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Diploma · national qualification

Diploma of Accounting

The Diploma of Accounting builds on bookkeeping study and moves you into accounting work proper: preparing financial reports for companies, setting and managing budgets, and producing management accounting information that helps a business make decisions.

Compare 25 providers
How long it takes
6 to 24 months
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $4,891
Subsidised at GOTAFE, full fee up to $10,505
How you can study
Online or on campus
Taught by
25 providers
7 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Diploma of Accounting asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in numbers and financial records
  • a careful, accurate approach to your work
  • confidence using spreadsheets and business software
  • an interest in tax and business law

Before you start

Prior to commencing this qualification an individual must have completed the following units of competency (or equivalent). FNSACC321 Process financial transactions and extract interim reports FNSACC322 Administer subsidiary accounts and ledgers FNSACC418 Work effectively in the accounting and bookkeeping industry FNSACC421 Prepare financial reports (this unit is the equivalent version of BSBFIA401 Prepare financial reports). These competencies may have been achieved through completion of the following (or their equivalent): FNSSS00014 Accounting Principles Skill Set or FNS40222 Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping.

Diploma or Bachelor?

The Diploma of Accounting is at a lower level than the Bachelor of Accounting. This diploma prepares you for accounting roles such as tax agent and accounts payable officer, and you apply initiative to plan, coordinate and evaluate your own work and provide guidance to others within defined guidelines.

See the course

Where this course can take you

No job needs this course on its own, but it can help with the work below.

Jobs this course can help with

None of these jobs needs a set qualification.

  • Costing Officer

    Costing officers work out what a product, project or service costs to deliver, and track how those costs compare with the budget.

    Median pay$85,800 (estimate)

  • Fraud Analyst

    Fraud analysts examine transactions and account activity to spot the signs of financial crime before it causes a loss.

    Median pay$85,800 (estimate)

    In demand

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $4,891

at GOTAFE. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$7,731 to $10,505

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • Chisholm InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $5,301
    Full fee
    $9,331

  • GOTAFEVIC

    Subsidised
    $4,891
    Full fee
    $7,849

  • Holmesglen InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $6,124
    Full fee
    $8,798

  • The GordonVIC

    Subsidised
    $6,995
    Full fee
    $7,731

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Subsidised
    $8,780
    Concession
    $8,250
    Full fee
    $10,505

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 25 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

11 units: 7 that everyone takes and 4 you choose.

  • Complex spreadsheets
  • Budgets and forecasts
  • Financial reports for companies
  • Individual tax returns
  • Management accounting
  • Internal control procedures
See all 7 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for BSBTEC402…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for accounting roles in financial services and other industries, including tax agent, accounts payable or receivable officer, payroll service provider and accounting all rounder. You apply initiative to plan, coordinate and evaluate your own work and provide guidance to others within defined guidelines. Roles it leads to include Accounts Officer and Costing Officer.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

Before starting, you must have completed four units or their equivalent: Process financial transactions and extract interim reports; Administer subsidiary accounts and ledgers; Work effectively in the accounting and bookkeeping industry; and Prepare financial reports. These may be achieved through the Accounting Principles Skill Set or Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Is a licence, registration or check required to work in this area?

Work functions are subject to regulatory requirements. The qualification includes units that comprise an approved Tax Practitioner Board (TPB) course in Australian taxation law and commercial law, relevant for registration as a tax agent. Check current registration requirements with the TPB.

How is it different from Bachelor of Accounting?

The Diploma of Accounting is at a lower level than the Bachelor of Accounting. This diploma prepares you for accounting roles such as tax agent and accounts payable officer, and you apply initiative to plan, coordinate and evaluate your own work and provide guidance to others within defined guidelines.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.