Diploma of Hospitality Management (Hospitality Management)

The Diploma of Hospitality Management is a practical qualification for people who want to run the show, a restaurant, a hotel department, a function centre, a pub with a serious food operation. At UNITY SKILLS COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY you study hospitality the way it actually happens: food and beverage service, front office, housekeeping, rostering, budgeting, stock control, and the legal side of serving alcohol and keeping customers safe. You learn how to lead a team through a busy Friday night and how to read a profit and loss statement without flinching.

The diploma sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, below a bachelor degree. Delivery runs over 1.5 years, typically across semesters or trimesters, and assessment is competency-based, you are signed off when you can do the task to industry standard, not when you pass a single exam. Expect a mix of classroom work, simulated service environments and a work placement in a real venue, because hospitality is a trade you learn on your feet. Some units carry credit points that may count towards further study, and your training provider can explain how credit transfer works if you continue to a bachelor degree later.

What you come out with is a set of skills employers can use on day one: supervising service, managing rosters and wage costs, handling complaints, controlling stock and wastage, understanding responsible service of alcohol and food safety requirements, and working within Australian workplace law. You also pick up the softer side, how to brief a team before service, how to keep casual staff turning up, how to deal with a customer who has had too much.

This course suits a few types of people. Someone already working in a cafe, bar or hotel who wants to move into a supervisor or duty manager role. Someone returning to study who wants a hands-on qualification rather than a three-year degree. Or an international student who wants Australian training and a pathway into the local industry. While you study on a Student visa you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight once your course has started, which matters in hospitality because paid shifts in a real venue are the best training you will get. 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 current rules. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and you should confirm fees, intake dates, English requirements and placement arrangements on the official page before you apply.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor, hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants across Australia.
• Food and beverage supervisor, restaurants, function centres, conference venues and catering companies.
• Front office supervisor, hotels, motels and serviced apartments.
• Housekeeping supervisor, hotels and resorts.
• Restaurant or cafe manager, independent venues and hospitality groups.
• Functions and events coordinator, event companies, wineries, clubs and conference centres.
• Bar or gaming supervisor, licensed clubs and hotels, where responsible service and compliance knowledge is essential.

These roles sit across the accommodation, food and beverage, events and tourism industries, which together employ a large share of Australia's workforce. Employers include hotel groups, hospitality chains, clubs, catering firms, airlines and tourism operators. Many graduates also use the diploma as a stepping stone into a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business management.