provision of comprehensive knowledge and skills
practical, relevant course materials
presented by leading law and business academics and expert practitioners in corporate and public sector governance
choice of public or private sector streams
industry standard qualification for a senior career in governance

Contact a course adviser to confirm your eligibility and discuss possible subject exemptions.

Graduate Diploma subjects

Individual subjects — May be undertaken with no prior qualifications.

Professional accreditation — Continuous professional development (CPD) hours accrue for various membership associations including CSA.

See the CPD/MCLE rules of your relevant association(s).

Please click here for information on CSA's compulsory CPD.

Advanced standing may be sought for Masters of Business Administration and other postgraduate qualifications

Corporate governance practices are an important component of market integrity.
Company secretaries are at the front line for preservation of Australia’s
outstanding reputation for capital markets’ integrity.
Belinda Gibson, Commissioner, Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Important dates

Semester 1, 2012

Start date: 5 March 2012
Assignment due date: 1 May 2012
Exam date: Week commencing Monday, 11 June 2012

Semester 2, 2012

State date: 6 August 2012
Assignment due date: 2 October 2012
Exam date: Week commencing Monday, 12 November 2012

Subject fees

Subject fees are the same for each mode of study:

Non-members $1,900 per subject
CSA Subscribers $1,850 per subject
Members $1,650 per subject

Some subjects do have required texts. For details please go to the Subject content page. For further details on enrolment please go to the Enrolment centre.

Key benefits of the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance

Any professional who wants to demonstrate their commitment to capable governance
and administration, and establish a solid foundation for their career, should
consider the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance.
Jane McAloon FCIS, Group Company Secretary, BHP Billiton

The Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance is designed for busy people who are forging important careers.

The course is your opportunity to:

undertake practical, real-life learning with a strong corporate or public sector focus
receive practical knowledge and skills that can be readily applied in your workplace
network with governance professionals, company secretaries, directors and other senior executives to share experiences and challenges
receive course materials that are written by governance practitioners and leading academics
participate in study groups to maximise your learning opportunities.

Learning with the experts

CSA is privileged to have some of Australia’s leading business and law academics and corporate executives as course directors, guest presenters and subject authors. Course directors are handpicked to ensure that students are exposed to optimum levels of technical knowledge, professional experience and communication skills. In addition, we invite guest presenters with strong industry involvement and acknowledged expertise to reinforce the applied focus for which our Graduate Diploma is well known.

Our course directors include:

Kevin Adams, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business Learning and Teaching, RMIT University
Marco Bini, Director, Policy and Coordination, Victorian Auditor General's Office
Glenn Burke, Principal, Proactive Business Advice
Caron Cobarg Sugars, Associate Director, Risk & Advisory Services, KPMG
Laurie Factor FCIS, Former Senior Lecturer, School of Business Law, Curtin University
Leah Fricke FCIS, General Counsel and Company Secretary, FuturePlus Financial Services Pty Ltd
Andrea Hall, Partner, Risk Advisory Services, KPMG
Jason Harris FCIS, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney
Bill Hundy FCIS, Former Company Secretary, Origin Energy
Hugh Lennerts FCIS, Consultant Company Secretary & Former Company Secretary, Marine Produce Australia
Diana Lohrisch FCIS, Partner, McCullough Robertson Lawyers
Catherine Maxwell FCIS, Senior Manager, Secretariat, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
Vanessa Mitchell, Former Senior Lecturer, School of Law, Victoria University
Chris O'Meara FCIS, Barrister-at-Law
Sean Simmons ACIS, Company Secretary/General Counsel, Wotif.com Holdings Limited
Philip Thomas FCIS, Managing Director, Oakland Group Pty Ltd
Lawrence Tutton FCIS, Former Company Secretary, GUD Holdings Ltd
John Walter FCIS, Former Executive Manager, Group Secretariat, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Peter Whelan, Retired Associate Lecturer, School of Economics & Finance, Queensland University of Technology
Howard Whitton, Independent Integrity System, Ethics and Anti-corruption consultant.

Leading guest presenters include:

Dr Jennifer Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, QUT
Dr Brad Bowes FCIS, Head of Governance, Translink Transit Authority
Shaun Driscoll FCIS, Company Secretary, Village Roadshow Limited
Darryl Edwards FCIS, Company Secretary, RCR Tomlinson Limited
Claire Elliott, Assistant Company Secretary, Telstra
Melissa Grundy, Manager — Issuers, ASX
John Hasker AM, Chairman, Aurora Energy
John Hatton FCIS, Company Secretary, Commonwealth Bank Australia
Martin Jones FCIS, General Manager Operation Risk and Compliance, Boardroom Pty Limited
Justin Jones, Senior Associate, Blake Dawson
Phil Khoury, Joint Managing Director, Cameron Ralph Pty Ltd
Donna Neill, Managing Consultant, Beilby
Stephen Partington FCIS, Company Secretary & General Counsel, Ten Network Limited
Simon Pordage FCIS, Company Secretary, Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited
Margaret Pyrchla ACIS, Manager Risk and Compliance, Western Power
James Sheridan, Senior Risk Consultant, Jardine Lloyd Thompson
Malcolm Tyler ACIS, Company Secretary/General Counsel, GUD Holdings
John Williamson FCIS, Executive General Manager, Integration, Stanwell Corporation Limited
Nigel Ulrich FCIS, General Manager Legal, Parmalat Australia Ltd
Alan Worsley, Senior Policy Lawyer, ASIC

Subject Advisory Committees

Subject advisory committees constantly review and update learning materials to ensure they reflect current law and practice.

Applied Corporate Law

Jason Harris FCIS (Chair), Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney
Professor Michael Adams FCIS, Head of the School of Law, University of Western Sydney
Jeff Fitzpatrick, Lecturer, Law School, Flinders University of SA
John Hatton FCIS, Company Secretary, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Marina Nehme, Lecturer, School of Law, University of Western Sydney
Oliver Talbot, Senior Associate, McCullough Robertson Lawyers

Applied Administrative Law (public sector option)

Dr Colin Sharp (Acting Chair), Managing Director, P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L. (R&E) Consultancy
Louise Marcroft, former Business Analyst, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet
Damian McKenzie-McHarg, Director, North East Water
Professor John McMillan, Australian Information Commissioner
John Scott, Director Regional Coordinator, NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet

Corporate Accountability: Meetings and Disclosure

Lawrence Tutton FCIS (Chair), Former Company Secretary, GUD Holdings Ltd
Melissa Grundy, Manager — Issuers, ASX
Andrew Horne FCIS, General Counsel / Group Company Secretary, Thakral Holdings Group Ltd
Martin Jones FCIS, General Manager Operations, Registries Limited
Andrew Lumsden FCIS, Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Chris O’Meara FCIS, Barrister-at-Law
Simon Pordage FCIS, Company Secretary, Australian Foundation Investment Company Limited

Public Sector Accountability and Transparency (public sector option)

Dr Colin Sharp (Chair), Managing Director, P.E.R.S.O.N.A.L. (R&E) Consultancy
Kathy Gibson, Senior Lecturer, School of Accounting & Corporate Governance, University of Tasmania
Emeritus Professor Richard Mulgan, Public Policy Program, Crawford School of Economics & Government, Australian National University

Corporate Governance

Associate Professor Phillip Lipton (Chair), Department of Business Law & Taxation, Monash University
Dr Jennifer Bartlett, Senior Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology
Robyn Bowley, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
Lyndal Drennan, Principal, Drennan Associates
Associate Professor Anil Hargovan, Australian School of Taxation & Business Law (Atax), University of New South Wales
Lawrence Tutton FCIS, Former Company Secretary, GUD Holdings Ltd

Risk and Compliance

Damian McKenzie-McHarg (Chair), Director, North East Water
Nathan Hodge, Senior Associate, Minter Ellison Lawyers
Jeff Krins, Partner, HRLegal
Joanne MacDonald, Head of Risk Management & Compliance, Colonial First State Global Asset Management
Peter McGee ACIS, Senior Manager, Risk and Security Services, Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Dr Raymond Young, Assistant Professor, University of Canberra

Corporate Financial Management
Corporate Accounting

Robert McLachlan FCIS (Chair), Financial Director STW Diversified Companies, STW Ltd
Kevin Adams, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business Learning & Teaching, RMIT University
Michael Wilson, Lecturer, School of Accounting, University of Western Sydney

Learning resources

Your subject materials include:

all your subject notes and readings in hard copy and online via the Online Learning Centre
assessment materials
access to a comprehensive online library service
assessment guide to help you tackle your assignment and exam
sample exam paper and solution to help you prepare for exams
module summary recordings
additional resources on the Online Learning Centre

In addition to your subject materials, students who enrol in distance study receive access to the online classroom services, and students who enrol in tutorial study have access to the local class presentation.

For further details order the Education handbook, click here to order a complimentary copy or contact your CSA course adviser.

Try the Online Learning Centre

To view a sample version of the CSA Online Learning Centre click here. You can explore the complete subject outlines for all subjects and samples of the subject notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the requirements for admission to the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance?
A. To be admitted to the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance you must hold a university degree or degree-equivalent qualification which meets the entry requirements of CSA. There are no prerequisites for non-award enrolments.

Q. Which subject should I do first?
A. The recommended order of study is the order in which the subjects are listed above under the heading 'Graduate Diploma subjects'.

If your aim is to complete the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance you may be eligible for exemptions based on your prior studies. Click here for details.

For more specific advice in relation to your enrolment, contact your local CSA course adviser.

To receive a complimentary copy of our current handbook click here.

Q. How will I be assessed?
A. Each subject consists of an assignment and exam component. Click here for details.
If you enrol in as a non award student the assessment is optional, although if you later wish to convert to the Graduate Diploma, assessment is mandatory.

Q. How difficult are the exams?
A. They are postgraduate examinations with an emphasis on the candidate's ability to critically analyse and apply the knowledge in a practical context. The failure rate is usually less than five per cent of candidates sitting.

Q. How do I find out if my degree meets the requirements of CSA?
A. We can advise you over the phone or via email, (click here for contact details) as to whether or not your degree will meet CSA entry requirements. To confirm your eligibility we will need a certified copy of your academic transcript from your university, listing the subjects you completed and your results. This should be sent to the National Education Manager.

Q. Who recognises the quality of the program and the Graduate Diploma?
A. State higher education authorities have registered CSA as a higher education institution and accredited us to award the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. This means that our program is acknowledged as of high quality and at an appropriate postgraduate level.

Q. What should I do if I anticipate problems finishing any subject in the normal one-semester time frame?
A. All subjects studied may be extended to the next consecutive semester for a fee of $300 with updated materials supplied online. Full online learning support will be available during the second semester for both distance and tutorial students. No further extensions are permitted. Please refer to the Subject Completion Policy.

Q. If I fail a subject can I re-sit at a later date and what are the charges?
A. Where a student fails an exam, they are able to re-sit the exam in the following semester by paying a resit fee of $100. Where a student fails an assignment, they are able to submit the following semester's assignment by paying a fee of $50.

Q. What are the requirements for membership of CSA?
A. Membership of CSA is obtained by completion of the Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance together with relevant work experience. Click here to find out more about becoming a Chartered Secretary.

Q. What are the differences between the Graduate Diploma and CSA's Certificate courses?
A. The Certificate courses are vocational CSA accredited courses which can be completed over three days. The Certificates are assessed by way of online multiple choice exams. The Graduate Diploma is a fully higher education accredited post graduate qualification which is completed over several semesters. The Graduate Diploma is assessed by rigorous assignments and end of semester exams. Click here for further information on CSA's Certificate courses.

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