Choosing Your Family Conflict Institute Training Program

The quickest way to choose is to answer two questions: what do you want to be able to do at the end, and what do you bring to the start?

• If you want to practise as an accredited Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) practitioner, you are looking at the Graduate Diploma, or the Six Core Units if your background supports another accreditation pathway.
• If you want general, practical mediation skills for your current role, the Mediation Skill Set may be the right starting point.
• If you already work in mediation or FDR and want to specialise in property matters, Property Settlement Mediation is the specialist option.

The rest of this guide helps you match those goals and backgrounds to a program, but the final fit always depends on an individual eligibility check.

Here is a quick orientation to the four programs:

• The Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution is the full nationally recognised qualification behind FDR practitioner accreditation.
• The Six Core Units cover the core FDR competencies, drawn from the Graduate Diploma, for people whose existing qualifications or accreditation may support a different accreditation pathway.
• The Mediation Skill Set is a shorter, nationally recognised program that builds general professional mediation skills.
• Property Settlement Mediation is a specialist program for practitioners developing capability in property-related family dispute work; its full outline is being finalised.

The detailed comparison table later in this guide sets these side by side.

It usually helps to start with the outcome, not the course. Ask yourself which of these best describes your goal:

• general mediation and conflict-management capability for your current role
• professional mediator accreditation
• FDR practitioner accreditation
• specialist property-settlement mediation skills
• professional development within an existing role

General capability points to the Mediation Skill Set; FDR practitioner accreditation points to the Graduate Diploma or Six Core Units; specialist property work points to Property Settlement Mediation. Professional mediator accreditation, under AMDRAS, is a separate step that training can build toward but does not by itself grant.

Your existing background shapes which FDR pathway is open to you, and sometimes which program is the most efficient route. Broadly:

• A relevant bachelor degree or higher, for example in law, psychology or social work, may support the Six Core Units route rather than the full Graduate Diploma.
• Current AMDRAS accreditation held for the required period may also support the Six Core Units route.
• No directly relevant qualification usually points toward the full Graduate Diploma.
• Prior mediation training may support an entry discussion, but whether it counts toward a program is decided individually, not assumed.

These are starting points, not rulings. Which pathway you actually meet requires an individual eligibility check with the FCI team, and accreditation eligibility is ultimately decided by the Attorney-General’s Department.

The Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution is the complete, nationally recognised qualification designed to take you to FDR practitioner accreditation. It is the most comprehensive option, made up of ten units (the six core units plus four electives) and including a 50-hour work placement. It is priced at $8,950, with a payment plan of $895 per month over ten months.

It may suit career changers and people new to the field who do not yet hold a qualification that supports another pathway. It is a larger commitment than the other programs, but for many people it is the most direct single route to practising as an FDR practitioner. For a fuller picture of the role it leads to, see what an accredited FDR practitioner actually does.

The Six Core Units cover the core FDR competencies drawn from the Graduate Diploma, without the four electives. They are priced at $6,000, with a payment plan of $600 per month over ten months, and include a 50-hour work placement.

This program may suit you if you already hold a relevant degree or current AMDRAS accreditation, because those backgrounds can support the second or third FDR accreditation pathway, where you demonstrate competency in the core units alongside your existing qualification or accreditation. It is not simply a lighter qualification for everyone; it is specifically for people whose background supports that route. Our guides on the Graduate Diploma versus the Six Core Units and the three FDRP accreditation pathways explain the distinction in detail.

The Mediation Skill Set is a shorter, nationally recognised program that builds general, practical mediation skills you can use in many settings. It is made up of three units, is delivered fully online and self-paced with no listed entry requirements, and is priced at $1,500, with a payment plan of $150 per month over ten months.

It may suit professionals such as HR and workplace-relations staff, managers, community workers and others who want structured mediation skills for their current role rather than a full qualification. It is a legitimate professional program in its own right, not a lesser Graduate Diploma. Completing it is not the same as AMDRAS accreditation, and it does not make you an FDR practitioner. It is also listed as one of the entry options for the Graduate Diploma, which can support an entry discussion later, though it is not an automatic credit toward that qualification. Our guide to the Mediation Skill Set goes into more detail.

Property Settlement Mediation is a specialist program for practitioners developing capability in property-related family dispute work. It is intended for mediators and FDR practitioners expanding into property settlements, and professionals supporting separating parties with financial matters. It is priced at $3,000, with payment plans available, and is delivered online and self-paced with all learning materials provided.

The full outline for this program, including its units, entry requirements and other details, is being finalised, so the current specifics should be confirmed with the FCI team. It is a specialist, professional-development option rather than an entry-level starting point or a substitute for foundational mediation training.

It is worth being clear about the line between general mediation training and FDR practitioner training, because they lead to different places. General mediation skills, like those in the Mediation Skill Set, apply across many kinds of disputes and sit under the national mediator framework. FDR practitioner training, through the Graduate Diploma or Six Core Units, is specific to family dispute resolution and leads toward accreditation through the Attorney-General’s Department.

General mediation training on its own does not make you an FDR practitioner. If you are weighing up the two directions, our guides on how to become a mediator and how to become an FDR practitioner compare them.

Your program choice is tied to the three pathways to FDR practitioner accreditation. In short:

• Pathway 1 is completing the full Graduate Diploma.
• Pathway 2 is demonstrating competency in the core units plus holding a suitable qualification.
• Pathway 3 is demonstrating competency in the core units plus holding AMDRAS accreditation for two consecutive years.

If you are relying on Pathway 1, the Graduate Diploma is your route. If your background supports Pathway 2 or 3, the Six Core Units may be enough on the training side. Because the pathway you meet depends on your individual circumstances, it is worth confirming before you enrol. Our guides to the three FDRP accreditation pathways and the entry requirements explain how to tell which may apply to you.

This table sets the four programs side by side. It uses confirmed program information; where a detail is still being finalised, it says so rather than guessing.

These short, illustrative examples show how the same questions play out. They are not eligibility decisions, just a guide to the logical next step.

• An HR manager wanting structured workplace mediation skills. The Mediation Skill Set may be the right starting point, since the goal is capability for an existing role rather than accreditation. Next step: confirm the program suits your goals with the team.
• A lawyer with a relevant degree considering FDR. The Six Core Units may suit, because a relevant degree can support an FDR accreditation pathway. Next step: confirm which pathway your qualification meets.
• A career changer with no directly relevant qualification. The full Graduate Diploma may be the appropriate route, as it does not depend on holding another qualification first. Next step: check eligibility and the placement involved.
• An AMDRAS-accredited mediator exploring FDR. The Six Core Units may suit if your accreditation meets the required period for that pathway. Next step: confirm your AMDRAS status against the pathway requirements.
• An existing FDR practitioner seeking property specialisation. Property Settlement Mediation may be the logical specialist option. Next step: ask the team for the current outline, which is being finalised.
• Someone with prior mediation training, unsure if it affects entry or credit. Prior training may support an entry discussion, but any credit is decided individually. Next step: ask for an individual assessment rather than assuming.

Before you choose, a few questions help you decide:

• What do I want to be able to do when I finish: use mediation skills, or practise as an accredited mediator or FDR practitioner?
• Do I already hold a qualification or accreditation that might open a shorter pathway?
• Do I want general mediation skills, or specifically family dispute resolution?
• How much time and budget am I ready to commit?
• Have I confirmed my eligibility rather than assumed it?

There are no automatic answers, and the same goal can be reached different ways depending on your background.

A short eligibility conversation is worth having before you enrol, because the most efficient program for you depends on details that are specific to you: your exact qualifications, any current accreditation, and the pathway you are aiming for. Two people with the same goal can need different programs.

An individual check helps you avoid paying for more than you need, or enrolling in a program that does not match the pathway you can actually use. Remember too that being eligible to enrol in a course is not the same as being eligible for accreditation, which the relevant body decides separately.

If you have a shortlist, the best next step is a quick conversation to confirm which program matches your background and goals. Tell us where you are starting from and what you want to achieve, and we will help you find the right fit. You can discuss which program fits your goals with our team.