-on service skills with the management side: supervising teams, controlling stock, planning menus, and understanding the legal and licensing rules that apply to serving alcohol and food in Australia.

How the qualification is structured

As a diploma, this sits at the vocational end of the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree. It's built from units of competency rather than academic subjects, and each unit carries credit points. You'll typically study full time across semesters, with a mix of classroom theory, kitchen and service training, and assessment tasks based on real workplace scenarios. Grenfell Institute of Technology Australia delivers the course under CRICOS code 112508G, and the tuition figure is published on the CRICOS register rather than in marketing material.

Work-integrated learning is central to hospitality training. You should expect a practical placement or supervised work component in a commercial venue, where you apply what you've learned under real service pressure. Assessment often involves demonstrating skills on the job, not just sitting exams. Some units also lead to separate certifications used in the industry, such as responsible service of alcohol and food safety, though you should confirm exactly which are included on the official course page.

Skills you come away with

By the end, you should be able to write a roster that actually works, read a profit and loss statement for a venue, manage a shift, resolve a customer complaint, and lead a small team through a busy service. You'll also build the paperwork skills that hospitality managers need: stock control, supplier negotiation, workplace health and safety records, and compliance with liquor and food regulations.

This course suits people who want to move into supervisory or management roles without committing to a three-year degree, and it's a practical pathway for international students who want Australian training and industry exposure. If you're already working in hospitality, it formalises what you've learned on the floor. Check the official page for entry requirements, intake dates and the units on offer. International applicants need to meet the English requirement, and remember that your Student visa comes with work rights of 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session.

• Restaurant or cafe manager, running daily operations, rosters and budgets for a venue.
• Hotel duty manager or front office supervisor, managing shifts and guest issues in accommodation.
• Food and beverage supervisor, leading service teams in hotels, clubs and function centres.
• Events or functions coordinator, planning and delivering conferences, weddings and corporate events.
• Catering manager, overseeing production and delivery for contract catering operations.
• Bar or gaming supervisor, managing licensed areas and compliance in pubs and clubs.

These roles are found across Australia's hospitality sector: hotels and resorts, restaurants, pubs and clubs, event venues, aged care and hospital catering, and tourism operators. After graduating, eligible international students may apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which allows time to gain Australian work experience.