Diploma of Marketing and Communication

The Diploma of Marketing and Communication at Rhodes International College is a one-year course that gets you ready for work in marketing and communications. You'll study the core of how organisations talk to their audiences: campaign planning, content creation, social media, market research, and the basics of consumer behaviour. Expect to write copy, plan and pitch campaigns, read analytics, and learn how to brief designers, media buyers and agencies. Assessment is practical, reports, presentations, group projects and portfolios rather than only exams.

This is a diploma on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which sits below a bachelor degree. It's made up of units of study, each with a credit point value, usually delivered over two semesters or three trimesters. You'll complete a set number of core units plus electives, and some providers build in a capstone-style project where you pull your skills together for a real or simulated client. Work-integrated learning is common in this field, so you may do a placement or industry project with a business, not-for-profit or agency. Credit may be granted for prior study or relevant work experience, check the college's credit policy.

What you gain is practical: how to plan a campaign from brief to evaluation, how to write for different channels, how to use data to make decisions, and how to work in a team to a deadline. You'll also build a portfolio you can show employers. The course suits school leavers who want a fast route into marketing, career changers, and people already working in admin, sales or communications who want formal skills. It's also a pathway into a bachelor degree, many students use a diploma to enter the second year of a related degree, subject to the receiving institution's rules.

Australia's marketing and communications industry is broad, spanning agencies, in-house teams, government, retail, tech and media. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, depending on your eligibility. English requirements for entry are typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall or an accepted equivalent, and the Department of Home Affairs sets its own English threshold for the student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check the official page for current fees, intake dates and unit details.

• Marketing assistant or coordinator
• Social media coordinator
• Content creator or copywriter
• Communications officer
• Digital marketing assistant
• Campaign assistant
• Market research assistant
• Public relations assistant

These roles sit in advertising and media agencies, corporate marketing departments, government communications teams, not-for-profits, retail and e-commerce businesses, and startups across Australia.