The Master of Counselling offers preparation for a position in counselling for practitioners from a variety of backgrounds. It provides career opportunities in private practice, education, and health and human service settings. It will interest professionals seeking a career change, or those wishing to fine-tune qualifications by adding vocational emphasis or gain an academic qualification to formalise years of work experience. It will be of particular relevance to teachers pursuing a career as a school counsellor in the independent school education system, and those interested in work in the healthcare field.

The program provides practical training in professional counselling, family therapy, and ethical practice in a live clinical context. You examine counselling interventions and clinic preparation, and undergo a clinical practice component in a USC Community Counselling Clinic. Here you gain skills by completing up to 200 hours of counselling and supervision tasks, and your team-based clinical practice is carefully supervised. You undertake an industry research project to review and analyse your counselling practice in the clinic, and prepare an article on a counselling issue related to your practice.

The Master of Counselling is available to students with an approved three-year degree in a related area such as teaching, nursing or other Human Services/health-related area. Responding to market demand, it produces postgraduate counsellors with extended and advanced counselling practice skills as well as advanced skills in specific areas such as counselling in mental health, counselling in addictions, or counselling children, young people and their families.

Admission requirements

A student entering the Master of Counselling will normally be required to hold an approved 3-year degree in a related area such as teaching, nursing, or other Human Services or health related area.

Entry by non-graduates who have extensive relevant industry experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Business.

Applicants are required to complete an additional questionnaire and attend an interview.

Requirements for placements

You must hold a current Blue Card # before starting your first supervised counselling experience. Blue Card applications should be submitted with your application to USC. If you do not submit an application, or apply but are ineligible, you will not be able to undertake the professional experience components of the program.

# Blue Cards are issued by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian. More information on Blue Cards and how to apply.

Professional recognition

Graduates will be eligible to apply for membership with the Psychotherapy and Counsellors Federation of Australia (PACFA) via membership of a recognised member association and, following completion of further supervised practice, clinical registration with PACFA and registration with the Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (ARCAP).

Accreditation

This program is fully accredited with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and the Australian Counselling Association.