Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a two-year qualification that prepares you for supervisory and operational roles in hotels, restaurants, clubs, catering companies and event venues. You study how a hospitality business actually runs: rostering and managing staff, controlling stock and food costs, planning menus, handling customer complaints, running a bar or restaurant floor, and keeping a workplace safe and compliant with Australian food safety and licensing rules. Assessment is practical. You cook, serve, pour, greet guests and manage shifts in a simulated or real commercial kitchen and service area, then write up the paperwork a manager would sign off on.

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree and above a certificate. This one is delivered over two years, which is longer than many diplomas, and it typically runs on a semester or trimester calendar. You complete a set of units of study, each carrying credit points, with core units covering hospitality operations, leadership, finance, marketing and legal compliance, plus electives in areas such as gaming, accommodation or events. There is usually a work-integrated learning component, a placement or paid shifts in a licensed venue, because hospitality employers in Australia hire on demonstrated service and supervisory experience, not just a transcript.

Skills you build include leading a team through a busy service, reading a profit and loss statement for a restaurant, writing a roster that meets wage budgets, managing supplier relationships, and responding to incidents under pressure. You also learn the regulatory side: responsible service of alcohol, food safety supervision, workplace health and safety, and the Fair Work obligations that apply to casual and part-time hospitality staff.

This course suits people who want to move into a supervisory role without committing to a three-year bachelor degree, career changers who already work in hospitality and want formal recognition, and international students seeking a qualification that combines classroom study with real shifts. If you are an international applicant, you will need to meet the college's English proficiency requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so check both. While studying, a Student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, which many hospitality students use for paid shifts in the industry. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 107653G. Confirm entry requirements, unit structure, placement arrangements and fees on the official page before applying.

• Restaurant or venue supervisor, running shifts, managing floor staff and handling customer issues in pubs, clubs and dining rooms.
• Front office or duty manager, check-in, reservations, guest relations and problem resolution in hotels and resorts.
• Food and beverage manager, stock control, supplier negotiation, menu costing and wage budgeting.
• Events and functions coordinator, planning conferences, weddings and corporate functions from brief to pack-down.
• Catering supervisor, managing kitchen and service teams for airlines, hospitals, aged care and large-scale events.
• Bar or gaming attendant with supervisory duties, responsible service of alcohol, gaming floor compliance and staff rostering.

Australian employers in these roles include hotel groups, pub and club operators, restaurant chains, contract caterers, wineries, resorts, and event and conference centres. Many graduates also use the diploma as a pathway into a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management, with credit for prior study assessed unit by unit.