Diploma of Automotive Management

The Diploma of Automotive Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to run the business side of a workshop, dealership or automotive service operation rather than spend their days under a bonnet. You study how automotive businesses actually work: managing staff and rosters, costing jobs and quoting, stock and parts control, customer service and complaint handling, workplace safety, and the compliance and record-keeping that comes with running a registered automotive business in Australia.

As a diploma, this sits at the same AQF level as the first year of a bachelor degree. It is delivered over one year of full-time study, usually across two or three study periods depending on how the provider timetables its intakes. You complete a set of units of study, each carrying credit points, and if you later go on to a bachelor degree in business or automotive management, you may be able to apply for credit for some of those units. Check the exact unit list and credit arrangements with the provider before you enrol, because they vary between institutions.

Expect a practical mix. Assessment tends to be based on workplace scenarios, case studies and projects rather than long written exams, and many providers build in work-integrated learning so you spend time in a real automotive business applying what you have covered in class. That could be a service centre, a parts operation or a dealership. For international students, this is a good way to build Australian workplace exposure alongside your qualification.

The course suits people already working in the automotive trade who want to move into supervision or management, career changers with an interest in the sector, and school leavers who want a shorter, job-focused qualification before deciding whether to continue to a degree. International students should note that a Student visa generally allows work of up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, subject to the Department of Home Affairs requirements. English proficiency is required for international applicants, commonly IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall or an accepted equivalent. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 120402F, and you should confirm fees, intakes, unit details and English requirements on the official page before applying.

• Automotive service manager or workshop supervisor
• Service advisor or customer service manager in a dealership or repair centre
• Parts and inventory manager
• Fleet coordinator or fleet maintenance officer
• Automotive business owner or operator
• Assistant manager in a dealership, tyre or mechanical service chain
• Warranty and claims administrator
• Sales or after-sales consultant in the automotive retail sector

These roles sit across Australia's automotive retail, repair and maintenance, fleet, and parts distribution industries, as well as in mining, transport and logistics operations that run their own vehicle fleets.