Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Diploma of Leadership and Management at Hillshire International College is a one-year course for people who want to step into team leader, supervisor or frontline management roles, or who already hold one and want the paperwork and the skills to back it up. You study how organisations run: planning and managing projects, leading and motivating a team, managing budgets and financial plans, building relationships with stakeholders, and handling the operational side of a business. It is practical, workplace-facing study rather than a theory-heavy degree.

How the course is structured

As a diploma, this sits at the middle of the Australian Qualifications Framework, above a certificate, below a bachelor degree. Australian diplomas are usually delivered over two semesters or three trimesters across a single year, made up of units of study, each carrying credit points. Assessment is typically a mix of written tasks, case studies, role plays and practical projects rather than a single final exam. Some diplomas include a work placement or industry project; where a placement is part of your course, your provider will tell you how it is arranged and what you need to complete beforehand.

What you actually learn

You finish with the skills employers ask for at the supervisor level: giving feedback, delegating, running a meeting that stays on track, reading a profit and loss statement, writing an operational plan, and dealing with a difficult customer or a staff conflict without escalating it. You also learn to work within an organisation's policies and procedures, and to report against KPIs. These are the tasks that come up in the first week of a team leader job, not abstract management theory.

Who it suits

This course suits school leavers who want a fast, job-ready qualification, people already working in retail, hospitality, logistics, administration or community services who want to move up, and international students looking for an Australian qualification in business. Entry requirements, English proficiency (typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents), tuition fees and intake dates are set by the college and published on the CRICOS register under course code 114463K. Confirm all details on the official page before you apply.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, warehousing, call centres and community services organisations.
• Office or administration manager, small and medium businesses, professional services firms and government agencies.
• Operations coordinator, logistics, manufacturing and facilities management companies.
• Frontline manager, banks, insurers, health practices and not-for-profits.
• Small business owner or manager, running your own operation or a franchise site.

Graduates of Australian diplomas can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream if they meet the requirements, and international students can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session. Check current visa rules with the Department of Home Affairs.