Diploma in Business

Course information for - 2026 entry
Domestic
  • Domestic
  • International

Offered at 3 locations
  • Brisbane
  • Melbourne
  • North Sydney

Duration
1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
Fees (first year)*

$14828 CSP

Overview

The Diploma in Business is an important stepping-stone to achieve your career and study goals. Students who undertake this diploma will be able to gain credit for up to the first year of study and articulate into the second year of many of the bachelor's degrees in business at ACU or exit with the Diploma in Business as a standalone qualification.

Not only does our Diploma in Business have lower entry requirements than our bachelor's degrees, but it will help you to develop skills needed to succeed in more advanced tertiary study.

Our Diploma in Business provides domestic students with a Commonwealth supported place (CSP-funded) and will help you achieve your goals.

We are here to support you from start to finish whether you have just finished Year 12 or finished years ago. We ensure smaller class sizes, offer tailored support as you transition to university study, and provide a range of student services to help you succeed.

Our Diploma in Business will be offered at our Townsville Leadership Centre from 2024. This is a great option for those who wish to build their capabilities and gain a qualification. The Diploma in Business is a flexible offering for those who want to prepare for the future workforce, including (Student) Veterans and their families, but also for those who still want to continue serving in the AD

Student enrolling in professional terms can only study at the Township Leadership Centre. 

Note: Student Veterans must enroll in the professional terms only. 

Students completing the Diploma at Ballarat campus would transfer to their business Bachelor program at the Melbourne campus.

  • 95% graduates employed

  • Top 10 Catholic universities globally

  • Top 40 young universities worldwide

Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • Specified UnitsBUSD105Financial Literacy10 cp
  • Specified UnitsBUSD114Marketing Essentials10 cp
  • Specified UnitsBUSD113Managing People and Organisations10 cp
  • Specified UnitsDPBI100Academic Literacy in Business and Information Technology10 cp
  • Specified UnitsECOD200Economics: Policy Frameworks and Markets10 cp
  • Specified UnitsMKTD210Product Marketing and Innovation10 cp
  • Specified UnitsHRMD204Organisational Behaviour10 cp
  • Specified UnitsITED100Information Technology in Action10 cp

Commencing Semester 2

All units are delivered in multi-mode.

Commencing Professional Terms

Graduate statement

Insight

As an ACU graduate you have personal insight founded on an understanding of who you are as a professional, a citizen and a scholar. You embrace change and growth through critical self-awareness and learning autonomy. You are empowered to seek truth and meaning, drawing on the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings.

Empathy

As an ACU graduate you value human dignity and diversity. This appreciation is founded on deep reflection, and empathy. You have experience of Indigenous Knowings and perspectives and can engage respectfully when working alongside Australia's First Peoples. You can connect with people and cultures and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and all cultures

Imagination

As an ACU graduate you utilise imagination and innovation to solve problems. You critically analyse information from a range of sources to creatively solve practical problems and use critical thinking to make decisions and advance the common good. You appreciate the role of innovation and creative thinking in developing a better future for each person and community.

Impact

As an ACU graduate you recognise your responsibility to work for social justice and a sustainable world founded on a commitment to human dignity and the common good. You lead change through respectful collaboration and effective communication of ideas to diverse peoples, groups and communities in local and global contexts. You are empowered to positively impact your profession and the community.

AQF framework

Diploma - AQF Level 5

Entry requirements

An applicant must comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy

International students must also meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

For domestic students to be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed:

  1. Equivalent of year 12 level with the ACU minimum eligibility rank for Diploma programs; OR
  2. Entry via an alternative pathway as approved by ACU.


Student veterans may be eligible for Recognised Prior Learning. 

Enrolment in Professional Terms are only available for students enrolled at the Brisbane campus with delivery to be offered at the Townsville Leadership Centre.

International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in Schedule Three (Associate Degree, Diploma and Certificate courses) of the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.  

The entry requirements are as follows: 

IELTS: Overall score: 6.0 individual score of: 5.5 in all tests 

 PTE: 50 with a minimum of 42 in all four communicative skills

TOEFL: Internet based total of 60: minimum 18 in writing, 8 in reading, 16 in speaking and 7 in listening

ACU English Language Test: C (60-64%)

C1 Advanced: Overall: 169 Individual score of at least 162 in all tests.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2026 Admission.

Adjustment factors

If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.

Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.

Learn more about adjustment factors

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

Students who complete the Diploma in Business may apply for entry into the Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Business. Credit will be given for units completed in the diploma program. It may also provide a pathway to a range of double degrees.

Fees

Course costs

Average first year fee*

$14828 CSP

*This is an indicative first-year fee based on the tuition fee rates for a full-time student, using unit enrolment data from domestic students who studied the course in the previous year.

A student’s annual fee will vary depending on factors including:

  • Number of units studied per year
  • Choice of major or specialisation
  • Elective units

The University reviews fees annually.

You can view current course costs and domestic tuition fee rates by unit.

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

Domestic applicants

Staff Profile

Dr Betty Frino

Senior Lecturer, Peter Faber Business School

Dr Betty Frino is a scholar in Human Resources, Management and Organisational Behaviour. Betty’s professional career spans academe and applied/policy research within the higher education sector, exploring contemporary workplace issues and implications for government policy and professional practice. Betty has held previous appointments at the Universities of Sydney, Macquarie and Wollongong, teaching across various programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Bringing real work scenarios, contemporary issues and current research to the classroom setting is paramount to her teaching philosophy.

Betty has published widely in peer-reviewed and practitioner based journals, and presented her work at both academic and practitioner conferences on the international and domestic scale. She has been invited as guest lecturer at several international universities in Europe, Malaysia and UAE, and also appeared as an expert witness for state wage case decisions and produced commissioned reports for industry and government on wage trends and bargaining outcomes. Her research spans various topics about people at work, with specialist knowledge in employee engagement, employee voice, worker wellbeing/psychosocial hazards, the regulation of work/labour law, wages, bargaining and pay equity.

Her current research projects explore worker wellbeing in a Covid-era, and the scope and nature of hybrid work and its impact on wellbeing. Betty’s passion is to conduct scholarly research that has real-world application, informing organisational leaders, practitioners, and policy makers about ways to address challenges confronting the modern workplace to ensure a sustainable and fair work setting for all.

Dr Victoria Obeng

Lecturer, Peter Faber Business School

Dr Obeng is a lecturer with Peter Faber Business School. She has worked in industry as teaching consultant for finance and a board member of a finance company. She has teaching experiences from different parts of the world. She has taught in Latrobe University, University of Ghana, and Ghana Technology University College in the areas of financial accounting, auditing and management accounting. Her research interests include corporate governance, board diversity, earnings management, corporate financial reporting and disclosure and the accounting regulatory environment. She has published several research papers in her early academic career and refereed journal articles in her research areas. She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.

 

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs