MA Counselling and Psychotherapy

Applications for September 2022 are now closed. Admissions for September 2023 will open in October.

The MA Counselling and Psychotherapy top-up course is aimed at students who have completed a BACP-accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy or equivalent professional training. (Equivalent to 120 credits).

This three-year course (two years for the Diploma) is ideally suited to those with a part-time job, although it can also work for those with full-time commitments. The basis of study for the PG Diploma is one afternoon/evening per week.  The final MA year can be carried out at distance.

Students take an independent study approach, supported by individual academic supervision and online workshops on research methodology. 

The final award is an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy with advanced standing of 180 credits. 

We follow current research into what actually works in counselling and psychotherapy, which means we use an integrative approach, employing a variety of techniques to respond to the needs and preferences of individual clients.

This three-year course (two years for the Diploma) is ideally suited to those with a part-time job, although it can also work for those with full-time commitments. The basis of study is one afternoon/evening per week.

The course is designed to provide an education and training in an integrative approach to psychological counselling and therapy to a level appropriate for safe, ethical and effective practice.

Topics of study on the Diploma, which constitutes the BACP accredited training course, include: theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy; models for integration; theoretical frameworks (for example, person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness based cognitive therapy and gestalt); and professional and clinical studies - including the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice. 

You will also engage in practical skills training, personal development and clinical supervision; you will study social context/multiculturalism and common client presenting problems, including mental health issues.  

If you choose to stay on for a third year to take your MA, your work will be based on clinical practice and an independent research project or dissertation.

We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up to date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change. 

• Bachelor's degree: GPA of 2.5 / 4 or overall classification of "Good" or higher
• UK Bachelor's degree with Honours: Second Class, Second Division or higher
• US Bachelor's degree: GPA 2.5 / 4

Extended Diploma or Diploma

FROM

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

Diploma with 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level

In recent years, around half to two-thirds of students leave after completing their Diploma (which is the professional qualification), with the remainder staying on for a final year of MA study.

In either case, you will be able to work towards the next level of professional standing by seeking individual accreditation within the BACP, which requires 450 hours of supervised working. Past students have attained this level two or three years after graduating.

Even if you do not go on to work as a counsellor or psychotherapist, this course is a strong supplement and support for work you may already be doing in health, social care or education.

Completing the course often leads to career progression. Many past students have returned to previous jobs while establishing and developing their own counselling practice as a second strand to their careers. In several cases this has proved successful enough to become their main source of employment.

"Many of our graduates become portfolio workers," says Gordon Jinks. "They leave the course and carry on doing whatever they have been doing, but they also start doing some sessions as counsellors.

"Two, three, four years down the line they are spending more time on their practice than their other employment."

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.