Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical, one-and-a-half-year qualification for people who want to work in hotels, restaurants, events and food and beverage operations. It covers the day-to-day running of a hospitality business: rostering and supervising staff, managing stock and suppliers, costing menus, handling food safety, serving alcohol responsibly, delivering customer service, and the basics of budgeting and financial reporting. You also learn how hospitality venues in Australia are regulated and how to lead a team through a busy service.

As a diploma, this sits at the vocational end of the Australian system rather than the university degree end. It is delivered in trimesters or semesters, and you complete a set of units of study, each worth credit points. Assessment is mostly practical, simulations, workplace tasks, projects and written work, rather than long exams. Many diplomas include a work placement or industry-based training component, so you spend time in a real venue applying what you have learned. If you later want a bachelor degree, you may be able to get credit for some units, which shortens the degree. Confirm the exact unit list, placement hours and credit arrangements on the official course page.

You finish with skills employers actually ask for: supervising a shift, writing a roster, controlling costs, dealing with difficult customers, managing compliance, and using hospitality booking and point-of-sale systems. The course suits school leavers who want a fast route into supervisory work, career changers moving into hospitality, and people already working in the industry who need a formal qualification to step up to team leader or duty manager. It also works as a pathway towards further study in hospitality, tourism or business.

For international students, this is a CRICOS-registered course, so it is available on a Student visa. While studying, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight once your course has started. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be an option, depending on your circumstances and the current rules. English entry is usually IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institution'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, so check there and on the official page for the current figure and intake dates.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor, hotels, motels, resorts and serviced apartments
• Food and beverage supervisor, restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs and clubs
• Front office supervisor, reception, reservations and guest services
• Events and functions coordinator, conference centres, venues and catering companies
• Housekeeping supervisor, hotels and accommodation providers
• Restaurant or café manager, small and large hospitality businesses
• Banquet or catering team leader, event and catering operations
• Hospitality business owner or operator, for those who go on to run their own venue

These roles are found across Australia's accommodation, food and beverage, tourism, events and entertainment industries, in cities and in regional tourism areas. Some graduates use the diploma as a stepping stone into a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business.