Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)

This Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) is a one-year course for people who lead learning inside organisations. It sits at graduate diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which means it sits between a bachelor degree and a master's. You already need some background in the field to get in. The course is built around the management side of learning: how to plan what a workplace needs to learn, how to design and run training that actually changes what people do, how to assess it, and how to report on it to the people paying for it.

Australian graduate diplomas are usually made up of units of study, each with a credit point value, and you need to pass a set number to graduate. Depending on how the provider timetables it, you might study over two semesters or three trimesters in the year. The work is mostly coursework and assessment, not a long research thesis. You will write reports, build training plans, analyse data on learner outcomes, and present to a group. Some units may include a project where you work with an employer on a real learning problem, which is the closest thing to work-integrated learning at this level. Confirm the exact unit list, credit points and any placement requirement on the official page.

What you walk away with is a practical set of skills: scoping a learning need, choosing the right delivery method, managing a training budget, keeping records that satisfy auditors, and leading a small team of trainers or facilitators. The course is taught in Australia, and if you are 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 circumstances. Check the Department of Home Affairs for the rules that apply to you.

This suits someone who has been a trainer, a team leader, or an HR officer and wants to move into a learning and development manager role. It also suits people from other fields who now manage training as part of their job and need formal recognition. If you want a research career, a master's is the better path. If you want to run learning in a company, this is a direct route.

• Learning and development manager, leading training strategy in banks, retailers, government agencies and large not-for-profits.
• Training coordinator, organising schedules, facilitators, venues and records for an organisation's training calendar.
• Instructional designer, building e-learning modules and face-to-face materials for corporate or public sector clients.
• RTO compliance officer, keeping a registered training organisation's delivery and assessment records in line with the standards.
• Human resources officer with a learning focus, handling induction, skills audits and performance-related training.
• Education manager in community or industry settings, running programs for professional bodies, industry associations or community organisations.