Diploma of Project Management (BSB50820)

Nationally recognised project management training, contextualised to your workplace.

McMillan Staff Development delivers the Diploma of Project Management (BSB50820) as a closed cohort for workgroups in Canberra and online. Every program is built around the projects your team is actually managing — so assessment evidence comes from real integration, scope, cost, risk, and stakeholder work at a management level.

RTO 88187 · Nationally recognised · ACT User Choice funded delivery available

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Why contextualised project management training works

When a team of project managers learns together — and the assessment evidence comes from projects they actually lead, integration decisions they actually make, budgets they actually manage, and stakeholders they actually engage — the qualification becomes the by-product of doing better project management work.

That’s the offer. Nationally recognised training, delivered to your project team, built around real project work in your organisation. Participants finish with a Diploma, and the workplace ends up with more capable project managers, stronger project governance, and better delivered outcomes.

Every participant needs access to a current or active project of sufficient complexity throughout the program. That’s how Diploma-level assessment evidence works — the project needs to give participants scope to demonstrate management-level competency, not just support-level tasks.

If your team is earlier in their project career, we also deliver the Certificate IV in Project Management Practice (BSB40920).

What delivery looks like

Typical duration: 10–12 months. Timetables are set with the employer group before enrolment.

Closed-cohort delivery

Your team only, no mixed public groups

Contextualised content

Case studies, examples, and assessment tasks drawn from your workplace

Delivered by an experienced project practitioner

Trainers and assessors with hands-on project management experience across government and private sector

Flexible format

Live online workshops via MS Teams, face-to-face in Canberra, or a blend

Real project practice

Participants apply learning to a live project — integration, scope, cost, risk, human resources, and stakeholder management at Diploma level

Nationally recognised on completion

Issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework

Why McMillan

  • Registered since 2009 — 15+ years delivering nationally recognised qualifications
  • 5,000+ students trained — across public and private sector workplaces
  • Trusted by public and private sector employers — including Commonwealth agencies, ACT Government departments, and private sector organisations — see the range of organisations we’ve worked with
  • Every program contextualised — no off-the-shelf delivery
  • Owner-operator RTO — the person you talk to is accountable for delivery
  • Canberra-based with national reach — face-to-face in the ACT, live online anywhere

What your team will be able to do

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

  • Manage project scope — defining, controlling, and closing out project scope at a management level
  • Manage project time — leading schedule development, monitoring, and control
  • Manage project cost — budgeting, forecasting, and cost performance management
  • Manage project quality — planning and assuring quality outcomes
  • Manage project risk — leading risk identification, assessment, response, and control
  • Manage project human resources — building and leading project teams
  • Manage project information and communication — plans, reports, and stakeholder communications
  • Manage project integration — bringing all project management functions together into a coherent whole
  • Manage project stakeholder engagement, facilitate continuous improvement, manage team effectiveness, and lead effective meetings

These outcomes are aligned with the 12 units of competency in BSB50820 (see the full list below).

Delivery and pricing

Workgroup delivery is offered on a fee-for-service basis and quoted per engagement. Pricing depends on group size, delivery mix (online, face-to-face, blended), and the depth of contextualisation.

Quotes include:

    • All training, assessment, and coaching
    • Materials contextualised to your workplace
    • RPL assessment for experienced participants where relevant
    • Certification on completion

Total fee, inclusions, refund terms, and payment schedule are provided in writing before enrolment.

ACT private sector employer? Your team may be eligible for funded delivery through the ACT Government’s User Choice program — see below.

Request a workgroup quote

Funded pathway for ACT private sector employers

If you’re an ACT-based private sector employer, your team may be eligible for training funded under the ACT Government’s User Choice program (administered by Skills Canberra). For BSB50820, funding is available for both New Worker and Existing Worker participants.

    • $2,210 per participant invoiced to the employer (after Skills ACT contribution)
    • Requires a signed training contract between you (as employer), each participant, and McMillan
    • Available for eligible ACT-based private sector workers only (APS and Commonwealth agencies are not eligible)

Where a participant pays personally, McMillan does not require more than $1,500 up front. Without funding, the full fee is $5,950 per participant. Payment schedules are provided in writing before enrolment.

Eligibility must be confirmed before enrolment — check funded eligibility for ACT workers →

Request a workgroup quote

Frequently asked questions

Workgroup delivery is quoted per engagement based on group size, delivery mix, and contextualisation. Quotes include all training, assessment, coaching, materials, and certification. Request a quote for a scoped price for your team.

For ACT private sector employers whose teams are eligible for funded delivery, the RTO fee is $2,210 per participant (invoiced to the employer). Without funding, the full fee is $5,950 per participant.

Typical workgroup programs run over 10–12 months, with workshops scheduled at a cadence agreed with the employer group. Duration can be adjusted based on the group’s pace and project timelines. RPL can shorten timeframes significantly for experienced project managers.

As a guide, participants should allow around 7.5 hours per week over 12 months to progress steadily through the program. Actual workload varies depending on existing project management experience, current project complexity, assessment evidence, and support needs. Diploma-level competency requires sustained engagement with complex project scenarios.

Yes — this is how we deliver the qualification. Employer-funded workgroup delivery is quoted per engagement and invoiced to the employer. For eligible ACT private sector employers, User Choice funding can significantly reduce or eliminate the training fee — check funded eligibility.

Both are delivered as closed-cohort programs to your team, contextualised to your workplace.

  • Self-funded delivery is invoiced directly to the employer at the fee-for-service rate.
  • ACT-funded delivery is available for eligible ACT private sector employers under the User Choice program — this involves signed training contracts for each participant, with ACT Government funding covering most of the cost.

Either way, McMillan delivers the training to your team as a group.

BSB50820 is pitched at people who are already managing projects — project managers, senior project officers, program coordinators moving into project management roles, and specialists moving into project delivery from an adjacent function. This is a step up from Certificate IV — participants need to be operating in project management at a level where they can genuinely engage with integration, scope, cost, risk, and stakeholder management.

Participants must have access to a current or active project of sufficient complexity to generate authentic evidence at Diploma level.

No prior formal qualifications are required. Participants should have workplace-appropriate reading, writing, and numeracy skills. LLN (language, literacy and numeracy) screening is completed at enrolment.

Every participant must have access to a current or active project of sufficient complexity to demonstrate management-level competency across all 12 units — including integration, risk, cost, human resources, and stakeholder engagement. This is confirmed at pre-enrolment.

For funded workgroups (ACT User Choice), additional eligibility rules apply to each participant — check funded eligibility for ACT workers.

Participants need:

  • A computer with reliable internet
  • A webcam and microphone for online workshops
  • Access to a current or active project of sufficient complexity to demonstrate Diploma-level project management competency

No other equipment, software, or materials are required at the participant’s cost.

Assessments emphasise practical application to real project management work at Diploma level. Methods include:

  • Workbooks and knowledge checks
  • Workplace projects — integration plans, schedules, budgets, risk registers, HR plans, procurement records, stakeholder plans
  • Case studies and presentations
  • Third-party reports verified by a project sponsor or workplace contact

Diploma competency requires more complex, integrated evidence than Certificate IV. To successfully complete BSB50820, participants must demonstrate competence in all 12 units.

McMillan provides an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Participants can expect:

  • Trainer support within two business days via the LMS
  • Technical and study assistance
  • Reasonable adjustments for disability, health, or personal circumstances
  • Culturally safe learning and support for First Nations participants

Yes. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows existing project management experience and knowledge to be assessed against qualification requirements, reducing study load. This is particularly relevant for the Diploma — many experienced project managers have already developed competencies covered in individual units.

Credit Transfer applies equivalent units completed with another RTO toward this qualification. RPL and credit transfer potential is assessed as part of the initial quote.

Face-to-face workshops are delivered in Canberra. Live online workshops via MS Teams are available Australia-wide. Most programs use a blend.

Yes. BSB50820 Diploma of Project Management is a nationally recognised qualification issued under the Australian Qualifications Framework. McMillan is a registered training organisation (RTO 88187), listed on the National Register at training.gov.au.

Get course details, pricing, and eligibility

Tell us a bit about your team and we'll respond within one business day with course details, pricing, and funding eligibility where it applies. No obligation.

Units of competency

BSB50820 comprises 12 units of competency — 8 core and 4 electives.

Core units

  • BSBPMG530 Manage project scope
  • BSBPMG531 Manage project time
  • BSBPMG532 Manage project quality
  • BSBPMG533 Manage project cost
  • BSBPMG534 Manage project human resources
  • BSBPMG535 Manage project information and communication
  • BSBPMG536 Manage project risk
  • BSBPMG540 Manage project integration

Elective units

  • BSBPMG538 Manage project stakeholder engagement
  • BSBSTR502 Facilitate continuous improvement
  • BSBTWK502 Manage team effectiveness
  • BSBTWK503 Manage meetings

Other qualifications we deliver

Not sure BSB50420 is the right fit? Here are three other nationally recognised programs we deliver to workgroups. If none of them fit, contact us — we’ll help you scope the right qualification for your team.

Certificate IV in Project Management Practice (BSB40920)

Project coordinators and administrators

View Course Details

Diploma of Leadership and Management (BSB50420)

Managers leading teams and operations

View Course Details

Diploma of Human Resource Management (BSB50320)

Experienced HR practitioners moving to strategic HR

View Course Details

Student information

McMillan Staff Development is committed to a supportive, transparent learning experience. Every student receives clear information before enrolment about fees, delivery, assessment, support services, and their rights and responsibilities. Reasonable adjustments are made for disability, health, or personal circumstances, and culturally safe support is available for First Nations participants.

Full details on assessment methods, learner support, RPL and credit transfer, refunds and withdrawal, complaints and appeals, and privacy are set out in our current Participant Handbook.

Download the Participant Handbook
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