Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Diploma of Leadership and Management at Hawkesbury Business School is a one-and-a-half-year qualification for people who want to run teams, projects and small operations. You study how organisations plan work, manage budgets and resources, lead people through change, and keep things moving when deadlines collide. Expect units on operational planning, performance management, workplace relationships, risk, and financial administration. Assessment is practical: you write plans, run meetings, handle a simulated staff issue, and present to a group. It is not a lecture-only course.

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree. This one runs over three or four study periods depending on intake, with each unit carrying credit points. There is no thesis at diploma level, but you will complete a capstone-style project where you apply leadership and management skills to a real or simulated workplace problem. Work-integrated learning is built in: many students do a placement or workplace project with an employer, and if you are already working, your current role can often serve as the practical component. Credit for prior study or relevant work experience is assessed unit by unit under the school's credit policy.

You finish with skills employers ask for: scheduling and rostering, managing a budget, giving feedback that lands, resolving conflict, reading a profit and loss statement, and writing a business case. The course suits three groups. Early-career workers who want a formal qualification before stepping into a supervisor role. Team leaders already managing staff who need the theory behind what they do. And career changers moving from a technical trade or service job into office or operations management. If you plan to continue studying, a diploma can provide credit towards a bachelor degree, though the amount depends on the receiving institution.

International students study on a Student visa, which allows 48 hours of work per fortnight while your course is in session. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, provided you meet the Department of Home Affairs requirements, check those directly, as they change. English entry 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 visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 118959J. Confirm fees, intakes, unit lists and English equivalents on the official course page before you apply.

• Team Leader or Supervisor, retail, hospitality, logistics, customer service and manufacturing.
• Office or Administration Manager, small businesses, professional services, community organisations.
• Operations Coordinator, transport, warehousing, facilities and events.
• Project Support Officer, construction, government, consulting and IT.
• Assistant Manager, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and franchise networks.
• Business Development Coordinator, sales teams and service providers.