Choose from the best online business administration courses in Australia. Options include a certificate, diploma, bachelor degree, graduate certificate or diploma, or an MBA.
Students learn how to manage people and operations in courses on business administration. The certificate, diploma, degree or postgraduate qualification you earn is a sign to employers that you know how to get things done.
The skills you learn from a business administration course can be used in just about every office in Australia. What you learn won't go to waste. Here are the options for studying online to earn an Australian qualification that will be highly regarded by employers.
Types of Courses
Which Course is Best for Business Administration?
No matter your background, you can probably find the right business administration course. The main options are a certificate or diploma from a TAFE or college, a bachelor degree from a university, or a postgraduation qualification.
Certificates and diplomas are practical programs aimed at providing students with job-specific skills and knowledge. Although shorter than a degree, they typically still require 12 months or more of study. They prepare students for entry-level positions with all kinds of Australian businesses.
Bachelor degrees are more comprehensive programs that usually take around 3 years to complete. Any good Bachelor of Business or equivalent program will develop your business administration skills. Students cover topics such as accounting and finance, marketing, and human resources management.
Postgraduate courses such as graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and master's degrees are advanced programs. They're popular among university graduates (any discipline) and experienced professionals who are interested in management and leadership roles.
Online Business Administration Courses
Whether you're starting out in your career or looking to add to your existing skills, one of more these business admin courses could help you succeed. They range from introductory programs for school leavers through to master's degree for experienced managers.
The Certificate III in Business is ideal for recent school leavers. By doing the 13-subject course, you gain practical office administration skills to help land you a job such as trainee administration assistant, administrative officer, or personal assistant.
Depending on subject choices, you could learn how to: process financial transactions, maintain financial records, process payroll, maintain business resources, organise schedules, and purchase goods and services.
A Business Administration specialisation is one of four available for a Certificate III in Business... READ MORE
A Certificate IV in Business prepares you to handle complex administrative tasks where you may be supervising others.
You should consider this 10-subject course if you are aiming to be fully responsible for significant jobs within the workplace.
Depending on which elective units you do, you could learn how to: comply with government regulations, support staff management, coordinate information systems use, record interactions with customers, organise business meetings, do project work, produce documents in Word or Excel, and apply new technology... READ MORE
The Certificate IV in Leadership and Management is a 12-subjects course with 5 core subjects.
Students learn how to: demonstrate leadership, lead effective workplace relationships, coordinate business plans, apply communication strategies, and lead and facilitate a team.
You may prefer this course to the Certificate IV in Business based on available units. Both courses have a large number of elective units and the two can be almost identical. The best choice may come down to carefully comparing courses from different providers... READ MORE
A Diploma of Business is the main business course at the diploma level. The qualification was expanded some years ago, replacing several others. As a result, students no longer have the option of getting an accredited Diploma of Business Administration from TAFEs and colleges.
A few of the nine specialisations available could definitely be considered "business administration" courses, including Business Operations, Leadership, and Organisational Development.
Each program is made up of 12 subjects, consisting of 5 core subjects and 7 elective units... READ MORE
Business Operations is a Diploma of Business specialisation that is about managing human resources systems and other essential business processes.
You could, for example, learn how to manage: business finances, recruitment and onboarding, payroll, separation and termination processes, records systems, operational plans, business risk, and continuity planning.
The course develops practical skills that are useful for any sizeable organisation. Employers could be more willing to pay for this course than most others.
A Diploma of Business (Leadership) offers more advanced study compared to the Certificate IV in Business and will improve your career prospects.
The Diploma of Business is a 12-unit course with five core units and many possible electives. Leadership is one of nine possible majors.
To qualify for the Leadership specialisation, at least four electives must cover subjects such as disability support, professional development, workplace relationships, and managing team effectiveness.
You can specialise in Organisational Development as part of an online Diploma of Business.
You will be trained to promote a culture where individuals and groups in your organisation evolve and cooperate to increase productivity. A large menu of units is available for course providers to offer.
Topics that may be offered to you include: presentation and debate of ideas, concept development, leading and managing change, establishing an innovative environment, continuous improvement, workplace sustainability planning, and building strategic business networks.
A Diploma of Leadership and Management is ideal for people who lead teams, whether big or small, or who aim to do so. Taking the course online helps you to build business management skills and leadership confidence.
The 12-unit diploma has 6 core (compulsory) units that are relevant for any manager as well as 26 possible electives that are more job specific.
Core units are about how to: communicate with influence, promote learning in others, build workplace relationships, manage business planning, use emotional intelligence, and manage team performance... READ MORE
By doing a Bachelor of Business degree in Australia, you'll gain a strong understanding of key areas of business administration, such as accounting, finance, marketing, management, and economics.
These degree programs are flexible, allowing you to choose a set of electives to best meet your career goals. You normally don't have to settle on a major or majors until after Year 1, with many lucrative business majors available.
Graduates are well-prepared for entry-level and mid-level jobs across diverse industries, including banking, consulting, marketing, and entrepreneurship... READ MORE
A common way to start an MBA in Australia is with an online Graduate Certificate in Business Administration. The course is typically made up of 4 subjects from the MBA program.
Since an MBA consists of 12 subjects normally, a graduate certificate in this field can be thought of as one-third of a master's degree.
Just because "Graduate" is part of the title, don't believe the course is just for graduates. In fact, if you don't have a degree, you can gain entry into an MBA program by enrolling in a graduate certificate course – provided you have significant professional experience... READ MORE
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is likely the number one postgraduate degree in the world. Anyone seeking a senior role in their industry can potentially benefit.
Convenient, flexible online study makes MBA studies doable for almost anyone. With an accelerated online MBA, you can study part-time and still finish quickly.
MBA courses are concerned with teaching principles of good management and leadership. That helps explain why MBA degrees are so popular and valued. Students build management skills while signalling to employers that they're ready for leadership roles... READ MORE
Anyone working in healthcare or social services who aspires to senior management might consider a Masters in Health Administration. The degree is similar to an MBA but most or all of the subjects will relate to the health industry.
Topics you may explore include Australia's healthcare system, using health data for decision-making, organisational management in health care, and leading and managing in health.
You can complete the 12-subject program part-time online as a working professional. Participants may include nurses, allied health professionals and social workers... READ MORE
A Masters in Leadership and Management could be any masters with a strong focus on leadership and management training. They include degrees like Master of Health Management, Masters in Educational Leadership, and Masters in Nursing Management.
The programs contain limited technical content, giving more time to build skills in areas such as communication, change management and organisational leadership.
A leadership and management masters is ideal for experienced professionals who want to expand their leadership skills and qualify for senior roles... READ MORE
FAQs
If you consider business administration to refer to essentially running a business (or a major part of a business), the typical career path is fairly clear.
- First, become a professional of some kind, which could involve obtaining a degree in any field.
- Then, become skilled in your profession so you might be considered for supervisory and management roles.
- Finally, as you start to be considered for senior jobs, study business administration by doing an MBA degree or other postgraduate business course.
Business administrators take care of essential functions for organisations. The scope of what they do is enormous.
An office receptionist answering calls and a personal assistant taking notes are performing administration. So are the accountants in the finance department when they organise financial records. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company is also a business administrator, with the job are making decisions about priorities for staff and the business as a whole.
With so many different administrative tasks, the paths to start a career in this field are many. Each person's journey almost always involve a significant education component.
What defines a business administration career is unclear however. Receptionist and administrative assistant are the kinds of job openings that come up when you search for 'business administration jobs'. These aren't really careers; more jobs to make a living.
We're describing the kind of path that many top executives take. But, too be honest, there isn't a simple answer to the question. Business administration simply isn't a career you can neatly define like being a doctor, engineer or lawyer.
In Australia, accredited courses often take around one year of full-time study. These include certificate, diploma, advanced diploma and graduate diploma courses. A bachelor degree takes three years of study normally, or four years if you also do a one-year honours degree.
A graduate certificate is a relatively short course, at just 0.5 years of full-time study. Many different types of graduate certificates in business are available, each consisting of four subjects.
The length of an MBA in Australia is normally 17 months or 1.4 years of full-time study. That's about how long it takes to complete 12 subjects.
Accelerated online learning is available so that you can study part-time and still finish courses in a reasonable timeframe. You're able to study year-round without long breaks.
Short courses are also available where time to completion is measured in hours or weeks rather than months or years. However, short courses are generally not accredited by the Australian Government. While they can help you achieve learning goals, they're not usually recognised by employers.
