Diploma in Business

Interested in business? Start your university studies with our Diploma in Business to explore different business subjects and prepare yourself for further study.

If you’re not entirely sure what to expect from uni or from studying business, or missed out on getting into your dream degree, the Diploma in Business is a great place to start.

You’ll take the same courses as our first-year bachelor’s degree students, and study in a supportive environment with additional academic and student support. Once you’ve completed your diploma you can then move into Year 2 of the Bachelor of Business, which means you can still complete your chosen bachelor’s degree in three years.

Download programme guides

Minimum entry requirements for the Diploma in Business

If you have New Zealand qualifications

  • University Entrance OR
  • 42 NCEA level 3 credits, including UE literacy and numeracy, with:
    • 10 credits in each of three approved subjects OR
    • 12 credits in each of two approved subjects and 14 credits across two further subjects

If you have qualifications from another country

See entry requirements for students from other countries. Select your country from the dropdown menu.

English language requirements

  • IELTS (Academic) 5.5 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in Writing and all other bands 5.0 or higher

English language requirements

With the Diploma in Business, you’ll become familiar with different business processes and practices, and improve your academic knowledge and study skills to give you the confidence for further study.

The courses you study are from the first year of the Bachelor of Business, and range from finance and economics to marketing. Your diploma courses can also help you decide which area of business you might like to focus on.

If you just missed out on getting into the Bachelor of Business, you take the courses below to prepare your for further study in our business degree.

After you’ve completed this diploma, you can then cross-credit your diploma courses and transfer to the second year of the Bachelor of Business.

Courses include

If you have UE, you can enter the Diploma in Business general pathway, which means you can choose which business courses you might like to focus on. You choose eight courses (worth 15-points each) from the Bachelor of Business, subject to approval of the programme leader.

We'll work with you to help you identify where you want to go and what courses will help you get there.

Because you study the same first-year courses as our bachelor’s degree students, you can move into the second year of the Bachelor of Business once you’ve completed this diploma.

Quick facts
Programme code:
AK1006
Level:
5
Points:
120
Duration:
1 year full-time / part-time available
Campus:
City Campus
South Campus
Starts:
15 Jul 2024
3 Mar 2025
21 Jul 2025

Key semester dates
Fees
Domestic
$8,435 - $8,814 (for 120 points)
($7,289 - $7,668 tuition fees + $1146 student services levy)
International
$35,046 (for 120 points)
(33,900 tuition fees + $1146 student services levy)
  • Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
  • Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
  • There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
  • International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
  • Fees-free study may be available for domestic students

Scholarships

The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.