Counselling Studies – (M.Sc.)

The programme offers advanced academic study of counselling and related practices. It aims to foster the development of critical reflection on the field by professionally qualified practitioners and others.

It complements professional training in counselling, by providing students from a range of backgrounds with critical perspectives on counselling and related practices.

This taught masters firmly locates the practice of counselling within the field of social-science enquiry. Distinctive features of this degree include close links with professional training in counselling and with social-science research concerned with counselling and society.

It includes the professionally validated Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies, three other substantive taught courses and a dissertation based on empirical research.

This MSc is not a full professional training in counselling. The latter is offered through the Master of Counselling (Interpersonal Dialogue), two years full-time, or the Master of Counselling, four years part-time.

Learning Outcomes The MSc in Counselling Studies provides:

* in-depth knowledge of the theories informing counselling and psychotherapy;
* social-science perspectives on debates about counselling and psychotherapy;
* critical appreciation of the key debates, research methods and professional issues in counselling and related fields;
* transferable interpersonal, conceptual and analytical skills, including critical thinking, self-evaluation and research.

This degree enhances the career prospects of practitioners using counselling skills in related fields such as healthcare, social work or education. It is also of interest to social scientists and researchers specialising in the study of health and illness, and the practice and cultural significance of the talking therapies.