Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management at the Southern Academy of Business and Technology is a practical qualification for people who want to run the show, a restaurant, a hotel department, a function centre, an events team. Over two and a half years you study how hospitality businesses actually work: food and beverage operations, accommodation services, rostering and staffing, budgeting and financial control, marketing, compliance with Australian licensing and food safety law, and how to lead a team through a busy service. Assessment is largely practical and workplace-based, so you spend time applying what you learn rather than only writing about it.

How the course is structured

Australian vocational qualifications are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points. You complete core units and electives, and the mix is set out in the training package and the course outline. Delivery may run across semesters or trimesters, and the academy will confirm the exact sequence and unit list on its official page. The Advanced Diploma sits above the Diploma on the Australian Qualifications Framework, so it goes further into management, finance and strategy than the diploma does. There is no research thesis at this level; the final stage is usually a work placement or a practical project where you take responsibility for a real service or event.

Skills you build

You learn to write rosters that match wage budgets, read a profit and loss statement for a venue, handle a customer complaint without losing the room, brief a kitchen brigade, manage stock and suppliers, and keep a workplace compliant with Work Health and Safety and liquor licensing rules. You also practise the softer side, supervising casual staff, dealing with peak-hour pressure, and making decisions when something goes wrong mid-service. Those are the skills employers in Australian hospitality actually test you on.

Who it suits

This course suits someone already working in hospitality who wants a formal management qualification, or a school leaver who would rather learn on the floor than in a lecture theatre. It also works for international students who want an Australian qualification and post-study work rights. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your visa and study circumstances, and while you hold a student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight. English requirements for international applicants are published by the academy, with IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 typical for this level and equivalents accepted. Tuition is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 110509M. Check the official page for current unit lists, intake dates and fees.

• Restaurant or venue manager, running daily operations, staff and budgets for cafes, pubs, clubs and restaurants.
• Hotel department manager, front office, housekeeping or food and beverage in hotels and resorts.
• Functions and events coordinator, conferences, weddings and corporate events in event venues and hotels.
• Food and beverage supervisor, leading service teams in licensed venues, clubs and catering companies.
• Catering or banquet manager, managing large-scale food service for airlines, hospitals, aged care and contract caterers.
• Bar or gaming supervisor, overseeing licensed operations in Australian pubs and clubs.
• Small business owner, opening or managing your own cafe, restaurant or catering operation.

Australian employers in these roles include hotel groups, hospitality and catering companies, clubs, event venues, aged care and healthcare caterers, and tourism operators. The qualification also gives you credit toward further study, such as a bachelor degree in hospitality or business, where universities assess your units of study for advanced standing.