Advanced Diploma of Marketing and Communication

The Advanced Diploma of Marketing and Communication at Sydney Global College is a two-year qualification that sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework. It's a practical, industry-facing course for people who want to work in marketing, advertising, public relations or communications, and who want a qualification that gets them into the workforce rather than a long academic pathway.

What you actually study

The course is built around units of study, each carrying credit points, delivered across semesters or trimesters (the college's academic calendar determines which). Core areas typically include consumer behaviour, market research, brand and campaign planning, digital marketing, content and copywriting, media relations, and marketing analytics. You'll also cover the business side, budgeting, project management, and how marketing fits into an organisation's strategy. Assessment is mostly practical: campaign plans, client briefs, presentations, group projects and reports, rather than long written exams.

Structure and credit

Australian diplomas and advanced diplomas are made up of units of study, each with a set number of credit points. You need to complete the required units to graduate. Some courses include a capstone unit where you pull everything together into a full marketing or communication plan for a real or simulated client. Where the field uses it, work-integrated learning or a professional placement may be part of the course, check the official page for whether placement is included and how it's arranged. If you later want to go on to a bachelor degree, you may be able to get credit for some units, but that's decided by the receiving institution, not automatically.

Skills you build

You'll learn how to research a market, identify an audience, write a brief, plan a campaign across channels, produce content, manage a budget, measure results, and present your work to a client or manager. You'll also practise the soft skills that matter in agencies and marketing teams: working to a deadline, taking feedback, and explaining your ideas clearly. Group work is common, because that's how the industry works.

Who it suits

This course suits school leavers who want a hands-on marketing qualification without committing to a three-year bachelor degree, career changers moving into marketing or communications, and people already working in a related role who want a formal qualification. It's also a pathway option: after completing the advanced diploma, you may be able to articulate into a bachelor degree with credit, depending on the university and the units you've completed. International students should note that the Student visa allows up to 48 hours of work 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, subject to the Department of Home Affairs requirements. English proficiency is required, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 106698B. Confirm all details, including intake dates, unit lists and fees, on the official page.

• Marketing coordinator, supporting campaign delivery, scheduling and reporting in agencies, retail, property, education or not-for-profits.
• Digital marketing assistant, social media, email marketing, SEO and paid ads for small businesses or in-house teams.
• Communications officer, drafting media releases, internal updates and stakeholder communications for government, health or community organisations.
• Advertising account coordinator, liaising between clients and creative teams in advertising or media agencies.
• Public relations assistant, media monitoring, event support and press material for PR consultancies or in-house teams.
• Content and copywriter, writing web, social and promotional content for brands, publishers or freelance clients.
• Events and promotions assistant, planning and running activations, launches and community events.
• Sales and business development support, using marketing skills in lead generation and client relationship roles.

These roles appear across Australian industries including advertising and media, retail and e-commerce, tourism and hospitality, property, education, health, government and the not-for-profit sector. Many graduates start in assistant or coordinator roles and move into specialist or management positions with experience.