Counselling

Entry requirements

An honours degree (normally a minimum of lower second class) preferably in an associated subject or equivalent professional qualifications.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPEL) is considered for prospective students who do not hold a first degree but have gained extensive experience and skills which are transferable. All applications are considered individually on a case-by-case basis. This course can aid career change for those seeking a new direction.

We particularly welcome applications from Counsellors, Social Workers, Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Osteopaths, Occupational Therapists, Sports Therapists and those who have therapeutic or clinical experience working with patients and clients.

Months of entry

September

Course content

If you're passionate about therapeutic care, our Counselling MSc will bring you a step closer to a career in counselling or clinical psychology. You will strengthen your theoretical knowledge, debate issues and hone your research skills, all of which you can apply to your career in healthcare.

The course will prepare you for a range of therapeutic occupations across the statutory, private and voluntary sectors.

You have the option to study part-time, providing you with a flexible degree that can fit alongside your busy life. After you've completed the course, you'll be able to register for professional training or further study. Whatever your career interests may be, we will support you to become a confident and experienced counselling practitioner.

Key features

• Available as a full-time (one year) or part-time (up to six years) course.
• An opportunity to complete relevant work experience, or to obtain first level counselling skills qualifications alongside the course as a result of the block teaching format adopted.
• A combination of teaching methods including group seminars, lead lectures, individual tutorials and online resources.
• Staff with extensive experience in a range of psychology and psychotherapeutic settings.
• Progress to further study on a Clinical or Counselling psychology Doctorate courses.

Teaching

The programmes utilise in-person delivery with modules being supported with the use of online reading materials. There is an emphasis on self-directed autonomous learning where you will apply learning outcomes and content to your own areas of interest or practice.

Teaching within the course aims to be engaging with formal approaches such as lectures being interspersed with discussion, debates, analysis of cases, and examples from practice settings. Learning approaches may include the use of Blackboard Collaborate, online discussion forums and flipped classrooms which expect you to complete independent work in preparation for teaching sessions to reinforce learning.

Sessions take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures and are focused on developing subject-specific skills and applied individual and group project work. Tutorials are a key aspect of the learning strategy where you are encouraged to share your assessment plans with tutors and peers, allowing structured questions and feedback. Tutorials can be in-person or utilise digital/videoconferencing technologies such as Skype/MS Teams/Zoom etc.

In addition, you will have a minimum of two meetings with your Personal Academic Tutors, timed to coincide with key points such as induction or assessment. When undertaking the dissertation module, a supervisor will be allocated towards the start of the module. Timetabled group support sessions as well as individual tutorials will be used for supervision of the independent research dissertation.

Information for international students

The IELTS score for international applicants is 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component). Other English Language qualifications will be considered.