Diploma of Hospitality Management

This diploma gives you the practical and supervisory skills to work in hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubs and catering operations. You'll study how a hospitality business actually runs: rostering and managing staff, controlling food and beverage costs, planning menus, handling stock and suppliers, and keeping customers coming back. There's also the compliance side of the industry, such as food safety, responsible service of alcohol, workplace health and safety, and the legal duties that come with running licensed premises.

The course is two years full time, delivered as a Diploma under the Australian Qualifications Framework. Like most Australian diplomas, it's built from units of study, each with a credit point value, and you'll typically enrol in a set number of units each semester or trimester. Assessment is competency based, so you're judged on whether you can perform the tasks to industry standard, not just on written exams. Many diplomas in this field include a work placement or practical service component where you apply your skills in a real venue, and you should check the official course page for the exact structure and any placement requirements.

What you take away is a mix of hands-on capability and supervisory judgement. You'll learn to lead a shift, deal with difficult customers, write rosters that meet wage budgets, read a profit and loss statement for a food and beverage outlet, and train new staff. You'll also build the communication and teamwork habits that hospitality employers look for, because most of the work happens in teams under pressure.

This suits people who want to move into supervisory or team leader roles, or who are already working in hospitality and want formal recognition of their skills. It's also a pathway toward further study, such as a bachelor degree in hospitality, tourism or business, with credit often granted for completed units. If you're an international student, you can 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. Check the CRICOS register and the official college page for current tuition, entry requirements and English proficiency, which for this level is commonly IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 or an accepted equivalent.

• Duty manager or shift supervisor in hotels, motels and resorts
• Food and beverage supervisor or restaurant manager
• Front office supervisor or guest services coordinator
• Banquet and events coordinator
• Bar or gaming venue supervisor
• Catering operations coordinator
• Housekeeping supervisor
• Small hospitality business operator

These roles are found across Australia's accommodation, food and beverage, events, clubs, aged care catering and tourism sectors, from city hotels to regional venues.