PIHE Pathforward Institute OF HIGHER EDUCATION
AQF Level 5 · Fully online

Diploma of Business

Eight units covering the parts of business that every employer expects you to understand: money, people, customers, and the rules everyone operates under.

8 Units Total course
12 months Full time, or 24 part time
A$2,040 Per unit, A$16,320 total
Feb · Jun · Oct Intakes each year
What you'll study

The whole course, unit by unit

No hidden electives and no surprises in second semester. This is every unit in the diploma, in the order most students take them.

Unit names and descriptions are drafted from the comparable campus based diploma and need academic sign off before publication.

  1. 01

    Accounting for Business

    How to record, read and interpret the financial position of a business, using double entry principles and a computerised accounting system.

  2. 02

    Management and Organisation

    Planning, organising, leading and controlling. How organisations make decisions, motivate people and handle change.

  3. 03

    Marketing Principles

    Why people buy, how markets are segmented, and how organisations of any size position what they sell.

  4. 04

    Business and Society

    The relationship between business, government and the not for profit sector, and the responsibilities that come with working in it.

  5. 05

    Business Law

    The Australian legal system, contracts, consumer protection, employment obligations and business structures.

  6. 06

    Principles of Economics

    Prices, markets, incentives and public policy, plus the basics of inflation, unemployment and the business cycle.

  7. 07

    Quantitative Methods for Business

    Business mathematics and statistics for decision making, worked largely in Excel.

  8. 08

    Career Development in Business

    Turning the qualification into a job. Career direction, employability, and how to present what you can actually do.

Where it leads

What this diploma is, and what it isn't

It’s a qualification you can work with. A completed diploma at AQF Level 5 is recognised nationally and is the level of qualification a lot of entry level roles ask for. Graduates would typically be looking at roles like:

  • Assistant accountant
  • Business administrator
  • Marketing coordinator
  • Operations assistant
  • Payroll officer
  • Customer success coordinator
  • Project support officer
  • Small business owner or operator

Employment outcome data to be added once sourced. We won’t publish a graduate employment rate or salary figure without a citable source.

It isn’t a guaranteed pathway into a degree. Some universities grant credit for a Level 5 diploma and some don’t, and it’s decided case by case by the receiving institution. If your plan is a bachelor degree, tell us before you enrol and we’ll be straight with you about what that means.

How it's taught

Every unit runs on a fixed 12 week trimester with weekly materials released on a Monday and assessment dates published before you start. Nothing is live at a fixed hour, so you choose when in the week you do it.

How much time

Around 15 to 20 hours a week per unit at full time load. Most part time students take one or two units a trimester and work alongside it.

How you're assessed

Written tasks, applied projects and quizzes. No invigilated end of semester exams, and no requirement to attend anything in person.

Getting in

Entry requirements

  • Completion of Australian Year 12 or an equivalent qualification. No ATAR required.
  • If you’re 20 or over and didn’t finish Year 12, apply as a mature age applicant. We assess work and life experience case by case.
  • Recognition of prior learning is considered at the point of application, and can reduce the number of units you need to complete.
  • You’ll need reliable internet and a computer capable of running current software.
Full admissions detail Enquire about this course
Next step

Talk to someone who knows the course

Enquiries go to a real person on our admissions team, not a queue. Tell us what you’re considering and we’ll come back to you within one business day with a straight answer, including when the course isn’t the right fit.

Make an enquiry Call 1300 000 000