Advanced Diploma of Digital Marketing

The Advanced Diploma of Digital Marketing is a one-year qualification for people who want to work in digital marketing and need practical, job-ready skills. You will study how to plan and run campaigns across search, social media, email and content, how to read analytics and report on results, how to manage a brand's online presence, and how to build a marketing plan that fits a business's goals and budget. Assessment is competency-based, so you are graded on whether you can actually do the task, not just recall theory.

How the qualification is structured

Australian vocational qualifications at this level are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points. A full-time load is usually around 20 hours a week of classes and independent study, and the course is delivered over one year, typically across two or three study periods depending on the provider's timetable. There is no research thesis at this level. Instead, you build a portfolio of work, campaign plans, content calendars, analytics reports and a client-style project, that you can show employers. Many providers include a work placement or industry project as part of the course, which is how you get real campaign experience before you finish.

What you learn

You will learn to write for the web, set up and optimise paid and organic search campaigns, schedule and measure social media activity, use email marketing tools, interpret Google Analytics and similar platforms, and present a campaign to a client. You also cover the legal and ethical side of marketing, including privacy and advertising standards. The focus is on tools and tasks you will use in a junior marketing role from day one.

Who it suits

This course suits school leavers who want a fast route into marketing, career changers moving from admin, retail or customer service, and small business owners who want to run their own marketing. It also works as a pathway into a bachelor degree in marketing or business, with credit for the units you have completed. International students should check the CRICOS register for the published tuition and confirm entry requirements, including English proficiency, on the official course page.

• Digital marketing assistant
• Social media coordinator
• Content creator or copywriter
• SEO assistant
• Email marketing assistant
• Marketing coordinator
• Advertising or media assistant

These roles sit in advertising agencies, in-house marketing teams, e-commerce businesses, not-for-profits, government communications units and small businesses across Australia. The qualification also gives you credit toward further study in marketing or business.