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University of Canberra

  • 20% international / 80% domestic

Master of Counselling

  • Masters (Coursework)

The Master of Counselling provides advanced training in counselling, as well as a pathway to registration with the Australian Counselling Association - the nation's professional accreditation body...

Key details

Degree Type
Masters (Coursework)
Study Mode
Online, In person
Intake Months
Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Domestic Fees
$3,313 per year

About this course

The Master of Counselling provides advanced training in counselling, as well as a pathway to registration with the Australian Counselling Association - the nation's professional accreditation body for counsellors and psychotherapists. The course places an emphasis on skills development, interactive teaching, experiential learning and self-awareness, supporting the student to:
  • Develop skills in critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and advanced approaches to working with clients.
  • Access experiential, collaborative and holistic approaches to learning, enabling the development of in-depth practical knowledge and skills, self-awareness and reflexivity.
  • Work with diverse range of clients, respecting the importance of social and cultural contexts.
  • Access the most recent and relevant academic conventions and materials to complete a research project.
  • Students will undertake counselling placements within an appropriate agency, while being guided by qualified clinical supervisors and learning from peers.

This course includes a compulsory placement of 200 hours. Students will be expected to travel up to 1.5 hours to attend a placement, or in the case of regional and remote students, may need to travel further or potentially relocate for the duration of the placement if one cannot be secured in their area. In addition to the placement requirements, students will be required to attend a 5-day intensive workshop in person. The location of this is to be determined, with an on-campus site being certain.

The Master of Counselling is currently not eligible for Austudy assistance through Centrelink. Please visit this website for further information: Austudy - Services Australia

Online with Expert Placement Support

Whether helping others cope with crisis, put challenges into perspective or find a life worth living, guide the way and practise respectful and inclusive counselling. The Master of Counselling consists of research-led content that is delivered via supported and interactive teaching, while allowing students to undertake experiential learning. Students will work closely with clinical supervisors while undertaking placement units. Click through to download our course brochure to learn more about our online Master of Counselling.

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Professional accreditation

The course is recognised as a professional qualification in counselling and accredited by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), in line with their Professional Training Standards.

Entry requirements

Admission to this course is competitive. Applications will be assessed on the basis of academic merit, work experience and the number of available places.

Applicants must:
1. have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in any discipline.

No Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be offered for any units included in this course.

We recommend that students progressing to this course from the Graduate Certificate in Counselling (SCC401) complete the four Graduate Certificate units before progressing to the Graduate Diploma or Master to ensure a smooth enrolment transition.

Additional admission requirements

Students are required to undergo a National Police check and relevant state-based checks (i.e. Working with Vulnerable People Check, Working With Children Check) as required by each placement agency in order to be accepted for each unit that includes a placement.

Assumed knowledge

None.

Periods course is open for new admissions
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Domestic International
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 1 15 January 2024
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 2 11 March 2024
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 3 06 May 2024
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 4 01 July 2024
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 5 26 August 2024
2024 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 6 21 October 2024
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 1 20 January 2025
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 2 17 March 2025
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 3 12 May 2025
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 4 07 July 2025
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 5 01 September 2025
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 6 27 October 2025
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 1 19 January 2026
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 2 16 March 2026
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 3 11 May 2026
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 4 06 July 2026
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 5 31 August 2026
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 6 26 October 2026
Credit arrangements

A credit transfer arrangement is available for this course for the following institutions:

University Of Canberra

Graduate Certificate in Counselling (29238)
Graduate Diploma in Counselling (29218)

Study locations

Canberra

Online

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Psychology courses at University of Canberra.
88%
Overall satisfaction
84%
Skill scale
64%
Teaching scale
91.2%
Employed full-time