Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting is a practical qualification for people who want to work in bookkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, or payroll, and for those who intend to keep studying towards a degree. It runs for 1.5 years and is registered on CRICOS (course code 111625K), so it is open to international students. The course covers the core of day-to-day accounting: processing financial transactions, preparing journals and ledgers, reconciling bank statements, maintaining payroll records, preparing BAS and other business activity statements, and producing financial reports and statements for a small business or department. You also learn the compliance side, the accounting standards, tax rules and record-keeping obligations an Australian organisation has to meet.

How the qualification is structured

As a diploma, this sits at AQF level 5, below a bachelor degree (which is normally three years) and above a certificate IV. Study is organised into units of study, each carrying credit points, taught across semesters or trimesters. You will complete a set number of core accounting units plus electives, and your transcript records the units and credit points you pass. Assessment is a mix of practical tasks, assignments, tests and exams rather than one final hurdle. Because it is a diploma, there is no honours year and no research thesis, the focus is on applied skills you can use in a workplace. If you later move into a bachelor degree, some institutions may grant credit for completed units, but you need to confirm that with the receiving institution.

Skills you build

By the end you should be able to keep a full set of books for a small organisation, use accounting software to enter and check data, prepare and lodge business activity statements, process payroll including superannuation and PAYG, and read a profit and loss statement and balance sheet well enough to explain what changed and why. You also pick up the working habits employers expect: meeting lodgement deadlines, keeping audit-ready records, and spotting when a figure does not add up. Communication matters too, you will practise explaining financial information to people who are not accountants.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers who want a job-ready qualification before deciding on a degree, career changers moving into finance or bookkeeping, and people already working in an office who want formal recognition of what they do. International students should note the Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, depending on your circumstances. English proficiency is required for entry, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common coursework standard, 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 visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official course page for the current unit list, entry requirements, intake dates and fees before you apply.

• Accounts clerk or assistant accountant, maintaining ledgers, processing invoices and reconciling accounts in small and medium businesses.
• Bookkeeper, keeping day-to-day records for a business or for several clients, often through a bookkeeping practice or accounting firm.
• Accounts payable / accounts receivable officer, managing supplier payments and customer invoicing in commercial and government organisations.
• Payroll officer, processing wages, superannuation and PAYG withholding, often in larger employers or outsourced payroll providers.
• BAS agent support, preparing business activity statements under the supervision of a registered tax agent.
• Assistant in a public practice accounting firm, supporting accountants with client files, data entry and compliance work.

These roles are found across most Australian industries, including professional services, retail, construction, health, education, hospitality and government. The diploma also gives you a pathway into further study, a bachelor degree in accounting or a related field, if you want to move towards CPA Australia or Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand membership later.