Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management at South Sydney College is a one-year qualification for people who want to run teams, manage operations or move into a supervisory role. It sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, above a Certificate IV and below a bachelor degree. You study how organisations plan work, manage budgets and financial plans, lead and develop people, and keep operations compliant. Assessment is practical: you work through case studies, workplace scenarios and projects rather than sitting long written exams.

Australian qualifications at this level are built from units of study, each carrying credit points, and delivered across semesters or trimesters. The course runs for one year full time. Where a provider arranges it, work-integrated learning or a placement in a real workplace lets you apply what you have learned under supervision. Check the official course page for the current unit list, delivery mode and any placement requirement, because these can change.

Skills you come out with include planning and monitoring operational performance, managing risk, leading workplace relationships, and communicating with staff, clients and senior managers. You also learn to read financial reports, allocate resources and handle the paperwork that keeps a team running. These are the capabilities employers ask for when they promote someone from a hands-on role into a management one.

This course suits people already working who want formal recognition of their supervisory experience, career changers moving into team leadership, and international students looking for a shorter qualification before deciding whether to continue to a degree. If you are an international student, the Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available after you finish, depending on your circumstances. English entry is typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall or an accepted equivalent, with the Department of Home Affairs setting a separate threshold for the visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 105078E.

• Team leader or supervisor in retail, hospitality, logistics or office administration
• Operations coordinator or office manager in small and medium businesses
• Front-line manager in customer service, sales or service delivery
• Project support officer or administrative team lead in government and community organisations
• Assistant manager in health, aged care or disability services
• Small business owner or manager running day-to-day operations