Master of Counselling
Do you like to listen? Do you enjoy being with people? Do you want a meaningful and fulfilling career? Learn to provide professional counselling support through the Master of Counselling Program.
In this program you will:
- Immerse yourself in a holistic integrated and evidence-based pathway to becoming a registered counsellor
- Acquire advanced skills, theoretical knowledge and clinical experience through classroom activities, blended learning and internship placements
- Be exposed to advanced counselling skills and theories, counselling and mental health, counselling and addictions, counselling children and young people, mindfulness-based interventions, expressive therapies and solution focused brief therapy.
- Learn the art of assessment and case conceptualisation
- Build a strong ethical framework for practice
This program is not currently open for applications
Location
CRICOS code
Duration
Full-time or equivalent part-time Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.Indicative fees
Indicative 2025 fees (A$)
CSP / Fee-paying Annual feeStart
- Semester 1
Career opportunities
- Counsellor
- Health
- Human services
- Private practice
- Researcher
Memberships
Graduates may be eligible to become members of:
- Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
- Queensland Counsellors Association
Accreditation
This program is fully accredited with the Australian Counselling Association and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia.
- Start
-
- Semester 1
- Delivery mode
-
- on campus
- Total courses
- 16
- Total units
- 192
- Duration
- 2 years 2 years
- CRICOS code
- 079913F
- UniSC program code
- AR708
- Program coordinator
Required courses (16) 192 units
COU700 Expressive Therapies: Counselling with the Creative Arts
COU701 Advanced Counselling Skills 1: Interpersonal Processes
COU702 Professional Development 1: Clinical Practice
COU703 Internship 1
COU704 Internship 2
COU705 Professional Development 2: Grief, Loss and Trauma
COU706 Counselling Children and Young People
COU707 Counselling and Mental Health
COU708 Counselling and Addictions
COU709 Solution Focused Therapeutic Approaches
COU750 Ethics and Reflective Practice
COU751 Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Group Work
COU754 Research Project A
COU755 Research Project B
COU781 Pluralistic Couple and Family Counselling
SCS725 Advanced Social Research
Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all UniSC courses are available on every UniSC campus.
This study sequence reflects the current program structure. Continuing students must follow their commencing structure, which can be found in the previous student handbooks.
A student entering the Master of Counselling will normally be required to hold an approved 3-year degree in Counselling (AQF Level 7) or a Bachelor Degree (AQF Level 7) in other cognate areas as approved by the University.
Entry by non-graduates who have extensive relevant industry experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Head of School, Social Sciences.
Applicants are required to complete an additional personal statement and attend an interview (refer to application form). Interviews for International students on a Student visa will be conducted by Skype.
Applicants must hold a valid Suitability Card (Blue Card), which is issued by the Public Safety Business Agency, prior to commencement. Please see the Blue Card link for further details.
The Master of Counselling offers a limited number of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) as well as domestic fee paying places. Offers for both CSP and fee paying places will be made after the application due date for the program.
CSP will be allocated on the basis of your Grade Point Average in the degree used to meet admission requirements. Applicants falling below the demand-driven cut-off for a CSP may be offered a domestic fee paying place (with the option to access FEE-HELP) subject to capacity limitations. USC reserves the right to offer a small number of CSP to students from ATSIC or disadvantaged backgrounds.
Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and permanent visa holders enrolled in a fee paying place will have the option of applying for a CSP in subsequent semesters if one becomes available. In these cases, the student’s current GPA in the Master of Counselling will be used to assess eligibility for a CSP place using the same entry cut-off applied for new CPS entrants during that admission period.
English language requirements
Post admission requirements
You must hold a current Blue Card before starting your first supervised counselling experience. Many agencies also require a Police check in addition to the Blue Card.
- Successfully complete 192 units as outlined in the Program Structure
Requirements for field education
To complete this program you must complete 50 hours of supervision relating to a minimum of 200 hours of client contact for which you are required to obtain a Blue Card (issued by the Public Safety Business Agency).
In the event that you become ineligible for a Blue Card, at any time between the date of first enrolment and the date of completion of the program, you will not be able to complete the program.
Please note, while all endeavours will be made to place students in a given semester, this is not guaranteed and students may need to enrol at a later time should a position in an agency be unavailable in the preferred semester.
Field education includes professional or clinical placements. Students may be required to undertake these placements away from the campus at their own expense.
Program notes
- Prior to entry into the program applicants will be required to submit their current Suitability Card (Blue Card)
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses) and following the recommended study sequence
- The unit value of all courses is 12 units unless otherwise specified
- It is each students responsibility to enrol correctly according to your course requisites, program rules and requirements and be aware of the academic calendar dates
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods which may include essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa
- Refer to the Managing your progression page for help in understanding your program structure, reviewing your progress and planning remaining courses.
Prospective students must consider the Inherent Academic Requirements before applying to study this program.
Refer to Bachelor of Counselling and Master of Counselling - Inherent Academic Requirements
UniSC strongly supports the rights of all people to pursue studies. The University embraces diversity and endeavours to accommodate all students.
What are Inherent Academic Requirements (IARs)?
The IARs of a program are those fundamental skills, capabilities and knowledge that students must be able to demonstrate in order to achieve the essential learning outcomes of the program, while maintaining the academic integrity of that program.
Students with a disability or chronic health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.
UniSC is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, placement and other activities to enable students to participate in their program.
Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the IAR.
Consideration is given to a student's cultural and religious background/beliefs, which may impact on participation in their program or course. For further information contact Student Support.
Why are Inherent Academic Requirements (IARs) important?
IARs ensure the academic integrity of a program is maintained and preserves the University's learning, assessment and accreditation processes. They must be met by all students.
How does this affect you?
To successfully complete a program at UniSC, you need to be able to meet all the Inherent Academic Requirements.
If you are applying for a program, you should read the IAR statement carefully to ensure you are able to meet them.
If you have a disability or chronic health condition, contact a UniSC Disability Advisor to talk about the adjustments that may be put in place so you can meet the requirements.
- CSP estimate
- A$9,866
- Fee-paying estimate
- A$27,840 - 2024 Fees
- Annual tuition fee (A$, 2025)
- A$26,600
Commonwealth supported places
Commonwealth supported places are substantially subsidised by the Australian Government so that students only pay 'student contribution" amounts. The student contribution amount will vary depending on the course you are studying and how much funding the Government provides.
If you accept a Commonwealth supported place you are a Commonwealth supported student. As a Commonwealth supported student you must make a contribution towards the cost of your education (unless you are enrolled in Enabling or Tertiary Preparation Pathway courses) with the majority of the cost met by the Commonwealth Government.
Commonwealth supported places are only available to domestic students. As a domestic student you are entitled to a Commonwealth supported place in an eligible program if you:
- meet the citizenship and residency requirements
- complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF)
- meet the University's entry requirements for your chosen program.
Postgraduate coursework places
All postgraduate coursework programs are subject to tuition fees unless the postgraduate program is offered under Commonwealth support arrangements.
Eligible students (Australian citizens, permanent humanitarian visa holders and New Zealand Citizens who hold a Special Category Visa and meet the eligibility requirements) may seek assistance to defer payment via a FEE-HELP loan.
International student fee information is available on the Tuition fees and other costs page. For information on how higher degree by research student fees are calculated, including the Student Services and Amenities Fee, visit the Higher Degree by Research Student Fee Calculation Information page. Visit the HDR scholarships page for information on available scholarships.
Estimated total tuition fees are based on 2023 rates and the minimum number of courses required within the programs standard duration.
Annual tuition fees are based on 2023 rates and the equivalent full-time student load as per the recommended study sequence in the relevant program.
Actual fees payable are based on the actual enrolment load in a teaching period (excluding Study Abroad and Postgraduate Qualifying Pathway).
All prices quoted are in Australian Dollars (A$).
Need advice on what to study or how to apply?
Our Student Central team can help.
Call us +61 7 5430 2890
Email us information@usc.edu.au
For locations and opening hours, visit Student Central.