Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management at Mid City College is a two-year qualification that prepares you for supervisory and management roles in hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubs, catering companies and events businesses. You learn how to run a hospitality operation: rostering and managing staff, controlling stock and costs, planning menus, handling food safety, delivering quality customer service, and dealing with the legal side of serving alcohol and running a venue. Assessment is practical as much as written, so you spend time in training kitchens, simulated service environments and, in many diplomas, on placement in a real venue.

How the course is structured

Australian diplomas are made up of units of competency, each carrying credit points. A full-time load is usually eight units a year, delivered across two semesters or three trimesters, and the diploma typically totals around 16 to 20 units depending on the packaging. Core units cover the operational basics, food and beverage service, housekeeping, front office, work health and safety, and financial performance. Electives let you lean towards accommodation, food and beverage, gaming, or events. Many diplomas finish with a capstone-style project or a supervised work placement where you apply what you have learned in a functioning hospitality business.

Skills you build

You graduate able to write a roster that actually works, read a profit and loss statement for a restaurant, investigate a customer complaint and fix the cause, brief a kitchen brigade on allergen controls, and lead a team through a busy Friday night. You also learn the compliance side: responsible service of alcohol, food safety programs, and the licensing rules that apply in Australian states and territories. Group work and role plays are common, because hospitality management is a people job and employers want to see how you handle staff and customers under pressure.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people already working in hospitality who want to move into supervision, career changers drawn to hotels and events, and international students who want a practical qualification with a clear pathway into a bachelor degree. If you complete the diploma, many Australian universities will give you credit towards a related bachelor program, usually around one year of a three-year degree, though the exact amount is set by the receiving institution. English requirements for international applicants are typically IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall for a course at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs also sets its own English threshold for the Student visa, which is separate from the college's entry requirement. While studying, a student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and after finishing you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 111233D. Check the official course page for current entry requirements, unit lists and intake dates.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants, running the floor, managing staff and resolving issues during service.
• Food and beverage supervisor in restaurants, hotels, function centres and catering companies.
• Front office supervisor in hotels and resorts, handling reservations, check-in and guest relations.
• Housekeeping supervisor in accommodation properties, managing room attendants and quality standards.
• Events or functions coordinator in venues, conference centres and event management companies.
• Restaurant or cafe manager in small to medium hospitality businesses, often after a few years of experience.
• Kitchen or catering operations roles where food safety, stock control and rostering are part of the job.
• Pathway to further study, credit towards a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management at an Australian university.