Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management

The Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management is a two-year qualification that trains you to run the day-to-day and the bigger picture of a hospitality business. You study food and beverage operations, front office and accommodation, rostering and staffing, budgeting and cost control, marketing, and the legal side of serving alcohol and keeping guests safe. Assessment is practical as much as written, so you spend time in simulated service environments and on placement in venues that trade every day.

Australian advanced diplomas sit on the AQF below a bachelor degree. They are usually delivered over four semesters, or the trimester equivalent, and are made up of units of study, each carrying credit points. There is no research thesis at this level. Instead, most courses finish with a capstone unit where you pull everything together, often by planning and running an event or preparing a full operational plan for a venue. Credit for prior study or relevant work experience is assessed unit by unit, in line with the institution's credit policy.

Work-integrated learning is central to hospitality. You should expect a professional placement component, arranged with hotels, restaurants, function centres or clubs, where you apply what you have learned under supervision. That placement is also how many students get their first Australian job offer before they graduate.

The course suits people who want to move into supervisory or management roles rather than stay on the floor, and international students who want an Australian qualification plus post-study work rights. While you study, your Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight, which is enough to build local experience alongside your classes. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available, depending on your circumstances. English entry is usually IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall or an accepted equivalent. Check the official course page and the CRICOS register for current fees, intake dates and exact entry requirements.

• Duty manager or venue supervisor in hotels, pubs, clubs and restaurants
• Food and beverage manager or banquet operations coordinator
• Front office supervisor or reservations manager
• Events and functions coordinator in conference centres and catering organisations
• Restaurant or café manager, including small-business ownership
• Rooms division or housekeeping manager in accommodation properties
• Casino, gaming and licensed club supervisory roles
• In-flight catering, stadium hospitality and tourism operations roles

Australian employers in these areas include hotel groups, hospitality and catering companies, licensed clubs, event venues, resorts and tourism operators.