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University of New South Wales

Graduate Certificate in Business Management

  • Delivery: Online
  • Study Level: Postgraduate
  • Duration: 6 months
  • Course Type: Graduate Certificate

Develop the management knowledge, leadership capability and decision-making skills needed to confidently manage people, teams and organisational challenges in contemporary business environments.

Course overview

The Graduate Certificate in Business Management at UNSW Canberra is designed for professionals entering or aspiring to middle management roles who want to strengthen their understanding of effective management, organisational leadership and business decision-making.

You’ll explore how strategic, financial, legal and behavioural perspectives contribute to organisational performance. Through critical thinking and problem-solving, the program develops the ability to analyse business challenges, integrate knowledge from different management disciplines and formulate appropriate responses across a variety of organisational contexts.

A flexible structure combines foundational management subjects with prescribed electives spanning areas such as leadership, people management, marketing, project management, logistics, procurement, analytics and public-sector capability. Coursework provides opportunities to apply management concepts and theory to real-world commercial challenges.

Offered through online study, the qualification can be completed in approximately six months full-time or one to two years part-time. It may support progression towards middle management responsibilities or strengthen management capability within an existing professional field.

"The student community collectively inspire and encourage my individual career goals."
Shirelle Altona, Current Student

CSP Subsidised Fees Available

This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.

Key facts

Delivery
Online
Course Type
Graduate Certificate
Duration
More Information
Can be studied part time
6 months (Full time)
Intake
22nd February, 2027
12th July, 2027
Units
More Information
You may be required to complete 0 credit point units throughout your course. The university will confirm this as part of your enrolment.

The unit total reflects the number of units required for course completion, not the total credit point weight. Some units may be double- or triple-weighted, so the number of units you complete may be lower.
4
Fees
More Information
HECS loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university program.
HECS, CSP

What you will study

To earn the Graduate Certificate in Business Management (Canberra), you must successfully complete units totalling 24 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 6 credit points.

Core units

Select 12-24 credit points from the following:

  • Strategic Management
  • Accounting for Management Decisions
  • Organisational Behaviour
  • Business Law
Elective units

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Applicants for this course must meet  one of the following:

  • Completion of a Bachelor's degree with honours in the same or a related discipline* from a recognised institution.
  • Completion of a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate in a related discipline* from a recognised institution.
  • Completion of a Bachelor's degree in the same or a related discipline* from a recognised institution, and completion of at least three years relevant full-time professional experience.
  • Completion of a Bachelor's degree in a non-related discipline, and completion of at least four years of relevant full-time professional experience.
  • Evidence of other qualifications and professional experience to be assessed as acceptable grounds for admission into the program by the relevant Program Authority. In certain circumstances, students may be required to undertake and successfully complete a relevant non-award course as a condition for admission into the program. This non-award course may also be credited towards the program upon admission.

*Related Discipline/s: Business, Management, Economics, Accounting, Information Technology, Information Systems, Engineering, Human Resource Management, Project Management, Public Policy, Marketing Management, Law.

English language requirements

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If you’re completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.

If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • English language tests and university English courses.
  • Prior study in the medium of English.
  • Other qualifications.

Contact the university or visit their website for more information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help reduce the number of units you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

  • Teamwork: UNSW's graduates will be effective team participants. a. Students should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and to reflect on their own teamwork, and on the team's processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
  • Communication: UNSW's graduates will be effective communicators in professional contexts. a. Students should be able to produce written documents that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose. b. Students should be able to produce oral presentations that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose.
  • Critical thinking and problem solving: UNSW's graduates will have critical thinking and problem solving skills applicable to business and management practice or issues. a. Students should be able to identify, research and analyse complex issues and problems in business and/or management, and propose appropriate and well-justified solutions.
  • Knowledge: UNSW's graduates will have current disciplinary or inter-disciplinary knowledge applicable in local and global contexts. a. Students should be able to identify and apply current knowledge of disciplinary or interdisciplinary theory and professional practice to business in local and global environments.

Career outcomes

The Graduate Certificate in Business Management will provide you with an understanding of the concepts and principles that underpin effective management, business decision making and leadership in organisations. This program is aimed at those entering or aspiring to a middle management position in their career. Job roles can include, but are not limited to:

  • Administrative Services Manager
  • Business Manager
  • Business Owner
  • Entrepreneur
  • Events Manager
  • Finance Manager
  • General Manager
  • Human Resources Manager
  • IT Manager
  • Investment Manager
  • Marketing Manager
  • Operations Manager
  • Procurement Manager
  • Product Manager
  • Strategy Analyst

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $20,500 (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

  • The number of units studied.
  • 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.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

  • Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
  • Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
  • Reviewed and adjusted each year.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.