Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) Closed to International Students: What It Means for You

TL;DR: From 5 October, the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), course code BSB80120, is closed to new international students in Australia. If you started before that date, you can finish. If you hold a Confirmation of Enrolment but had not started, that CoE was cancelled and your provider must offer a suitable alternative or refund unspent fees. Anyone planning this course needs a different study plan.

The Australian Government has, for the first time, used its power to cancel a whole course for international students. The course is the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), a vocational qualification that thousands of students used inside Australia. If it was part of your plan, or your package, the next steps depend on one question: had you started it before 5 October?

This guide sets out what changed, who is affected, and what to do in each situation.

Planning a course change in Australia and not sure which options still fit your visa? Check your eligibility with Prosper.

What changed on 5 October

The Assistant Minister for International Education announced that the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) is cancelled for international students. It is the first use of course cancellation powers that Parliament passed in November 2025.

The official notice on Study Australia, dated 7 October, confirms that the course "will no longer be available for enrolment by new international students from 5 October". Providers and education agents can no longer recruit international students into it or offer it to them.

The scale is large. According to the Minister's release, 452 vocational providers were registered to deliver the course to international students, with 41,033 active Confirmations of Enrolment, including 15,772 students already studying it.

Why the government closed this course

The Minister's release gives three reasons:

• There was "significant evidence that the course has been used to facilitate onshore transfers by non-genuine students".
• The course was linked to high student visa refusal rates.
• It was linked to high non-completion rates.

The cancellation names only BSB80120. It does not name other graduate diplomas. Even so, it shows that the government is now willing to remove a single course when it sees it being used mainly to stay in Australia rather than to study.

Want a second view on which course could replace this one in your plan?

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What it means for you, by situation

Your position depends on whether you had started the course before 5 October.

If your provider does not meet its obligations after a provider default, the Tuition Protection Service may be able to help.

Before you change course or provider

Australia tightened its Student visa rules on 2 October. Most Student visa holders can no longer apply for another Student visa from inside Australia unless an exemption applies. The exemptions in the official update include a provider default, needing up to 12 more months to finish with the same provider, and moving to a higher-level course after completing your main course. Our guide to who must now apply from outside Australia explains these rules in full.

The government has also said it plans a new Transfer stream for Student visa holders who change providers. No start date has been announced.

So before you accept any alternative course, check three things:

1. Is the new course registered for international students? You can search any provider and course on the CRICOS register on the Department of Education website.
2. Does it move you forward? Australia now looks closely at course progression. A course at the same or a lower level is harder to justify.
3. Does it affect your visa? Study Australia advises checking with the Department of Home Affairs before you change your course or study plan.

If you are planning to study in Australia

For new applicants, this is a reminder that the course comes first and the visa follows. A course chosen only because it is short or low cost is now a risk, not a shortcut. Choose a course that fits your previous study and your career goal, at a provider that can explain why it suits you.

When you receive an offer, read your Confirmation of Enrolment carefully. It names the exact course code, so you can confirm you are enrolling in the course you chose.

FAQ

Is the Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning) closed to all students?

No. The cancellation applies to international students. Students who started before 5 October can complete it.

I paid fees but had not started. Do I get my money back?

Your CoE was cancelled on 5 October. Your provider must either offer a suitable alternative course that you accept in writing, or refund unspent tuition fees, within 14 days. The Tuition Protection Service may help if the provider does not do this.

Can I switch to another graduate diploma instead?

Possibly, but check the course on CRICOS, check that it is a genuine step forward, and check the visa impact with the Department of Home Affairs before you accept.

Are other courses being cancelled?

The cancellation names only BSB80120. The government has the power to cancel other courses, so check official sources before you commit to any vocational course.

Does this change the Student visa itself?

No. It removes one course. The separate visa changes from 2 October affect onshore applications and family members.

PS: If this course was part of your plan, the safest next step is a course that fits your background and moves you forward. Check your eligibility with Prosper and we will look at what fits your record before you commit.

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