Counselling MSc

• Overview

  This postgraduate degree in Counselling is an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of human thinking, reasoning and their actions and offers the chance to take the first steps into a career in counselling. Our MSc in Counselling course provides you with a level of knowledge and skills that will allow you to develop as counsellors, and once you have gained further experience and client hours you will be able to pursue a range of professional opportunities.

  If you have a first degree in Psychology that is Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) accredited, your postgraduate training opportunities will include doctoral training on British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited courses in Counselling Psychology.

  Postgraduate Event

  Course

  Highlights

  • Face-to-face client placement.
  • This course can count towards a professional body accreditation with BACP.

  Apply Now Open Days

  
• Course Details

  This Masters in Counselling course will help you to achieve sufficient communication skills as well as personal development skills which are useful and applicable to a number of organisations and situations. Students will be integrated into the learning process partnered with a supportive and motivational environment.

  This course requires you to undertake a supervised placement of a minimum of 100 client hours plus supervision and a minimum 40 hours of personal therapy with an approved and registered or accredited counsellor or therapist. A student membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is advised and professional indemnity insurance and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for entry onto this course.

  Through the duration of the course, you will explore different counselling theories and examine issues within a variety of contexts.The placement module allows you to take your competencies to organisations to work with clients.

  Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to develop a critical, evaluative approach to the knowledge which underpins present-day professional practice as well as building your ability to make evidence-based decisions. Current issues within counselling and therapy will be considered critically with particular emphasis on their relationship to client practice.

  The course may be used as a basis for personal accreditation with BACP once further experience and an additional 350 client hours have been gained.

   

  How do you become a counsellor?

  If you wish to pursue a counselling career or a related profession, such as a psychotherapist, you will need to complete core practitioner training that is at a minimum level of psychotherapy or counselling diploma. However, completing a Masters in Counselling will best equip you with the necessary practical skills and training, especially courses that include supervised placements.

  What can I do with a Masters in Counselling?

  A Masters degree in Counselling will allow you to pursue a number of career paths. Following completion of a MSc Counselling degree, you will have a deep understanding and appreciation of various therapies and presenting issues that will allow you to  pursue a career in a wide variety of sectors. Graduates may secure roles in further and higher education, in charitable agencies and a wide range of businesses.

  Other professional counselling opportunities include marriage and family counselling,  substance abuse counselling, the NHS and private practice. Please note that many of these specialised roles require further training and additional experience is needed before entering into private practice.

   

  Read more

  Additional

  Information

  Placement

  This course requires you to undertake a supervised placement of a minimum of 100 client hours plus supervision and a minimum 40 hours of personal therapy with an approved and registered or accredited counsellor or therapist. A student membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is advised and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for entry onto this course. The course may be used as a basis for personal accreditation with BACP once further experience and an additional 350 client hours have been gained.

• Careers and Events
  • Open Days

    See for yourself

    Our Open Days offer you a fantastic opportunity to get a real taste of university life at Northampton and discover how studying here will be a life-changing experience.

    Each Open Day has a postgraduate stall, where you can speak with tutors about the postgraduate courses that interest you, to give you all the information you need about studying at the University of Northampton.

    To find out more about the day, please feel free to have a look at our Open Day Guide.

    
  • Careers

    Career Opportunities

    Upon completion of this course you may find employment opportunities within NHS settings or schools, as well as further or higher educational counselling settings. Various opportunities are available within organisational settings and police settings, as well as in continuing professional development (CPD) work. The government agenda for Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) offers good opportunity for trained counsellors. Please note, it is not appropriate to go into private practice immediately on qualifying.

    
• Requirements

  In order to apply for this postgraduate Counselling degree, applicants will need either a first or second class bachelors’ degree. Additionally, applicants will be carrying out placements whilst working with clients. Having a critical self-awareness and a willingness to reflect on your own process throughout this course is therefore required. Voluntary or professional experience of support work with adults is desirable, but not essential.

  For information on how to apply to study with us, please see our How to Apply page.

  English Language Requirements

  All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

  • Minimum standard – IELTS 7 in all categories (or equivalent)
    for study at postgraduate level.

  For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

   

  Contacts

  Course enquiries
  study@northampton.ac.uk

  Application status enquiries
  admissions2020@northampton.ac.uk

  Online enquiry form

  Current student enquiries
  SID@northampton.ac.uk

  International student enquiries
  international@northampton.ac.uk

  Applying for 2020
  Facebook Applicant Group

  Office hours:
  Mon – Thu: 9am – 5pm
  Fri: 9am – 4.30pm

  Phone Call

  0300 303 2772

  +44 (0)1604 892134

  +44 (0)1604 892546

• Course Content
  • Level 7

  • Counselling Theory and Practice (40 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM107

    Core Module Y
  • Counselling Skills and Process (30 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM088

    Core Module Y
  • Self-Awareness and Reflectiveness (20 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM108

    Core Module Y
  • Placement and Supervision (30 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM090P

    Core Module Y
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods (10 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM085

    Core Module Y
  • Dissertation and Research Methods (50 Credits)
    Module code: PSYM086

    Core Module Y

  Methods of Learning

  Teaching methods on the MSc Counselling include workshops, one-to-one sessions, private study, group work, role plays.

  • ‘Counselling Theory and Practice’ involves approximately 145 formal taught hours, 255 independent study hours.
  • ‘Counselling Skills and Process’ involves approximately 107 formal taught hours, 193  independent study hours.
  • ‘Self-awareness and Reflectiveness’ involves approximately 74 formal taught hours, 40 hours of personal therapy and 86 independent study hours.
  • ‘Placement and Supervision’ involves approximately 135 practice and supervision hours; 18 formal taught hours and 147 independent study hours.

  Schedule

  In the first year, you will be required to attend one full day per week (currently Tuesdays), from 9am to 6pm. These days run from late September to the end of July with short breaks for Christmas and Easter. In addition in the first year there will be one three day long intensive per trimester (a total of three intensives); these currently run Monday to Wednesday. Occasional attendance on other days is also required.

  In the second year, you will do the placement module (this involves six workshops at the University, attendance at placement at least one day a week and clinical supervision at least once a fortnight), research methods and the dissertation. Attendance is normally one day per week (currently Wednesdays).

  There is an 80% minimum attendance requirement across all elements of the course.

  Assessments

  There are a variety of assessments, including essays, case studies, reflective statements, role play assessments and presentations. There are no written exams; the skills assessment is a live assessed role play . The dissertation will require you to write 12,000 words on any aspect of counselling. Many counselling students take a qualitative approach to their research and previous dissertations have included working with autistic clients, the implications of money for therapists and a personal experience of bereavement.

  Read more

  Facilities &

  Special Features

  It is important that those attending this course are prepared to carry out a placement when they will be working with clients. Therefore, individuals on this course will need a high level of critical self-awareness and a willingness to reflect on their own process.

• Further Studies
  • Alumni 20% Discount

    Our Graduate Discount Scheme

    If you have previously studied an undergraduate degree with the University of Northampton, you may be eligible for a 20% discount on Postgraduate course fees.

    Visit our Graduate Discount Scheme page to find out more information and eligibility requirements.

    
  • Postgraduate Loan

    Get funding to study

    If you are starting a postgraduate Master’s course either full-time or part-time you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan through Student finance England.

    Visit the GOV website for more information on eligibility.

     

    
• Fees & Funding
  • UK & EU
  • International

  20/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Part Time: Year 1 £3,705(90 Credits) / Year 2 £3,705* (90 Credits)

  *Fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 21/22

  Additional costs

  • It is compulsory for students to complete at least 40 hours of personal therapy which you would need to pay for (average costs £30 to £50 per hour).
  • BACP student membership is required for many placements (currently £82 per year).
  • Supervision of the client work is compulsory and students may need to contribute to the cost of supervision at the placement agency, or if the agency does not provide this they will need to find and pay for a private supervisor (average of £40 to 60 per hour; a minimum of two hours of individual supervision or equivalent is required per month from the start of the placement).
  • You may also need to pay for professional indemnity insurance (costs vary; around £100 per year) if your agency does not cover you for this. Some agencies also require trainees to attend their training which they may charge for.
  • Travel costs to and from placements, and extra costs associate with placements, may be incurred throughout your studies depending on where you are based.

  19/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Part Time: Year 1 £3,645 (90 Credits) / Year 2 £3,645* (90 Credits)

  *Fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 20/21

  Additional costs

  • It is compulsory for students to complete at least 40 hours of personal therapy which you would need to pay for (average costs £30 to £50 per hour).
  • BACP student membership is required for many placements (currently £82 per year).
  • Supervision of the client work is compulsory and students may need to contribute to the cost of supervision at the placement agency, or if the agency does not provide this they will need to find and pay for a private supervisor (average of £40 to 60 per hour; a minimum of two hours of individual supervision or equivalent is required per month from the start of the placement).
  • You may also need to pay for professional indemnity insurance (costs vary; around £100 per year) if your agency does not cover you for this. Some agencies also require trainees to attend their training which they may charge for.
  • Travel costs to and from placements, and extra costs associate with placements, may be incurred throughout your studies depending on where you are based.

  19/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  International: £12,750
  International Part-time: Fee: £2,125  per 30 credit module

  To count towards a professional body accreditation, such as UKCP or BACP, this course requires you to undertake a supervised placement practice of a minimum of 100 hours plus supervision and a minimum 40 hours of personal therapy with an approved and registered or accredited counsellor or therapist. A student membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is advised and professional indemnity insurance and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for entry onto this course.

  Please note that all of the requirements listed above involve additional costs in addition to the course fee.

  Tuition Fees 18/19

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 18/19 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  International: £12,200
  International Part-time Fee: £2,030 per 30 credit module

  Scholarships

  EU and International Scholarships

  We’re committed to offering the opportunity to study in the UK to the best and brightest students from around the world.

  TD Lewis Scholarship

  The T D Lewis Scholarship provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students with financial awards of up to £1,000.  This scholarship is awarded on educational excellence…

  The Chancellor's Fund

  The Chancellor’s Fund is a bi-annual fund providing students with awards of between £100 and £1,000. You must be a current student to apply.  The…

• Part Time Study

  Courses offered on a part time basis are an excellent way of gaining a qualification around a busy home life or job. The University of Northampton recognises that many of our students have family and work commitments and offer various courses on a part time study basis, working flexibly around your requirements.

  A lot of our courses can be completed part-time, so you can fit your studies around your life. The majority of part-time and professional courses start in October. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure we have your details before your course starts.

*Course data provided by Unistats