Diploma of Leadership and Management

The Diploma of Leadership and Management is a one-year qualification for people who want to step into team leader, supervisor or front-line management roles, or who are already in one and want formal recognition of what they do. It sits at diploma level on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which puts it below a bachelor degree and above a certificate IV. Courses at this level are practical. You learn the language and mechanics of managing people, budgets, projects and workplace relationships, and you apply it to real situations rather than studying management as an abstract theory.

Delivery is typically over one year of full-time study, split into two or three study periods depending on the provider's calendar. You complete a set of units of study, each worth credit points, covering areas such as leading and managing team effectiveness, developing work priorities, managing operational plans, workplace communication, and managing budgets and financial plans. Assessment is usually a mix of written tasks, case studies, role plays and projects drawn from your own workplace or a simulated business. Some providers build in a work placement or structured workplace project so you can practise leading a real team under supervision; where that is part of the course, it is a core part of the learning, not an add-on.

Sydney International Business College delivers this course to both domestic and international students, and the CRICOS registration means it is approved for overseas students studying in Australia. If you are coming from overseas, you will need to meet the college's English requirement and the Department of Home Affairs' separate English threshold for the Student visa. While you hold a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods, which many students use to get Australian workplace experience alongside the course. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is the usual pathway for those who want to stay and work.

This diploma suits three groups: people already working who want a management qualification without committing to a three-year degree; school leavers who want a fast, job-focused start in business; and international students who want an Australian qualification and a pathway into further study. If you later want a bachelor degree, many Australian institutions give credit for diploma study, so you may enter with advanced standing. Check the official CRICOS listing and the college's own page for the current unit structure, entry requirements, tuition and start dates before you apply.

• Team leader or supervisor, retail, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, call centres and community services organisations across Australia.
• Office or administration manager, small and medium businesses, professional services firms, government agencies and not-for-profits.
• Front-line manager in retail or hospitality, store management, duty management and shift supervision.
• Project support or coordinator, construction, events, IT and business services, working under a project manager.
• Customer service manager, banks, insurers, utilities and telecommunications providers.
• Small business owner or operator, running your own operation with a better grip on planning, budgets and staff.