Diploma of Automotive Management

The Diploma of Automotive Management is a practical qualification for people who want to run the business side of a workshop, dealership or fleet operation. It is not a mechanics course. You will learn how automotive businesses make money and stay compliant: managing staff, ordering parts, controlling stock, quoting and costing jobs, interpreting financial reports, and keeping up with work health and safety and environmental rules. Expect units on operations management, customer service, team leadership, and the legal side of running a repair or retail business.

This diploma sits at the diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework. That places it below a bachelor degree but above a certificate IV. It is delivered over 44 weeks. Australian vocational qualifications are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points, and you need to pass every required unit to graduate. Assessment is usually a mix of written tasks, case studies, practical projects and workplace observation. Many providers build in a work placement or simulated workshop component so you can apply what you learn in a real automotive setting.

You will pick up skills that transfer straight to the job: reading profit and loss statements, rostering technicians, dealing with suppliers, handling customer complaints, and managing a parts inventory. The course suits people already working in the automotive trade who want to move into a supervisor or manager role, as well as career changers with some business or retail experience. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English requirements for international applicants are typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets its own English threshold for the Student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official course page for the current unit list, entry requirements and intake dates.

• Workshop manager or assistant manager in a mechanical repair business
• Service advisor or service manager at a dealership
• Parts and inventory manager
• Fleet coordinator for a logistics, government or utility organisation
• Automotive retail store manager
• Small business owner running an automotive repair or detailing operation

These roles are found across Australia in dealership networks, independent workshops, fleet operators, parts distributors, and automotive retail chains.