Counselling and Psychotherapy: Professional Practice

University of Salford

United Kingdom, Salford

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Home/United Kingdom/Salford /University of Salford/Counselling and Psychotherapy: Professional Practice

University of Salford

United Kingdom , Salford

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

Course ID B9C8

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 3 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 17,160 / years

Next Intake September-2026

Counselling and Psychotherapy: Professional Practice

About

Introduction

In a nutshell

Human relationships are at the heart of almost every aspect of our personal and working lives. Training to be a professional counsellor develops your understanding of effective relationships and enables you to help people who are struggling with themselves or with others to find their own ways to transform their situation.

This course offers you the opportunity to graduate as a highly skilled professional counsellor, with many exciting and rewarding career paths open to you. The course meets the training requirements for professional registration with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and opens the progression route to individual BACP accreditation.

The course is structured around modules that deliver professional training components, and that broaden and deepen your understanding of counselling-related issues. You will develop your competence in working with the person-centred counselling approach, and you will develop a wide range of professional skills, including communication, reflective practice and self-awareness, research skills, mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

You will further develop your understanding and skills under integrated supervision by undertaking a placement.

93% of students agree that teaching staff are good at explaining things in the National Student Survey 2024.

87.5% of our Counselling and Psychotherapy (Professional Practice) 2021/2022 graduates are in highly skilled employment (source: The Complete University Guide 2024).

You will:

Develop your personal and professional potential supported by a very experienced and friendly team.
Have the opportunity to graduate as a fully trained professional counsellor.
Be working with potentially vulnerable members of the public.

Placement

options available

International

students accepted

Students having a discussion in the Counselling Suite

Students discussing in lecture

Students having a discussion in the counselling suite

Counselling Suite 1-1 Session Room

Seminar discussions

Counselling Suite 1-1 Session Room Working with peers and patients, students develop their skills to support others.

Male and female student in a Criminology and Counselling lecture

Counselling Suite Reception Students practice their skills and work with real patients through our on-site clinic

This is for you if...

You can see yourself working with people from all kinds of backgrounds.

You are committed to helping others.

You can reflect on your own personal development and growth.

You want to make a real difference.

You are good at solving problems.

You are creative and flexible.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Requirements

What you need to know

APPLICANT PROFILE

You are an ideal applicant if you are fascinated by people and are willing to develop your skills so that you can develop relationships with people in distress or in need of support.

We expect you to have demonstrated your commitment to helping others through your track record of voluntary work or employment in a role that involves helping people. We also expect you to be able to reflect on your own personal development - how your attitudes and abilities have changed and grown with your life experience.

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds â from school leavers to those seeking a career change. As part of the application process, you might be invited to take part in a telephone interview - if this is the case, we will contact you with further details. Your offer of a place on this programme is also subject to receipt of satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance.

For any queries relating to your eligibility for this course, please contact the course admissions team by emailing counselling-admissions@salford.ac.uk

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

International applicants will be required to show proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.0, with no element below 5.5, is proof of this.

Standard entry requirements

GCSE

GCSE English language/literature and mathematics at grade C/grade 4 or above. Level 2 equivalencies will also be accepted.

You must fulfill our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below.

UCAS Tariff points

112 UCAS Tariff points.

A-Levels

112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of three A-Levels

BTEC National Diploma

DMM

BTEC Higher National Diploma

Pass

T-Level

T Level - Merit

Foundation Degree

Pass

Access to HE

112 UCAS Tariff points.

Scottish Highers

112 UCAS Tariff points.

Irish Leaving Certificate

112 UCAS Tariff points.

International Baccalaureate

31 points

Alternative entry requirements

Salford Alternative Entry Scheme (SAES)

We welcome applications from students who may not meet the stated entry criteria but who can demonstrate their ability to pursue the course successfully. Once we have received your application we will assess it and recommend it for SAES if you are an eligible candidate.

There are two different routes through the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme and applicants will be directed to the one appropriate for their course. Assessment will either be through a review of prior learning or through a formal test.

To be considered for the Salford Alternative Entry Scheme you must have already achieved or be working towards GCSE Maths and English Grade C/4 (or equivalent).

Practicing counsellor / psychotherapist

If you are currently in practice as a counsellor/psychotherapist and have evidence of professional membership (BACP/UKCP or equivalent) then other progression routes may be open to you.

If you have a Level 3 or Level 4 Diploma in Counselling you may be able to join the final year of the BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy (Theoretical Studies) and 'top-up' your diploma to this honours degree. To find out if you are eligible to apply for this top-up course, please contact counselling-admissions@salford.ac.uk.

If you have a Level 4 or 5 Diploma in Counselling (or a Level 5 Diploma in other forms of psychotherapy) you may be able to move straight onto our MSc/PgDip/PgCert Advanced Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies programme through an Accreditation of Prior Learning. To find out if you are eligible to apply for this postgraduate course, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Tutors for the course: pg-counselling-admissions@salford.ac.uk

English Program Requirements

Equivalent qualifications

English language requirements are shown on individual course pages. Generally, this is shown as an IELTS grade, however we accept a range of equivalent qualifications.

As a general guide:

For undergraduate courses we require IELTS 6.0 (with a minimum 5.5 in each component) or equivalent

For postgraduate courses, we require IELTS 6.0 (with a minimum 5.5 in each component) or equivalent

For the International Foundation Year, we require IELTS 4.5 (with a minimum 4.0 in each component) in UKVI IELTS for UKVI (Academic)

The approved equivalent qualifications list includes the following:

Secure English Language Tests (SELTs)

University of Salford English language courses

Regional-based qualifications

Majority English Speaking Countries as deemed by UKVI

Medium of English Institutions

Applicants who require a Student Route visa to study in the UK may require evidence of a Secure English Language test rather than an examination or qualification due to visa requirements, as deemed by the UK Government Home Office, Visa and Immigration (UKVI).

Career

Employment and stats

What about after uni?

Graduates of this qualifying programme have highly transferable skills and could expect to find employment in a wide range of sectors including:

NHS and community mental health services
IAPT (the government’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies major initiative)
Employee support services
Schools and colleges
Counselling in the voluntary sector
Coaching and guidance services
Self-employment as a private therapist

Counselling and psychotherapy offers rewarding and diverse career opportunities. While some counsellors find employment in a single role, many develop portfolio careers that mix different types of employment in a number of sectors, such as in community health agencies, schools and as private therapists.

Often counsellors develop specialist interests so that they become sought after as providers of therapy and training in a particular field, such as working with young people, people with addictions or those experiencing bereavement.

While this qualifying degree has a strong vocational focus, transferable skills are embedded in the programme, including people skills, communication skills, and skills in independent working. These are highly sought after by a wide variety of graduate employers.

A taste of what you could become

A qualified counsellor

A private therapist

A mental health worker

A researcher

and more...

Career Links

The professional placement module in the final year includes at least 100 hours of client work in a professional counselling and psychotherapy context. We will support you in finding a placement through our extensive links with local organisations. By choosing a placement relevant to your area of interest you enhance your prospects of working in that field as a graduate. We have particularly strong links with The Place2be, which is a charity organisation committed to putting counsellors in every school nationwide.