CQUniversity
Graduate Diploma of Business Administration
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
- Course Type: Graduate Diploma
Advance your business leadership capabilities through flexible online postgraduate study, building expertise across key management disciplines while preparing for senior business roles or further postgraduate study.
Course overview
The Graduate Diploma of Business Administration from CQUniversity is a postgraduate qualification designed to develop advanced knowledge across key areas of business administration, management and leadership. Delivered 100% online over one year full-time or two years part-time, the course provides a broad understanding of contemporary business practice while strengthening the capabilities required to lead people and organisations.
You will develop knowledge across business strategy, finance, marketing, operations, business analytics and the legal issues affecting organisations, while building leadership capabilities and people management skills through an emphasis on emotionally intelligent decision-making. The flexible course structure also allows you to tailor your studies by selecting elective units aligned with your professional interests.
On successful completion, you will graduate with the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration. Graduates may pursue opportunities in business consultation and middle to high-level business management. The qualification also provides a pathway to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or other master's qualifications, depending on previous work experience.
Key facts
What you will study
To earn the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration, you must successfully complete units totalling 48 credit points as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points. You must complete six core units and two electives.
- Managing People, Organisations and Context
- Marketing Management and Digital Communications
- Accounting for Management Decision Making
- Critical Thinking and Managerial Decision-Making
- Economics for Managers
- Operations Management and Business Analytics
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
To be eligible for entry into this course, applicants must hold one of the following criteria:
- A completed Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) equivalent bachelor's degree or a higher equivalent qualification, with three years of full-time relevant business experience.
- A completed AQF diploma with three years of full-time relevant business experience.
- Five years of relevant business experience.
Relevant business experience includes a working knowledge of how a business operates, such as budgeting, staffing, project management, financial reporting, process management, or human resources.
Professional experience must be shown in a letter of employment, presented on a company letterhead and signed and dated by a delegated authority. The letter must have your full name, position title, duties performed and length of service.
English language requirements
Applicants are required to provide evidence of completion of one of the following criteria:
- A secondary qualification (Year 11 and 12, or equivalent).
- An AQF diploma-level qualification.
- Bachelor's level qualification study for at least two years full-time with a minimum overall GPA of 4.0 completed within Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, or the United States of America.
If you do not satisfy any of the above criteria, you will need to undertake an English language proficiency test and achieve the following scores below:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic): The overall band score was at least 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each subset.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT – Requires 79 or better overall and no score less than 21.
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic): Requires an overall score of 62 with no sub-score less than 54.
- Occupational English Test: Grades A or B only in the four components.
English test results remain valid for no more than two years between the final examination date and the commencement date of study. They must appear on a single result certificate. Each student will be assessed individually.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be able to get credit for your course based on prior formal, non-formal or informal learning. To apply, you will need to provide supporting documentation outlined by the university. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
This course prepares you to target employment in business consultation or middle to high-level business management.
Learning outcomes
- Review, analyse, consolidate and communicate advanced knowledge of business theory and provide creative solutions to complex business problems.
- Apply specialised technical and creative skills to the management of business functions.
- Communicate theoretical concepts, complex business management knowledge and ideas to various audiences.
- Participate responsibly in teams, leading and contributing emotionally intelligently, reflecting on team processes and the ability to achieve outcomes.
- Research and adopt best-practice professional and ethical standards that demonstrate personal responsibility, accountability and professional judgment in business contexts.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Estimated first-year tuition fee in 2026: $33,300 (domestic full-fee paying place)
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 48 credit points (normally eight units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.