Diploma of Automotive Management

The Diploma of Automotive Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to run an automotive business rather than spend their career under a bonnet. It sits at the diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree, and it is delivered by Strathfield College and Jacaranda College in Sydney. The course mixes business subjects with automotive industry context: you study how a workshop or dealership actually makes money, how to manage staff and parts, how to price labour and handle customers, and how to keep the books straight. It is a practical qualification, not a research one.

How the course is structured

Australian diplomas are made up of units of study, each carrying credit points. You enrol in a set number of units per semester or trimester, depending on the college timetable, and you need to pass the required units to graduate. Assessment is usually a mix of assignments, case studies, practical tasks and exams rather than a single final test. There is no research thesis at this level. Some colleges build in a work placement or industry project so you spend time in a real workshop or dealership office, but the exact arrangement varies, so check the course page for what Strathfield College and Jacaranda College offer.

What you actually learn

Expect to cover business administration as it applies to automotive: financial record keeping, budgeting, inventory and parts control, workplace safety, customer service, team supervision and basic marketing. You also look at the legal side of running a business in Australia, including consumer guarantees and fair trading obligations. The skills you finish with are the ones a service manager, parts manager or small business owner uses daily. You should be able to read a profit and loss statement for a workshop, roster staff, deal with a difficult warranty claim and keep a parts department stocked without tying up too much cash.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people already working in the automotive trade who want to move into management, and people from a business background who want to specialise in the automotive sector. It also works as a pathway qualification if you do not meet the entry requirements for a bachelor degree, or if you want a short, job-focused course rather than three years of university. International students should note that the Student visa allows you to work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after graduating you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, depending on your circumstances. English entry is usually IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall, though the Department of Home Affairs sets its own separate English threshold for the visa. Confirm fees, intake dates, English requirements and the exact unit list on the official CRICOS register and the college website before you apply.

• Automotive service manager or assistant service manager
• Parts and inventory manager
• Workshop supervisor
• Dealership administration officer
• Automotive small business owner or operator
• Customer service and warranty coordinator
• Fleet maintenance coordinator

These roles sit across Australian industries including automotive retail and repair, dealership groups, fleet and logistics operators, parts distribution and aftermarket service businesses. Some graduates use the diploma as a pathway into a bachelor degree in business or management.