Ready for the next level? Back yourself to lead.
The Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management gives you the practical confidence, strategic mindset and workplace authority to stand out in the room, even if you are just starting out.
Half a Bachelor of Business, before most people start one.
- Invitation only
- Maximum 15 places each year
- Face to face in Robina
- Saturdays every 4 to 5 weeks
The qualification is the receipt. The change in you is the point.
Most students arrive capable but unproven: full of ideas, short on the language, structure and confidence to make those ideas land in a room full of adults. Twelve months of deliberate practice changes that.
- Waiting to be told what the task is, then doing it well
- Good ideas that fall apart when someone pushes back
- Freezing, rushing or over-apologising when presenting
- ATAR as the only measure of what they are worth
- Three more years and full tuition before a degree
- A network made entirely of people their own age
- Setting direction. Reading a situation, naming the goal and deciding what happens next
- Defending a decision. Evidence, trade-offs and reasoning people can follow
- Holding a room. Presenting and negotiating with preparation and presence
- A second scorecard. A nationally recognised Advanced Diploma, plus an ATAR-equivalent selection rank of 91–93
- Half a degree done. Up to 12 of 24 Bachelor of Business units already credited
- A real network. Founders, executives and specialists who know their name
This describes the intent and design of the course, not a guaranteed personal outcome. Completion, credit, selection rank, admission, employment and business results depend on the individual, their effort, eligibility and the decisions of the relevant university or employer.
You do not have to spend three years and full tuition to hold a business degree.
Southern Cross University currently lists 12 units of credit from the 24-unit Bachelor of Business for eligible graduates of BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management. Half the degree. Half the tuition. None of the first-year guesswork.
View the current Southern Cross University credit table- 12 of 24 units. Up to 50 per cent advanced standing for eligible applicants under the published arrangement.
- About 18 months. Imagine finishing a Bachelor of Business in roughly 18 months of full-time study instead of three years.
- A selection rank of 91–93. Universities rank this qualification at the equivalent of an ATAR of 91 to 93, without you sitting a single external exam for it.
- Gold Coast option. Southern Cross University currently lists Gold Coast delivery for the Bachelor of Business.
- Or skip university entirely. The Advanced Diploma is a complete qualification. University is an option you now control, not a hurdle you have to clear.
Advanced standing and selection rank are determined by the university and are never automatic or guaranteed. The current published credit table states that this credit does not apply to the Accounting specialisation. Confirm current admission, credit, rank and course requirements directly with Southern Cross University before enrolling.
What kind of leader are you already?
Leadership is not one personality type. Choose the response that feels most natural and discover the strength you may already be building.
Two years of school. Two qualifications. One head start.
This example shows how an eligible student could move from business foundations into advanced Leadership, then decide whether university, work or enterprise belongs in the next chapter. Students who have already finished Year 12 can enter at stage two.
BSB50120 Diploma of Business
Learn to think critically, communicate ideas, understand money, manage risk and turn a plan into organised action.
You finish Year 11 with a nationally recognised Diploma and a working understanding of how business decisions are actually made.
BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management
Strategic Leadership, influential communication, business planning, innovation and complex problem solving, in a cohort of no more than 15.
You hold an Advanced Diploma, an ATAR-equivalent selection rank of 91 to 93, and evidence of what you can contribute.
Half a degree, a business, a role — or all three
Take up to 12 of 24 Bachelor of Business units in credit, go straight into work, or build the venture you have been planning.
Where Southern Cross University approves 12 of 24 units, the remaining degree may take approximately 18 months at a full-time load.
The timeline is illustrative only. Completion time, subject availability, admission, selection rank and university credit depend on the individual and the relevant provider's current requirements.
A small room changes the quality of the conversation.
Maximum 15 students per year. Due to the personalised structure of our teaching, the interactiveness of every session and the community we build around each cohort, we limit our intake to a maximum of 15 students per year. Nobody disappears into the back row, because there isn't one.
BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is intentionally selective. Students are expected to contribute, test ideas, accept feedback and complete meaningful work. The schedule is built to stay manageable alongside school, but the standard still requires commitment.
- Invitation onlyAn offer of placement may be made after a personal interview confirms suitability.
- Face to face in RobinaA professional Gold Coast environment designed for conversation and applied work, not online modules.
- Saturdays every 4 to 5 weeksFull-day workshops spaced so the course fits alongside senior school and work.
- Coaching and mentoringDirect guidance from your trainer as you build evidence and sharpen your thinking.
- Business in the roomInvited founders, executives and specialists you can question directly, not watch on a screen.
- Practical LeadershipNational unit requirements applied through real projects, presentations and business decisions.
We are not running a classroom. We are running a workplace.
When you walk into our room, the goal is simple: recreate the collaboration, drive and problem solving of a high-performing workplace. We tackle real challenges during class, and we connect over lunch as a community.
This is what developing the next generation of leaders really looks like.
- CollaborateFifteen people solving the same problem from different angles, out loud, with their reasoning exposed.
- PerformReal challenges under real pressure — pitches, negotiations and decisions with something riding on them.
- BelongA community that keeps talking over lunch, and keeps in touch long after the qualification is signed.
“Partnering with people who invest in this vision and believe in our students without hesitation is an absolute privilege.”
Ricky Naicker · Chief Executive Officer
Hear it from the people who did it.
Students speak honestly about their learning, their confidence and the experience. Nothing is scripted, because the point is to hear what actually changed before you decide whether this pathway is right for you.
Watch the student testimonials on YouTubeThese testimonials describe individual experiences. They do not promise the same experience or outcome for every student.
Learn from people who have already gone ahead.
Invited contributors bring Leadership, finance, communication, performance psychology, technology and enterprise into a room of 15. Students ask questions, test their thinking and hear what complex decisions really look like.
Financial education and enterprise
Lloyd James Ross
International financial educator, bestselling author, investor and multi-company director. Founder and Director of Money Buys Happiness LLC and creator of the Money Grows On Trees podcast.
What students gain: the questions capable leaders ask before committing money, accepting risk or chasing growth.
- Bestselling author published by Wiley
- Podcast with more than 300 episodes
- Keynote speaker to audiences of more than 7,000
Performance and communication
Trevor Ambrose
International keynote speaker and performance coach in sales psychology, public speaking and mindset. Across more than 20 years, his published profile records training delivered to more than 870,000 people across 25 countries.
What students gain: the ability to organise their thinking and present with the clarity and presence expected in interviews, negotiations and boardrooms.
- More than 20 years of performance coaching
- Delivery across 25 countries
- Private clients have included global chief executives, senators and fighter pilots
Artificial intelligence and innovation
Mark Deacon
Entrepreneur and technology leader who builds, funds and scales high-growth companies. Founded his first startup at 21; his published profile records growth from zero to more than $25 million in revenue before exit.
What students gain: a firsthand view of how artificial intelligence and commercial technology are changing work, and the tools to use them.
- Raised eight figures in investment capital
- Companies valued above $100 million
- National entrepreneur, growth and technology awards
Performance psychology
Dr Kylie Loveday
Performance psychologist, published researcher, educator and professional performer. PhD in Performance Psychology, Honours Degree in Psychology, graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art.
What students gain: evidence-based communication, resilience, authentic presence and the ability to perform under pressure.
- 15+ years teaching at Griffith University
- Co-founder of Creating Artists
- 2025 Gold Coast Film Festival Screen Industry Professional of the Year
Enterprise, design and education
Lukas Ritson
Play advocate, educator, designer, international speaker and co-founder of Wearthy. Grew a local Gold Coast passion project into an internationally recognised design and education enterprise.
What students gain: how purpose, customers, operations, design and growth have to work together when an idea becomes a real organisation.
- TEDx speaker and published journal author
- Keynotes across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, Finland and Asia
- Projects across Australia and international markets
Your trainer and mentor
Ricky Naicker
Senior Trainer and Assessor
Chief Executive Officer
What students gain: national unit requirements connected to the real decisions leaders make when people, pressure, money and opportunity are on the line. High expectations, personal support, direct feedback.
View 21 qualifications and professional accreditations
Your trainer and mentor
Ricky Naicker
Senior Trainer and Assessor
Chief Executive Officer
What students gain: national unit requirements connected to the real decisions leaders make when people, pressure, money and opportunity are on the line. High expectations, personal support, direct feedback.
View 21 qualifications and professional accreditationsPostgraduate
- Master of Business Administration
- Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership
- Graduate Diploma in Management
- Graduate Diploma of Management, Learning
- Graduate Certificate in Management
Advanced Diplomas
- Advanced Diploma of Management
- Advanced Diploma of Management, Human Resources
- Advanced Diploma of Business
Diplomas
- Diploma of Management
- Diploma of Human Resources Management
- Diploma of Business
- Diploma A+ Supervisory Engineering
- Diploma of Business Management
- Diploma of Accounting, South Africa
- Diploma of Training and Assessment
- Diploma of Vocational Education and Training
Certificate IV
- Certificate IV in Marketing
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- Certificate IV in Small Business Management
Professional accreditations
- Accredited Mental Health First Aid Provider
- Certified Digital and Social Selling Specialist
Speaker biographies and images are published with consent. Guest contributors are invited participants in BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management, not employees of Australian Institute of Learning unless expressly identified otherwise. Participation, session content and scheduling may change according to availability.
The journey from capable student to someone a room listens to.
Five core and five elective units, taken one stop at a time. Each one is a nationally recognised unit of competency — and each one is designed to change something specific about how you operate.
Apply critical thinking for complex problem solving
You stop guessing. You build the skill of separating fact from assumption, weighing the evidence and defending a decision when the answer is not obvious.
Lead and manage organisational change
You stop bracing for change. You build the skill of explaining why it is happening, absorbing the resistance and keeping people moving when the ground shifts.
Provide Leadership across the organisation
You stop waiting to be followed. You build the skill of setting direction, carrying responsibility and behaving like the standard you expect of everyone else.
Develop and implement business plans
You stop having ideas. You build the skill of turning one into a plan that survives contact with customers, money and reality.
Manage innovation and continuous improvement
You stop accepting “that is how it has always been done”. You build the skill of finding the waste, testing the better way and proving it with results.
Communicate with influence
You stop hoping to be heard. You build the skill of presenting, negotiating and holding a room without pretending to be someone else.
Develop critical thinking in others
You stop being the one with the answer. You build the skill of asking the better question and lifting the thinking of everyone at the table.
Lead communication in the workplace
You stop avoiding the hard conversation. You build the skill of setting expectations plainly and repairing things when they go wrong.
Manage personal and professional development
You stop running on adrenaline. You build the skill of managing your time, your energy and your own growth on purpose.
Develop and maintain strategic business networks
You stop collecting contacts. You build the skill of forming relationships before you need them and keeping the ones worth keeping.
Ten units completed, one Advanced Diploma, and a way of thinking, deciding and speaking that did not exist in you twelve months earlier.
This is the current example training plan. Elective selection and delivery order may change within the BSB60420 packaging rules. Credit transfer is not automatic and is decided after an individual assessment of authenticated prior-study evidence.
What students and parents ask before committing.
Do I really get 50 per cent off a Bachelor of Business?
Southern Cross University currently lists 12 units of credit from the 24-unit Bachelor of Business for eligible graduates of BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management. That is up to half the degree, which can reduce both the time and the tuition remaining — potentially around 18 months of full-time study instead of three years. Admission and credit are assessed and granted by the university, not by Australian Institute of Learning, and the current published credit table states the credit does not apply to the Accounting specialisation.
What is the ATAR-equivalent selection rank of 91 to 93?
Universities translate a completed Advanced Diploma into a selection rank when assessing admission. This qualification is ranked at the equivalent of an ATAR of 91 to 93, which means a student can present a competitive university entry rank built on a year of applied Leadership work rather than a single week of external exams. The rank applied is always determined by the receiving university at the time of application.
Why only 15 places?
Due to the personalised structure of our teaching, the interactiveness of every session and the community we build around each cohort, we limit our intake to a maximum of 15 students per year. A room of 15 is the difference between hearing a guest speaker and being able to question one. It is also what makes individual coaching, direct feedback and genuine participation possible.
I have already finished Year 12. Can I still do this?
Yes. This is not a school programme. Entry to BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management is open to anyone who has completed a Diploma or Advanced Diploma from the BSB Training Package, including an equivalent superseded qualification, or who has two years of equivalent full-time relevant workplace experience in an operational or Leadership role. Current Year 12 students, school leavers and early-career professionals all study in the same cohort, which is part of what makes the conversation good.
Can I manage this while completing Year 12?
The course runs as face-to-face Saturday workshops in Robina, approximately every four to five weeks, so it sits alongside school. It still requires consistent attendance, project work and effort between sessions. The suitability interview explores whether the timing and commitment are realistic for you.
Why is this a premium investment?
The value sits in access, depth and personal attention: a cohort of 15, face-to-face workshops in a professional environment, direct trainer feedback, advanced nationally recognised study, and invited contributors across business, communication, finance, technology and performance. It is designed for students who want more than a large classroom and a certificate. No course can guarantee a financial or career return, so the information session explains the complete fee, inclusions and commitment before any decision is made.
Is university required afterwards?
No. University becomes an option you control rather than a hurdle you have to clear. Students also use the skills and the qualification in work, entrepreneurship, further training or community Leadership.
What if I want to start a business instead?
The course develops business planning, communication, innovation, Leadership and decision-making skills that support future enterprise, and several invited contributors are founders. It does not guarantee that a business will be launched or will succeed.
How are students selected?
Entry is invitation only. A personal interview considers prior study, readiness, commitment, goals and overall suitability. An offer of placement may be made after the interview. A maximum of 15 places is available each year, and an interview does not guarantee an offer.
What happens if I have already completed relevant units?
Eligible BSB50120 Diploma of Business graduates may qualify for credit transfer for two or three units. Australian Institute of Learning assesses authenticated evidence and confirms equivalence before credit is granted. BSBCMM511 is included as a unit to complete in the standard plan.
What if I am ambitious but not confident yet?
You do not need to arrive sounding like an experienced executive. The course gives you repeated chances to prepare, contribute, present, receive feedback and try again. Confidence is treated as something you practise, not something you either have or do not have.
When are fees and inclusions explained?
Current fees, payment arrangements, inclusions, delivery expectations and relevant policies are explained during the personal information session. Students and families can ask detailed questions and review the full commitment before accepting an offered place.
Course, credit and pathway disclaimer: Course units may vary. Credit transfer depends on the units successfully completed through prior study and an individual assessment of supporting evidence. Any university advanced standing or selection rank is determined by the relevant university and is not guaranteed. The referenced Bachelor of Business pathway, the potential 50 per cent advanced standing and the ATAR-equivalent selection rank of 91 to 93 relate to eligible students applying under the arrangements applicable at the time of application; the current published Southern Cross University credit table states that this credit does not apply to the Accounting specialisation. Other universities may offer similar recognition. Students must confirm current admission, credit, rank and course requirements directly with their chosen university before enrolling or making study decisions. Timelines, the 18-month example and age-based examples are illustrative only. Individual completion times and outcomes vary.
Selection and contributors: An interview does not guarantee an offer. A maximum of 15 places is available each year. Speaker biographies and images are published with consent. Guest speakers and industry contributors are invited participants, not employees of Australian Institute of Learning unless expressly identified otherwise. Participation, session content and scheduling may change according to availability.
15 places. One conversation to find out if one is yours.
If BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management feels like the next step, tell us a little about yourself. We will contact you to explain suitability, dates, fees, support and exactly what happens next.
- Completing the form does not commit you to enrol.
- An expression of interest does not guarantee an offer.
- A maximum of 15 places is available each year.
Expression of interest form
Complete the required details below. Australian Institute of Learning will contact you to discuss the course and answer your questions.
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