New Zealand Diploma in Business

Develop your business skills and learn what it takes to succeed in the New Zealand business sector while you gain the skills to contribute to the strategic objectives of any organisation.

This programme provides you the opportunity to choose to focus on Accounting or Leadership & Management. The Accounting focus will qualify you to gain the academic requirements for the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ) Accounting Technician (AT) designation.

This programme runs for 41 weeks each year, including 7 holiday weeks.

Per week, your learning will include approximately:

Class Time

16 hrs

Lectures, tutorials and/or online recordings.

Study Time

24 hrs

Study in your own time.

You can also choose to study part-time or possibly by paper. Talk to us about your options with this programme.

This programme comprises 120 credits.

Your studies will differ according to your chosen area of focus - Accounting or Leadership and Management.

CORE COURSES

Organisations in an Aotearoa New Zealand Context (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to analyse organisations and engage with stakeholders in an Aotearoa New Zealand context.

Courses include:

• Types of business entities in Aotearoa New Zealand, including Māori entities

• Internal and external business stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand

• Management theories, including roles and responsibilities of management and leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand organisations

• Bicultural partnership (as embedded in ngā kaupapa o te Tiriti o Waitangi, the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi)

• Multicultural considerations in contemporary business environments

• Developing effective relationships

• Organisational culture

• Business objectives and operational activities

• Professional communication:

  • Effective business communication suitable for the Aotearoa New Zealand context including Tikanga

  • Personal and interpersonal skills to support communication in formal and informal business situations

  • Respect for individuals and diversity, social conventions and institutions

• Environmental, community and sustainability expectations

• Ethical frameworks

• Effective stakeholder relationship management

• Socially and culturally appropriate conduct

Business Environments (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to analyse and manage the impact of environmental influences on an organisation.

The course covers:

• Internal environment: SWOT

• Systems:The course covers:

  • Structure

  • Resources

  • organisational culture

  • stakeholder analysis and management

• Business sustainability

• External environment

  • Micro (customers, competitors, suppliers)

  • Macro (PESTEL)

• Sustainability considerations

• Identifying internal and external environmental data

• Validating environmental data

• Defining and assessing risk

• Risk management

Business Functions (15 Credits)

Learn to apply knowledge of core business functions for operational efficiency and effectiveness.

The course covers:

• Operations to support business performance, including:

  • Role of operations for organisations

  • Operational management areas

  • Processes and productivity

  • Break-even analysis

  • Productivity definition & calculations

• HR to support business performance, including:

  • Role of human resource management for organisations

  • Transactional and transformational HR

  • Recruitment to exit

• Marketing and sales to support business performance, including:

  • Role of marketing and sales for organisations

  • The marketing concept

  • Value proposition

  • The marketing mix

• Accounting concepts and processes to support business performance, including:

  • Role of accounting for organisations

  • Aaccounting Equation

  • Statements of financial position and financial performance, budgets and cashflow forecasts

  • Variance and ratios

  • ESG

Change and Innovation (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to contribute to organisational change and innovation.

The course covers:

• Organisational structures

• Organisational change including:

  • Assessing the need for change

  • Deciding on the change(s) to make

  • Implementing change and evaluating change

• Innovation including sources and nature of innovation, and stimulating organisational innovation

• Models and theories for organisational change

• Frameworks that support innovation

• Stakeholder engagement and relationships in organisational change and innovation, including internal and external stakeholders

• Evaluating business performance

• Impacts of change on business objective

• Impacts of innovation on business objectives

• Personal skills including:

  • attributes

  • abilities

  • technical skills

  • interpersonal skills including:

    • leadership

    • relationship building

    • team building

    • negotiation

    • assertiveness

    • persuasion

Accounting Focus

Introduction to Accounting and Taxation (15 Credits)

Learn to apply accounting concepts and standards to prepare financial statements for a business entity and apply tax rules.

The course covers:

• Accounting concepts including:

  • Accounting entity

  • Accrual accounting

  • Going concern

  • Periodic reporting

  • Historic cost

  • Qualitative characteristics

• The role of accounting standards

• Balance day adjustments including:

  • Prepayments

  • Accrued income

  • Income received in advance

  • Accrued expense

  • Depreciation (NZIAS16)

• Financial statements including:

  • Statement of financial performance

  • Statement of financial position

  • Statement of changes in equity

  • Cash flow statement

• NZIAS1 & NZIAS2

• Financial reporting requirements for Māori business (Māori Land Act)

• Individuals:

  • Working for Families

  • Student loans

  • Tax credits

  • Individual tax calculations and returns

  • Kiwi Saver scheme

• Small businesses:

  • Common types of taxable income and dedications

  • GST calculations

  • Employer obligations and calculations

  • PAYE

  • Scheduler payments

  • Kiwi Saver scheme

  • Employee and independent contractor

  • Payment and due date of taxes

  • Hobby versus business tests

Applied Accounting (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to record and process a range of financial transactions. Accounting processes include:

• Double entry accounting

• Perpetual and periodic inventory

• Journals

• General ledger

• Subsidiary ledger - including reconciliation - receivables and payables

• Sole trader, partnerships and straight forward corporate/company accounts

• Accounting processes for software include:

  • Chart of Accounts

  • General, cash, sales and purchases journals

  • General ledger

  • Subsidiary systems – receivables, payables, and inventory

  • Trial balance

  • Financial statements – statement of financial performance, statement of financial position

• Tax rules include:

  • GST collected and paid

  • GST reports and adjustments

  • Other relevant tax

Analysis of Financial Information (15 Credits)

Learn to calculate, analyse and interpret financial information to inform decision-making for a business entity and evaluate debtor risk.

The course covers:

Develop the knowledge, skills and competencies to calculate, analyse and interpret financial information to inform decision making for an organisation.

The course covers:

• Purpose and users of financial analysis, limitations / assumptions

• Calculation of financial ratios

• Analysis and interpretation of financial ratios and financial information to inform decision making:

  • Profitability

  • Liquidity

  • Asset utilisation

  • Stability

  • Investor

• Analysis and interpretation of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) information

• Formulate recommendations

• Communication of financial and non-financial information to internal and external stakeholders

• Complex transactions may include:

  • Depreciation

  • Doubtful debts

  • Bad debts

  • Inventory

  • Disposal of assets

• Code of ethics to include:

  • Ethical decision-making model

  • Integrity

  • Objectivity

  • Professional competence and due care

  • Confidentiality

  • Professional behaviour

Budgets for Planning and Control (15 Credits)

Learn to prepare and use budgets to monitor performance and determine internal controls to minimise organisational risk.

The course covers:

• Purpose and limitations of budgets – planning, control and behaviour

• Preparation of budgets using spreadsheets –including but not limited to:

  • Sales budget

  • Cash budget

  • Income statement

  • Balance sheet

• Sensitivity analysis - what if scenario

• Flexible budgets:

  • Reforecasting

  • Variance analysis

• Variance reports:

  • Evaluation

  • Corrective action

• Static budgets

• Flexible budgets

• Interpreting and communicating results

• The function of internal controls

• Functions and types of internal controls

• Testing internal controls and limitations of internal controls

• Determining actions and internal controls to minimise or mitigate risk

• Risk management

• Identification and measurement of risks

• Preparing a basic disaster recovery plan

• Computerised accounting systems – cyber security, cloud accounting

Leadership and Management Focus

Introduction to Leadership (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to analyse and identify effective leadership approaches that promote positive workplace culture, diversity and change.

The course covers:

• Defining organisational culture, workplace engagement and their contribution to

• Organisational performance

• Leadership approaches to shape and enhance organisational culture

• How diversity benefits work teams and organisations

• Strategies to promote diversity within organisations

• Effective communication for leaders

• Concept of leadership

• Leadership approaches and styles

• Leadership and its influence on success within an organisation

• Organisational agility

• Nature and complexity of leading change

Operations Management and Compliance (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to evaluate operational issues and challenges and apply operational techniques for continuous improvement and compliance.

The course covers:

• External requirements including relevant regulations, legislation, and policy

• Internal requirements including quality management systems, policies and procedures

• Operational issues and challenges facing organisations

• Internal and external operational drivers

• Operations management techniques and approaches that support continuous improvement

Business Planning (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to engage in business planning and develop strategies that improve organisational performance.

• Nature and purpose of business planning

• Elements of business planning and the business planning process

• Types of business plans including strategic, tactical and operational and their relationship to each other

• Applying business planning processes

• Understanding differences between planning for a new or existing business (Note: business types include profit / not-for-profit / community organisation / etc.)

• Planning in a changing environment

• Competitive positioning

Managing Projects (15 Credits)

Develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies to effectively manage projects and lead project teams.

The course covers:

• Project management fundamentals

• Project management phases, tools and documentation

• Stakeholder engagement and management

• Project team communication and engagement

• Conflict Management

• Strategies for leading virtual teams

• Managing stakeholders

General Admission

To be admitted to this programme all applicants must be at least 16 years of age on the date of the programme's commencement for the semester in which they wish to enrol (or provide a completed Early Release Exemption form), and meet one of the following requirements:

1. Achievement of NCEA Level 2 including:

   • 8 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above; and

   • 14 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above
     
     Or

2. An equivalent of the above
   
   Or

3. Successful completion of an approved qualification at Level 3 or above with a relevant pathway
   

Discretionary Admission

Applicants who do not meet the general admission requirements stated above and who believe that they have the level of preparedness for study at this level may apply for discretionary admission.

In assessing whether to grant discretionary admission the primary focus will be on the applicant's ability to demonstrate a likelihood to succeed in the programme.

All decisions will be at the discretion of the Relevant Academic Authority.

Language Literacy Admission Requirements

All applicants must provide evidence that they have the necessary language literacy proficiency required for the Programme as demonstrated by the equivalence of:

• 8 NCEA literacy credits at Level 2 or above.

Applicants who are unable to provide evidence of the above may be required to demonstrate capability using an approved proficiency test or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules.

In addition to the Domestic Entry Requirements, the following applies to international learner applicants.

International applicants must provide evidence that they have the necessary English language proficiency required for the Programme as demonstrated by an IELTS score of 5.5 (academic) with no individual band lower than 5.0 from one test taken in the preceding two years, or an equivalent described in NZQA Rules and on Delivery Site English Language Requirements for International Ākonga Web-page.

The programme is approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority under the provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020, and Universal College of Learning is accredited to teach it.

On completion of this programme you will be ready to take on a range of careers and will have the skills and knowledge to be employed in a variety of business entities in roles such as:

• Accounts assistant

• Accounts payable administrator

• Accounting technician

• Finance administrator

• Human resource manager

• Management assistant

• Middle management role

• Operations leader

• Payroll administrator

• Team leader

To find out more about possible job prospects and salaries for Managers and Accountants, visit tahatu.govt.nz

Education pathway

In just one year, you will gain an industry-valued business qualification that will also serve as an ideal stepping stone for further business degree studies. This diploma provides one year of credit toward.

This programme is designed for those who want to work in an operational role in a New Zealand business. It is suitable for graduates of New Zealand Certificates in Business.

Recognition of prior learning

Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning, including Cross Credit, Credit Transfer and Assessment of Prior Learning, may be made on the Recognition of Prior Learning Form where a student believes all learning outcomes for a course have already been met. Applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the UCOL Academic Statute and other relevant policies and procedures.

Application checklist

It will make the process easier if you prepare the following before you apply:

• National Student Number (NSN) (If you don't have a NSN, you may request one from NZQA, or you can supply a verified copy of your birth certificate, passport or Whakapapa statement)

• Evidence of your highest level of academic achievement (and evidence of prior learning, if applicable)

• Evidence that you meet the entry requirements of the programme

• Check if you're eligible for additional support or a scholarship. If you're 19 years or younger, you may be eligible to enrol in one of our free Youth Transition programmes

Note that you will need to provide any verified documents in person, via post or email (not via the online application form).

Approximately $124.00 for textbook.