Duration
Study one unit across a seven-week study period, allowing you to complete your Graduate Certificate in Business Administration within 8 months. It's recommended that you spend approximately 20 hours per week on your postgraduate study. Our 100% online Graduate Certificate in Business Administration program allows you to study when it suits you and you are not required to be online at a specific time.
Fees
$17,284 for all 4 units. FEE-HELP is a Commonwealth Government loan scheme that helps eligible full-fee paying students pay all or part of their tuition fees. FEE-HELP is available for this program.
Units
Study one unit each seven-week study period with our multi-award-winning Block Model. Assessments are delivered at the same time each study period, allowing for deep and focused learning.
Study intakes
There are six study periods each year, allowing you to begin your Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at the start of any study period. You will study one unit at a time over the seven-week study period. If required, you are able to skip a study period.
July, Aug, Oct
Why study the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration Online?
Flexible study
Study 100% online, accessing experiential academic content in text and video form when it suits you. Study one subject at a time with VU’s award-winning Block Model®.
Support 7 days, including evenings
Get the support you need, when you need it. Connect with your academics, facilitators and peers in each unit and benefit from 1:1 personalised support from specialist academics via email, phone or video call.
Pathway to a top-tier MBA
A Graduate Certificate is your stepping-stone to the world’s most in-demand business qualification. VU’s MBA course is highly regarded and was ranked a tier-one MBA in CEO Magazine’s 2023 Global Rankings.
Overview
VU Online’s Graduate Certificate in Business Administration offers a pathway towards our highly respected and industry-recognised MBA course. Upon completion, you can continue your studies to earn the Master of Business Administration, preparing you to reshape the business landscape through creative problem-solving and innovative leadership.
Delivered by student-focused and industry-connected academics, this course features four specialist units of study. Each of these units has been designed to foster the key skills required of today’s emerging business leader, from strategic management and marketing to corporate ethics and financial analysis.
With 25 years’ experience delivering accessible business postgraduate courses, VU has equipped thousands of students—from all walks of life—with the skills and insights to successfully reach their personal career goals including promotion, salary increase, business ownership and leadership.
From taking the leap to a middle or senior management role to effectively running your own small business, a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration will give you an edge and help progress your business career to the next level.
- Account Executive
- Project Manager
- Systems Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Financial Project Manager
Why choose VU Online?
A university that puts its students first
VU has empowered thousands of students from all educational backgrounds to reach their career and education goals.
Learn from industry front-runners
VU Online postgraduate students benefit from the university’s unique industry connections, as well as its strong reputation in the business community.
Interactive learning environment
VU Collaborate provides flexible learning options, easy access to academic feedback and membership to a vibrant and supportive digital community.
What you will study
VU Online’s Graduate Certificate in Business Administration covers four core areas of business and management, equipping you with the understanding and industry knowledge expected of future workplace leaders.
Strategic Management examines the decisions, actions and processes undertaken by firms for success, growth and change in a business environment. Managers at all levels are involved in the strategic management process and must be able to utilise an advanced body of knowledge and skills to plan and problem solve in this area.
This unit of study will explore the principal elements in external and internal environments which impact on organisations and consider how current theoretical frameworks and the interdisciplinary and professional knowledge base respond to complex issues. High level analytical and planning skills will be required to prepare relevant business plans.
This unit critically reviews the socio-cultural environment in which business operates. Ethical frameworks for decision making will be critiqued and students will construct the debates surrounding contemporary corporate responsibility and sustainable development as they impact on organisations in their local and global contexts. Emphasis will be on how new pressures on businesses arise, and how effective the various models that structure organisational responses are to these dynamic and emergent challenges. Students will understand the importance of various United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) relating to governance, operations and culture through evidence-based research, case analysis, and evaluation, in understanding the importance of the SDGs.
This unit aims to critically review the major decisions faced by marketing decision makers in their efforts to harmonise the organisation’s objectives, capabilities, and resources with marketplace needs and opportunities. This unit allows students to evaluate contemporary practices of marketing: the creation of value for customers and firms, along with the strategies and methods marketers use to successfully operate in today's dynamic environment. The unit reflects on the major trends in the managerial practice of marketing and the teaching pedagogy is crafted around applied learning content, case study analysis, collaborative decision making and reflective reasoning.
Financial acumen is an important skill for managers in the complex local and global business environment. The unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to develop advanced analytical, planning and decision making skills. This unit proposes a theoretical framework for effective and efficient use of financial statement information for business analysis. It identifies and evaluates: financial statements, business strategies, financial data, and growth of the business. This framework is then applied to a variety of complex decision making contexts including security analysis, credit analysis, merger and acquisition analysis, and management communications analysis.
Entry requirements
When you apply to study with VU, we’ll take into consideration your prior study, work experience and current skills. If eligible, you can also apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), so you can make your next career move even sooner.
- Completion of an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
- Completion of an Australian Graduate Certificate (or equivalent) in a similar discipline; OR
- Applicants with a minimum five (5) years approved work experience will be considered for admission to this course.
Fees & FEE-HELP
A Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from VU Online costs $4,321 per unit*, taking the total for 4 units to $17,284*.
This depends on the number of units you study and whether you are eligible for Advanced Standing, which is assessed after you submit your application.
10% discount for alumni
If you’ve previously completed a qualification with us (and didn't apply through an agent), you may be eligible for a 10% discount.
Note that you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s loan scheme, FEE-HELP. The loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying students with the cost of a university program. It can be used for all or part of the tuition. To determine your eligibility, visit the FEE-HELP website.
*2027 student fees are shown and are subject to change.
For more information on fees and student support, download a brochure.
Want to learn more about this course?
What our students say
I am receiving a lot of support from my facilitators and my Student Success Advisor, who boosts my confidence and self-esteem.
What our students say
It was personally satisfying connecting and collaborating with a range of industry professionals. Many have become valuable work contacts, some even lifelong friends and career mentors.
What our students say
The flexibility, relevance and opportunity that VU Online brings to higher education are testaments to excellence in teaching and learning.
On-campus courses
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Our Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is an alternative pathway to entering into our MBA program. The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration is essentially the first 4 units of our MBA and those without an Undergraduate can be considered as applicants provided that they meet and have 5 years of full-time work experience. Once this is completed, these units are transferred into the overall MBA program.
Depending on each individual and the industry they’re in, the overall aim for an MBA graduate is to be able to elevate their career and gain valuable leadership skills. That may translate into running a successful small business to leading multi-national corporations. Our graduates have undertaken diverse and rewarding career paths both locally and overseas.
Potential career leadership roles include:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Director of Business Development
- Senior Managing Consultant
- Marketing/Communications Director
- Human Resources Director
- Financial Manager
An MBA has been designed to take your career to the next level in order to achieve your professional goals. This may come in the form of potential promotions, salary increases, or new business and leadership opportunities. We believe that completion of an MBA will not only enhance one’s learning and confidence, it will also help to open up new opportunities for growth.
Yes, and we are also ranked among the world’s top 2% of universities.
VU Online's MBA can be completed within 2 years, part-time at a minimum. However, you can complete this within 5 years as part of our flexible block model structure.
Our Online MBA focuses on business leadership through career-based teaching and learning. This is to ensure our MBA graduates develop the problem solving and financial skills to meet ever-changing industry standards and the enterprise skills today's employers expect. Students will focus on areas such as strategic management, ethics, financial analysis and organisational change – skills that are essential for all future leaders, in any industry. Students will also have the opportunity to connect with a community of like-minded peers via our intuitive and immersive online learning environment. Each student can share their own professional industry experiences and participate in collaborative online sessions.
Aside from our general MBA, you can also streamline into Finance, Change Management and Economics for Business.
Unfortunately not. You will have to know which specialisation you would like to do, prior to enrolling in our MBA (i.e. Finance, Change Management or Economics for Business). You will have to complete your specialisation units, before completing the remaining core MBA units.
There are options to take more than one unit at a time, but this is not generally recommended for individuals who are working full time. To take more than 1 unit at a time, a student must make an application and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Absolutely. Whether it’s a promotion, a position with more responsibility or a whole new career you are looking to embark on, sharpening the breadth and depth of your professional skills will play an important role in your success. The skills and knowledge gained from an MBA can help accelerate your career, as well as your earning potential. Learn about your career options after an MBA here and why an MBA is worth it.
A graduate certificate in business administration can be a valuable stepping‑stone for professionals looking to develop core business skills, enhance their career prospects, or gain foundational knowledge before pursuing more advanced postgraduate study. These programs focus on practical and strategic aspects of business, helping you build capabilities in areas such as strategic management, marketing, ethics, and financial analysis - all of which are relevant across industries and functions.
Completing a graduate certificate in business administration can help you demonstrate commitment to professional development, sharpen your leadership potential, and make you a more competitive candidate for roles that require business acumen. Graduate certificates also often provide a pathway into an MBA or other master’s-level qualifications, with your completed units potentially counting towards future study (industry‑wide practice).
The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at Victoria University Online offers a focused postgraduate business qualification delivered fully online, ideal for busy professionals. Delivered through VU Online’s award‑winning Block Model®, this program helps you develop key business and management capabilities while studying one unit at a time, making it well-suited to balancing study with work or other commitments. Completion also positions you to transition into further postgraduate study if you choose.
A certificate generally refers to a short academic credential that may be available at undergraduate or vocational levels and is often designed to provide foundational skills or specialist training. A graduate certificate, on the other hand, is a postgraduate credential that requires a prior bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience and focuses on advanced, discipline‑specific study. Graduate certificates typically involve fewer units than a graduate diploma or master’s degree, making them shorter and more flexible options for upskilling or pivoting into new areas. They are recognised as postgraduate study and can enhance your professional profile and confidence before committing to longer programs.
The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at Victoria University Online is a postgraduate qualification comprising four core units focused on essential business and management topics. It’s designed to build specialised knowledge beyond undergraduate level and to serve as a pathway into further postgraduate study such as a master’s in business or related fields.
Most graduate certificates, including those in business administration, are structured around a small set of postgraduate units or subjects that can be completed in around six to eight months of part‑time study. Typically, these programs consist of four core subjects. This structure allows you to gain substantial postgraduate coursework in a focused area without the time and commitment required for a full master’s degree.
The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at VU Online comprises four units, each studied over a seven‑week period. This format supports deep engagement with each subject while providing flexibility to balance study with professional and personal commitments.
The cost of a graduate certificate in Australia varies depending on the institution and delivery mode. Because graduate certificates are postgraduate credentials that involve fewer units than a full master’s degree, they generally cost less than larger programs. Costs can also be influenced by factors such as whether you’re eligible for government assistance like FEE‑HELP or other financing options.
The Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at VU Online is delivered 100% online and is structured to be flexible for working professionals. Tuition is typically charged on a per‑unit basis across four units of study. Eligible students may access government loan schemes such as FEE‑HELP to support their postgraduate study.
Still have questions?
Our Student Enrolment Advisors are just a click away. They can answer any questions you have about this course or VU Online.
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Latest news
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A business without long-term goals and objectives will struggle to set company direction, focus efforts and gain competitive advantage. To set and achieve these goals, it’s important to know what strategic management is and how to implement it.
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