Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical, industry-focused qualification for people who want to work in hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubs, catering companies and event venues. You learn how to run a hospitality operation: rostering and supervising staff, managing stock and suppliers, controlling costs and budgets, planning menus in consultation with chefs, and keeping the business compliant with food safety, liquor licensing and workplace health and safety rules. Much of the study is hands-on, with students practising service, bar and food and beverage skills in a training environment and then applying them on placement in a real venue.

This diploma is delivered over 26 weeks, so it is an intensive pathway rather than a three-year bachelor degree. Australian qualifications are built from units of study, each carrying credit points, and you need to pass every required unit to graduate. Assessment is competency-based: you are judged on whether you can actually perform the tasks to industry standard, not just write about them. Some units are delivered in a simulated restaurant or bar on campus, and others require you to complete a set number of hours in a commercial hospitality workplace, where a supervisor signs off on your skills. There is no research thesis at diploma level; the final stage is usually a cluster of units where you plan and manage a real service period or event from start to finish.

The skills you come out with are the ones employers ask for on day one: leading a shift, handling difficult customers, writing rosters that meet wage budgets, ordering and storing stock safely, reading a profit and loss statement, and training new staff. You also learn the compliance side of the job, which matters in Australia because liquor licensing, food safety and responsible service of alcohol rules are enforced by state authorities. If you are already working in hospitality, the diploma can formalise what you have learned on the job and open up supervisory or duty manager roles.

This course suits school leavers who want a fast route into hospitality, career changers who like working with people, and international students who want an Australian qualification with a strong practical component. International students studying in Australia can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, which makes it possible to earn while you learn in cafes, hotels and event companies. After graduating, eligible students may apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which allows you to stay and work in Australia for a period set by the Department of Home Affairs. English requirements for entry are set by the institution, and the Student visa has its own separate English threshold. Tuition fees are published on the CRICOS register under course code 113503D, and you should confirm current fees, entry requirements, intakes and placement arrangements on the official course page before applying.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants, responsible for running service, managing staff and handling customer issues.
• Food and beverage supervisor in hotels, resorts and function centres, overseeing restaurant, bar and room service operations.
• Restaurant or cafe manager, managing rosters, stock, budgets and compliance for a single venue.
• Events and functions coordinator with catering companies, wineries, conference centres and wedding venues.
• Front office supervisor in hotels and serviced apartments, managing reservations, check-in and guest relations.
• Bar or gaming supervisor in clubs and pubs, requiring responsible service of alcohol and state gaming certifications.
• Housekeeping or rooms division supervisor in hotels and resorts.
• Catering and operations roles with airlines, hospitals, aged care providers, sporting venues and event contractors.
• Small business owner, running your own cafe, food truck or catering business once you have the operational and compliance knowledge.
• Pathway to further study, with credit towards a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management at Australian institutions.