New Zealand Diploma in Hospitality Management (Level 6)

Graduates of this qualification will be well prepared for management and leadership opportunities across a wide range of hospitality and service industries. They will develop the confidence, practical skills, and industry knowledge needed to work independently and effectively in management roles with minimal supervision.

Career opportunities may include hotels, resorts, restaurants, cafés, bars, tourism businesses, events, accommodation providers, retail, customer service, and other people-focused industries both in New Zealand and internationally.

The qualification helps develop professional standards and management capabilities that are highly valued within the hospitality industry, giving employers and customers confidence in graduates’ ability to deliver high-quality service, effective leadership, and positive customer experiences across different hospitality environments.

School Leavers
Applicants should be a minimum of 18 years of age, with a minimum of four years secondary education and have attained a minimum of 48 NCEA credits at Level 2 or 36 NCEA credits at Level 3, or an equivalent academic indicator.

Mature Applicants
Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate. Personal commitment and a belief in one's own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process, or

Have successfully completed the New Zealand Diploma in Hospitality Management (Level 5).

Notwithstanding the above admissions categories, in exceptional circumstances, a mature aged applicant who can show evidence of ability to succeed in the programme may be considered for admission provided the applicant has successfully completed an approved course or programme, which is deemed to prepare graduates for the required academic standard for entry.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment

IELTS test - Academic score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5 
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score 5 TWE) 
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 60 (with a writing score of 18) 
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools or C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill. 
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests 
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic) 
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42 
Language Cert - C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS 
Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than distinction in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

To successfully complete the New Zealand Diploma in Hospitality Management (Level 6), students are required to achieve a minimum of 120 credits in accordance with the programme schedule.

The qualification is normally completed full-time over one year or part-time over two years, providing flexibility for students balancing study, work, and personal commitments.

The programme combines practical learning with industry-focused knowledge, helping students build advanced skills in hospitality management, leadership, operations, customer service, sales and marketing, and business strategy.

Please note that domestic students are expected to maintain a minimum of 80% attendance in scheduled classes and activities to remain eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme. International students are required to maintain 100% attendance unless approved leave or exceptional circumstances apply, in line with visa and programme requirements.

This qualification provides a strong pathway into the third year of SIT’s Bachelor of Hotel Management. Graduates of the New Zealand Diploma in Hospitality Management (Level 6) can achieve a Level 7 degree qualification by completing just one additional year of study.

The final year of the Bachelor programme includes one semester of on-campus study in Invercargill, followed by one semester of internship placement, giving students the opportunity to gain valuable real-world industry experience in a location of their choice.

This pathway allows students to continue building their leadership, management, and professional skills while gaining practical experience that can open doors to exciting career opportunities within hospitality, tourism, events, retail, customer service, and other service-focused industries both in New Zealand and internationally.