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Diploma · national qualification

Diploma of Leadership and Management

This diploma is for people who already have some workplace experience and want to step into a team leader or front-line management role, or get better at running the team they already have.

How long it takes
6 to 18 months
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $5,751
Subsidised at GOTAFE, full fee up to $9,660
How you can study
Online or on campus
Taught by
69 providers
Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

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

It helps to have

  • an interest in leading and supporting a team
  • confidence to speak up and influence others
  • a willingness to reflect on your own emotions
  • an eye for planning and organising daily work

Before you start

The qualification has no set entry requirements, but each provider can add its own.

Diploma or Certificate IV?

The Diploma of Leadership and Management is the higher level. At this level you display initiative and judgement in planning, organising, implementing and monitoring your own workload and the workload of others, and you may plan, design, apply and evaluate solutions to unpredictable problems.

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.

  • Account Director

    Account directors look after a company's largest client relationships and the revenue those accounts bring in.

    Median pay$96,200 (estimate)

  • Airport Manager

    Airport managers run the day-to-day operations of an airport, keeping terminals, airside movements and tenants working safely and on schedule.

    Median pay$124,800 (estimate)

  • Bank Manager

    A bank manager runs a bank branch, making lending decisions and managing the staff and the results the branch is measured on.

    Median pay$110,000

  • Call Centre Manager

    A call centre manager runs a contact centre's day-to-day operations, setting service targets and making sure customers get through to someone who can help them.

    Median pay$114,700

  • Change Manager

    Change managers help the people inside an organisation adjust to a new system, structure or process, so the change actually sticks once the project team moves on.

    Median pay$111,800 (estimate)

    In demand
  • Continuous Improvement Manager

    A continuous improvement manager finds where a factory or production line is wasting time, materials or money, and leads the changes that fix it.

    Median pay$96,200 (estimate)

  • Correctional Facility Manager

    Correctional facility managers run a prison, remand centre or youth detention facility, accountable for its security, for the staff who deliver it and for how people in custody are treated.

    Median pay$166,400 (estimate)

  • Creative Director

    Creative directors lead the visual and conceptual direction of a brand, campaign or production, deciding how it looks, sounds and tells its story to an audience.

    Median pay$113,300

  • Customer Experience Manager

    Customer experience managers find where a customer's dealings with a business break down or work well, then change the process, system or training behind those moments.

    Median pay$114,700

  • Customer Service Manager

    Customer service managers lead the teams that answer customer enquiries and complaints, and they set the standards those teams work to.

    Median pay$91,500 (estimate)

  • Depot Manager

    A depot manager runs the daily operations of a transport or distribution depot, making sure freight, vehicles and staff are where they need to be on schedule.

    Median pay$79,000 (estimate)

  • Equipment Hire Manager

    Equipment hire managers run the day-to-day hiring of plant and equipment, keeping the fleet available, compliant and earning so construction, mining and farming customers can get on with their work.

    Median pay$83,200 (estimate)

  • General Manager

    General managers run the day-to-day operations of a business, a site or a division, and answer for how it performs.

    Median pay$148,200 (estimate)

  • HR Business Partner

    HR business partners sit inside one business unit, turning HR policy and workforce strategy into decisions the managers they support can use.

    Median pay$96,200 (estimate)

  • Human Resources Manager

    Human resources managers set the policies, hiring processes and workplace programs that decide how an organisation treats the people who work for it.

    Median pay$143,900

  • IT Service Delivery Manager

    IT service delivery managers run the teams and processes that keep an organisation's technology services working to agreed standards.

    Median pay$130,000 (estimate)

  • Legal Practice Manager

    Legal practice managers run the business side of a law firm, keeping finances, staffing and compliance in order so the lawyers can focus on client work.

    Median pay$103,000 (estimate)

  • Music Director

    Music directors lead the rehearsals and performances that turn a written score into a live performance.

    Median pay$72,800 (estimate)

  • Operations Manager

    Operations managers keep an organisation's routine work running, coordinating the staff, processes, budgets and suppliers it depends on to deliver.

    Median pay$114,400 (estimate)

  • Payroll Manager

    Payroll managers run the pay cycle for an organisation, making sure staff are paid accurately and on time and that tax and superannuation obligations are met.

    Median pay$109,200 (estimate)

  • Production Manager

    Production managers run the people, machinery and schedules that keep a plant producing to its output and quality targets.

    Median pay$119,500

  • Project Director

    Project directors lead large, complex initiatives from the first business case through to delivery, holding the budget, the timeline and several teams to a single outcome.

    Median pay$148,200 (estimate)

  • Project Manager

    Project managers plan a defined piece of work, coordinate the people doing it and stay accountable until it is delivered.

    Median pay$110,800

  • Quality Manager

    Quality managers run the management systems that keep products and services meeting agreed standards, catching problems before they reach a customer.

    Median pay$147,900

  • Regional Manager

    A regional manager oversees a group of branches or sites, setting budgets and targets and answering for how each one performs.

    Median pay$111,800 (estimate)

  • Sales Manager

    Sales managers lead a team of salespeople, setting the targets and coaching the staff whose calls and deals bring in a business's revenue.

    Median pay$139,200

  • Theatre Director

    Theatre directors decide how a script becomes a live performance, shaping the acting, design and pace an audience sees on stage.

    Median pay$85,800 (estimate)

  • Workplace Coach

    Workplace coaches work one on one or in small groups with employees and managers to build skills, work through performance problems and plan what comes next.

    Median pay$96,200 (estimate)

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 $5,751

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

Paying the full fee

$5,535 to $9,660

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

  • Chisholm InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $7,245
    Full fee
    $9,660
  • GOTAFEVIC

    Subsidised
    $5,751
    Full fee
    $8,236
  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Full fee
    $5,535

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 69 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.

  • Melbourne Polytechnic

    13 campuses, VIC

    3.7from 485 Google reviews

    Website for Melbourne Polytechnic (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Some teachers are supportive and go out of their way
    • Student services offer understanding and compassion

    What to weigh up

    • Messages to staff can go unanswered
    • Enrolment mistakes can take time to fix
  • TAFE NSW

    8 campuses, NSW

    More about TAFE NSW

    4.0from 2,410 Google reviews

    How you study
    Online or on campus
    How long
    6 to 18 months
    Course page for TAFE NSW (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Teachers are supportive and ready to help
    • Staff are helpful and friendly
    • Course content is practical and industry relevant

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Some find front desk staff less helpful
  • Victoria University

    11 campuses, NSW, QLD, VIC

    3.9from 1,562 Google reviews

    Website for Victoria University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Lecturers are friendly, supportive and approachable
    • Studying one subject at a time through the block model
    • Staff are welcoming and ready to help

    What to weigh up

    • Admin can be hard to reach after you finish
  • Stanley College

    4 campuses, SA, WA

    4.3from 882 Google reviews

    Website for Stanley College (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Finance staff are patient and explain fees clearly
    • Student services staff are friendly and helpful
    • Trainers explain clearly and give practical examples

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
  • Entry Education

    4 campuses

    4.8from 2,178 Google reviews

    Website for Entry Education (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Staff reply quickly and are easy to reach
    • The online portal is easy to use
    • Studying online at your own pace is flexible

    What to weigh up

    • Course content can feel repetitive
  • Charles Darwin University

    12 campuses, NSW, NT

    4.2from 619 Google reviews

    Website for Charles Darwin University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Admin and support staff are helpful

    What to weigh up

    • Units vary depending on the lecturer
    • Feedback on assessments can vary
  • Swinburne University of Technology

    8 campuses, VIC

    4.0from 1,190 Google reviews

    Website for Swinburne University of Technology (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Lecturers and tutors are supportive and want students to succeed
    • Student HQ and support staff are helpful and responsive

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • You may be passed between departments

What you’ll learn

12 units: 6 that everyone takes and 6 you choose.

  • Leading a team
  • Workplace communication
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Critical thinking
  • Operational planning
  • Managing workplace relationships
See all 6 core units

Core units

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

  • Loading the details for BSBCMM511…

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 is for people with some workplace experience who want to step into a team leader or front-line management role, or improve how they run an existing team. The course covers communicating persuasively, managing emotions, and planning day-to-day operations. Roles it can lead to include Call Centre Manager, Call Centre Team Leader, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements, but individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from Certificate IV in Leadership and Management?

The Diploma of Leadership and Management is the higher level. At this level you display initiative and judgement in planning, organising, implementing and monitoring your own workload and the workload of others, and you may plan, design, apply and evaluate solutions to unpredictable problems.

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.