Master of Counselling
Course Overview / Course Structure
| Course Name | Master of Counselling |
| Level | Postgraduate |
| Type | Full-time or part-time |
| Mode | On-campus or by distance education |
| Duration | 2 years (full-time equivalent, part-time only) |
| Credit Points | |
| Starting Semesters | 1 & 2 |
| Course Code | SS51 |
| CRICOS Code | |
| Host School | Social Sciences |
Course Specific Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
Credit for Prior Study Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
Admissions, Enrolments & General Enquiries
Ph: +617 3347 7900
Email: enquiries@chc.edu.au
General Information
The Master of Counselling is a part-time course, equivalent to two years of fulltime study, which focuses on the professional development of counsellors. The first phase of the program comprises the 90 credit points as required for the Graduate Diploma in Counselling Studies, and can be studied part-time or fulltime, oncampus or by distance education. The second phase of the program, which consists of 80 credit points, is available oncampus only and can only be completed part-time as a concurrent involvement in counselling practice is required for completion of the course. The Master of Counselling is not available to Overseas student visa holders.
Career Outcomes
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Professional Recognition
The counselling profession has been developing standards for formal recognition of counsellors. The current policy of both State and Federal governments indicates that the counselling sector should be monitored by a process of self-regulation - for this reason, it is important that these courses receive recognition from the relevant professional associations. This is also important for legal reasons in order to provide an increased level of recognition for graduates of the course in their counselling practice, should the issue of legal liability arise.
Benchmarks for professional recognition have now been set by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), which was established as the peak body for professional counselling associations nationally. In Queensland, the Christian Counsellors’ Association of Queensland, the Queensland Counsellors’ Association, the Queensland Association of Family Therapy and other counselling organisations are now members of PACFA.
Each association has specific membership requirements: however, there is agreement that eligibility for inclusion on the PACFA register requires a required amount of training and experience. In order to be included on the PACFA register, counsellors need to be a member of one of its member associations.
The Master of Counselling fulfils academic training requirements for registration with PACFA. Where graduates have fulfilled the academic requirements for membership of professional associations, they will also have to complete the required number of hours of additional supervised practice in order to qualify for full membership.
The Counselling Profession
Successful engagement in the Counselling profession requires a level of personal maturity and self-awareness. PACFA therefore recommends that both current and prospective students are periodically assessed for their personal growth and likely suitability for the Counselling profession.
Consequently, entry to the Master of Counselling is dependent not only on previous academic studies but also on personal suitability as assessed through an interview, a personal statement, referee reports and information collected on the 'Supplementary Details' page of the CHC Application for Admission form.
Further information regarding these processes is available from the School of Social Sciences.
Attendance
Full-time students undertake 3-4 units per semester. Each unit is equivalent to 10 credit points). Students may enrol in fewer units per semester and extend their degree over a longer period. Australian students enrolled in three or more units may be eligible to claim Austudy benefits. International students are required to study a minimum of 30 credit hours (3 subject equivalent) per semester to fulfil Australian study visa requirements.
Workload for the Course
The Master of Counselling requires 160 credit points for completion. Each credit point indicates an expected student involvement of one hour per week for one semester. A standard unit carrying a weighting of 10 credit points normally involves 10 hours of study and research per week.
Students may apply for transfer of credit from previous studies. Application for transfer of credit is to be made at the time of entry into the course. During their course of study, students may also apply to engage in cross-institutional study towards the requirements of the course. A maximum of 50% of the course may be undertaken through transfer of credit and/or cross-institutional study.
Course Structure
The units to be studied in the Master of Counselling are as follows:
Field Experiences program
Students who enrol in the Master of Counselling undertake a program of field experiences within the context of their studies. The field experiences provide students with opportunities to contextualise and to implement in real-life settings the skills and understandings gained in Counselling, thus facilitating the integration of theory and practice.
There are three main components to the Field Experiences program – Field Observations, Counselling Practicum and Clinical supervision of practice.
Field Observations
Students undertake 60 hours of Field Observations, the general aim of which is to broaden students’ horizons in terms of the nature of counselling and community-service contexts and to give them first-hand experience in realistic settings in order to develop a deeper understanding of the context of their studies. Students will be expected to spend time as observers in a number of contexts and to fulfil specific criteria in relation to the variety of their experiences. There are four objectives for these initial field experiences:
a) to observe and gain first-hand knowledge of counselling and or community service contexts, in order to dispel possible misconceptions about the nature of these contexts, and to broaden students’ awareness of the range of tasks, problems and issues that arise in counselling or in community service.
b) to gather information relating to the resources that are available in the community to provide personal or material assistance to those in need.
c) to contextualise students’ counselling studies more effectively, and to reflect upon the application of their developing skills and understandings.
d) to foster personal evaluation and growth within the student regarding their understanding of and commitment to the role of a counsellor.
The Field Observations are generally undertaken in the first year of the course, and serve as an important set of foundational experiences.
Counselling Practicum
The unit HB400 Supervised Counselling Practicum (120 hours), which is normally undertaken in the first year of the course, involves the placement of students in counselling contexts under the supervision of a qualified and experienced counsellor for actual counselling practice. Fulltime students normally complete the requirements as weekly placements over at least one semester; however, alternative arrangements may be made for students who find difficulty in completing the requirements in this fashion.
In addition, during the second year of the course a concurrent involvement in counselling practice of at least 80 hours is required.
The Counselling Practicum is regarded as essential to the course as it challenges students to implement the skills and understandings they have gained in order to demonstrate their effectiveness in real-life counselling contexts. Students will move beyond observation to participation in a counselling context, under the supervision of an on-site mentor. As well as counselling clients and taking part in the range of activities undertaken within the particular placements, students will be involved with mentors and/or supervisors in the discussion, reflection and review of issues raised and strategies employed in order to allow personal growth and critical evaluation to occur. The mentor is the on-site liaison person from whom the student obtains instruction regarding appropriate practice in that context. The supervisor is a person, possibly on-site but not necessarily, with whom the student discusses counselling practice relating praxis to theory, use of self, etc. The development of the working relationship with a supervisor is considered a very important part of the program as a means of providing a model for ensuring appropriate supervision and, thus, accountability for graduates of the program in their future counselling practice.
Clinical supervision of practice
In addition to Field Observations and Counselling Practicum, students are required to undertake 50 hours of clinical supervision in conjunction with their counselling practice. These hours are completed as part of the requirements for the following units:
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Clinical Supervision of Practice units HB400 - Supervised Counselling Practicum – 20 hours HB466 - Reflective Practice – 10 hours HB565 - Practice Reflection Integration I – 10 hours HB566 - Practice Reflection Integration II – 10 hours |
Relationship to other courses
There are a number of possible early exit points from the Master of Counselling which provide a qualification, subject to course rules. These awards are:
• Graduate Certificate in Human Behaviour
• Graduate Diploma in Human Studies
• Graduate Diploma in Counselling Studies
Students who begin the Master of Counselling and then find that they wish to continue their studies into the Master of Counselling (Honours) or to change the focus of their studies may transfer to other postgraduate Social Sciences courses, subject to the entry requirements of those courses. Students who transfer course are then subject to the rules of their new course.
Students who complete the Master of Counselling and wish to continue their studies into the Master of Counselling (Honours) may apply to enrol in that course, subject to entry requirements.
Summary of Course Rules – Master of Counselling
1) A total of 160 credit points are required for completion of the Master of Counselling.
2) Core units of 150 credit points, as specified, and Elective units of 10 credit points are required for completion of the Master of Counselling.
3) At least 150 credit points must be completed within the Social Sciences.
4) No more than 80 credit points in studies at another institution, including no more than 20 credit points in concurrent studies, may be credited towards the requirements of the award.
5) The maximum allowable time for completion of the award shall be TEN years.
6) Variations of course rules must receive the approval of the Dean and the Board of Studies.
