The Graduate Diploma in Business Administration is a 36-unit course which is part of the postgraduate Business Administration programs offered by the Flinders Business School within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences.

It articulates with the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration and the Master of Business Administration specialisations.

Students who have completed the graduate certificate or a comparable award normally receive credit for up to 18 units of topics towards the graduate diploma, and those who complete the graduate diploma normally receive up to 36 units of credit should they choose to proceed to the Masters degree.

Alternatively, students who enrol directly in the graduate diploma subsequently may choose only to meet the requirements for the graduate certificate and exit with that qualification.

Admission requirements

Applicants for the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration will normally hold a bachelor degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution.

Applicants for the Graduate Diploma of Business Administration Health specialisation will normally

  • hold a bachelor degree in a health related field or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution plus at least 4 years’ professional work experience working in the health or aged care industries,

Or

  • have completed the Graduate Certificate of Business Administration and have at least 4 years’ professional experience working in the health or aged care industries

However, the Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The course is designed to provide a strong foundation in appropriate business knowledge, skills and to foster attitudes commensurate with successful careers as managers of organisations including private sector business organisations, not-for-profit organisations and public organisations. The course aims to provide students with a sound understanding and appreciation of the context in which organisations operate including the impact of global economic, social, environmental and ethical and business conditions and practices.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration will be able to:

  • Explain how decision making and the management of organisations is aided by knowledge of theory and practice in a range of business sub-disciplines.
  • Analyse organisations and apply contemporary management practices compatible with organisational, social and environmental sustainability.
  • Present theoretical concepts and complex ideas in both written and verbal formats appropriate for management audiences.

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, a student must complete 36 units with a grade of P or NGP, or better, according to the following program of study:

  • a minimum of six topics (27 units) of MBA foundation core topics
  • a maximum of two topics (9 units) of MBA specialisation topics (as long as the student meets the entry requirements for the MBA specialisation).

Core topics and specialisation topic choices are detailed below.

It is possible to complete a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration without specialisation. In this case eight MBA core topics must be completed.

Core - MBA topics

 Select at least 27 units from the following:

 BUSN9226  Accounting for Managers  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9227  Financial Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9228  Strategic Marketing  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9229  Sustainability and Ethics in Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9230  Economics for Business  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9231  Global Business Context: An Asia Pacific Focus (4.5 units)
 BUSN9233  Data Analysis for Decision Making  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9234  Project Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9248  Managing People  (4.5 units)

Options - MBA specialisations

 Select up to 9 units of specialisation topics from:

Biotechnology

9 units comprising:

 BTEC8003  Legal, Ethical and Social Aspects of Bioscience GE  (4.5 units)
 BTEC9015  Business Issues in Biotechnology Enterprises  (4.5 units)

Education

Select 9 units from the following:

 EDUC9608  Globalisation: Issues and Challenges  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9609  Leadership and Management in Rural Contexts  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9701  Effective Use of ICT for Learning and Teaching  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9731  Motivation, Cognition and Metacognition in Learning  (4.5 units)
 EDUC9767  Assessment in Education  (4.5 units)

Finance

Select 9 units from the following:

 BUSN9223  Investments and Portfolio Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9237  Financial Markets and Institutions  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9238  Advanced Issues in Finance  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9241  International Business Finance  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9244  Special Masters Topic in Finance  (4.5 units)

Health

Select 9 units from the following:

 HACM9101  Leading Organisations in Health and Aged Care  (4.5 units)
 HACM9200  Health and Aged Care Systems and Policy  (4.5 units)
 HACM9201  Health Law and Ethics  (4.5 units)
 HACM9202  Safety and Quality in Health Care  (4.5 units)

International Business

Select 9 units from the following:

 BUSN9225  Special Masters Topic in International Business  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9239  International Business in the Asia Pacific Region  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9241  International Business Finance  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9242  International Human Resources Management  (4.5 units)
 BUSN9243  International Marketing and Export Management  (4.5 units)

Tourism

Select 9 units from the following

 TOUR8111  Essentials of Festival and Event Design and Management  (4.5 units)
 TOUR8115  Essentials of Interpretation  (4.5 units)
 TOUR8116  Essentials of Tourism  (4.5 units)

Other topics may be taken with the approval of the Program Director.