University of Melbourne
Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Business Leadership
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 6 months
- Course Type: Graduate Certificate
Address the increasing challenges and opportunities in the Indigenous business sector, with a key focus on the practice of Indigenous leadership.
Course overview
Led by a team of Indigenous experts, the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Business Leadership is designed to empower Australian and international First Nations business leaders to navigate their leadership journey while staying true to culture within a colonial system. This course will provide you with the tools to navigate the cultural, community and individual demands of leadership. It is delivered in a safe learning environment, which allows students to delve into issues around culture, trauma and impact of colonialism.
Key facts
April, 2026
July, 2026
October, 2026
What you will study
The Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Business Leadership consists of four 12.5-point subjects, delivered one at a time over the course of four terms:
- Three compulsory subjects are delivered online
- One elective selected from a range of six online subjects
Compulsory subjects
Students must complete all of the following subjects:
- Indigenous Business Leadership
- Indigenous Business Ecosystems
- Indigenous Business Philosophy
Electives
Students complete one of the following Elective subjects:
- Accounting Analysis and Decisions
- Business Analytics for Decision Making
- Economics of Markets and Organisations
- Empirical Methods for Business
- Managerial Finance
- Value Creation Strategies
Entry requirements
Academic requirements
To be considered for entry into this course, you must be an Indigenous person who identifies and is recognised as an Indigenous person.
You must also have one of the following:
- An undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in any discipline.
- At least five years of documented relevant work experience (or equivalent).
English language requirements
All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test.
If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:
- IELTS (Academic) – 6.5 overall, with no band less than 6.0.
- TOEFL IBT – minimum score of 79, with writing 21; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13.
- PTE – English Academic PTE with a minimum score of 64, with no communicative skill below 60.
- Cambridge – minimum score of 176, with no skill less than 169.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Prior studies may be credited towards your degree and potentially reduce the duration of your course. This is known as Advanced Standing (also known as credit or recognition of prior learning). Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
As a graduate of the certificate, you’ll have developed skills in:
- Critical thinking, decision making and problem solving, and being able to apply these to real-world situations for Indigenous people in business, organisations and society.
- The core areas of leadership and being able to speak and write with authority and knowledge on leadership issues, ideas and theories.
- Problem-solving and the ability to critically evaluate evidence to support your arguments and position.
- Communication of key ideas and theories in business today.
- Successful collaboration with your peers on group-based activities.
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative first-year and total course fee in 2026: $18,992 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Unless otherwise noted, the indicative total course fee shown above assumes a study load of 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) commencing semester one of the listed year, except for courses with a duration of less than 1 EFTSL.
Fees are subject to annual review by the University, with any new rates effective from the beginning of each calendar year.
A student’s fee may vary depending on:
- The number of subjects studied per term.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Choice of subjects.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students.