Keele University Prospectus Postgraduate | 2016 | Page 32

PSYCHOLOGY Counselling Psychology and Counselling Psychology Studies Overview Our programme aims to equip you with the knowledge and expertise to support your work as a professional person-centred/humanistic counsellor. It aims to integrate ongoing professional practice with academic study at master’s level and to facilitate student learning in three areas of counselling psychology: professional practice, therapeutic theory and personal self-development. MSc students are also introduced to research principles, theories and methods and are expected to produce a research dissertation of 20,000 words. Our course is accredited by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) as a route of professional counsellor training. You will be taught through large and small group work, lectures and seminars. In addition, you will have tutor led training in the development of practical counselling skills. All modules are assessed on the basis of coursework. The course is taken full-time over one academic year. The programme begins with compulsory attendance at a residential weekend and a two week full-time intensive induction. Additional information You must complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised counselling practice and a number of hours of personal therapy (see website for details). Some students find it difficult to complete the 100 hours of counselling within the academic year and are therefore allowed a further twelve months, post the end of the taught element of the MSc, to complete their counselling placements. However, international students may be required to complete their counselling placement in their home country due t o UK visa restrictions. Alternatively, if the completion of a counselling placement is not a requirement for a student’s future plans (i.e. they intend to pursue a career in a counselling related field, but not as a counsellor), then they are entitled to transfer to the MSc in Counselling Psychology Studies which does not include a compulsory practice element. However, it must be noted that MSc in Counselling Psychology Studies is not a BACP accredited counselling training route. Module titles The following is a list of indicative modules: • Exploration in Counselling • Understanding in Counselling • Integration in Counselling • Practicum • Research Methods • Research Dissertation 32 www.keele.ac.uk/psychology/forapplicants/ counsellingcourses Key Information Course type MSc Mode of study Full-time Entry requirements Applicants are required to have a second-class honours degree (2.1 or above), or an overseas equivalent, in a relevant subject. If English is not a first language we require an IELTS score of minimum 7 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in each subset. Contact email [email protected] Good to know We are one of only a small number of UK universities to offer a one year professional counsellor training course upon successful completion of which, graduates are qualified as counsellors to the level required by employers in the UK.