Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting is a practical, job-focused qualification for people who want to work in bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, or as an assistant accountant. It's a 1.5-year course delivered by the International Institute of Education, and it's registered on CRICOS for international students. You'll learn how to process financial transactions, prepare financial reports and statements, maintain ledgers, handle payroll, and use accounting software that Australian employers actually run. The course also covers business tax obligations, budgeting, and the compliance side of accounting work, the things you need to get right when you're working under an accountant or running the books for a small business.

How the course is structured

This is a diploma, not a degree. It sits below a bachelor degree on the Australian Qualifications Framework, and it's built around units of study rather than majors. Each unit carries credit points, and you need to pass all the required units to graduate. The 1.5-year duration usually means three or four study periods across the year, many Australian institutions run two semesters or three trimesters, and diplomas often use the trimester model so you can finish faster. Assessment is a mix of practical tasks, case studies, and exams, with a lot of emphasis on applying the rules to real sets of books. There's no research thesis at this level. Instead, you build a portfolio of work that shows you can do the job. If the course includes a work placement or simulated workplace component, that's where you'll practise using accounting software under supervision.

What you'll actually learn

You'll come out knowing how to enter data into accounting systems, reconcile bank statements, prepare BAS statements, process payroll including superannuation and PAYG, and produce reports that an accountant or business owner can use. You'll also learn the legal and ethical side, confidentiality, compliance with Australian tax law, and how to spot errors before they become problems. The focus is on doing, not just theory. By the end, you should be able to take a shoebox of receipts and turn it into a clean set of accounts.

Who it suits

This diploma suits school leavers who want a fast route into an office job, career changers who need practical skills, and people already working in administration or bookkeeping who want a formal qualification. It's also a stepping stone, after completing the diploma, you may be able to get credit towards a bachelor degree in accounting at some Australian universities, which means you won't start from scratch. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after you finish, depending on your circumstances. English requirements for this course are typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, but always confirm the exact score and any equivalent tests on the official page, along with tuition fees published on the CRICOS register.

• Assistant accountant, working under a qualified accountant in public practice or a company finance team, preparing reports and reconciliations.
• Bookkeeper, managing day-to-day transactions for small businesses, often using cloud accounting software.
• Accounts payable officer, processing invoices, scheduling payments, and keeping supplier records straight.
• Accounts receivable officer, invoicing customers, following up overdue accounts, and reconciling payments.
• Payroll officer, calculating wages, superannuation, PAYG withholding, and preparing payroll tax returns.
• Tax preparer, assisting with BAS statements and income tax returns for individuals and small businesses, usually under supervision.

These roles are found across every industry in Australia, accounting firms, government departments, not-for-profits, construction, retail, healthcare, and hospitality. Many graduates start in small businesses where they handle the full accounts function, then specialise as they gain experience.