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Graduate Diploma in Counselling

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Advance your counselling skills and learn how to apply them ethically. Develop your theoretical knowledge with industry-based learning and placement. Choose course specialisations that meet the current needs of the public and private industry.

You can specialise in one of two streams:

  • general
  • child and adolescent

Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma in Counselling leads you to admission to the Master of Counselling; course points may also count towards the Masters.

If you are applying for a Graduate program in Counselling at VU, you must complete a Referee Report (PDF, 83 KB)

The Advice to applicants in Counselling (PDF, 154 KB) will advise you which referee report/s you need to submit.

Please note this is not an Australian Psychological Society (APS) accredited course.

Course Essentials

How to apply

We are currently accepting applications for this course. Applications close on 25 January 2013

Methods of applying:

  • You can apply direct to VU

Please note that part-time study may not be available at all campuses.

Already a VU student?

You can transfer into this course through our internal transfer process.

For more info contact the
College of Arts

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Careers

Graduates find employment in human services fields such as:

  • social work
  • multicultural services
  • counselling
  • family support
  • community work
  • refugee services
  • youth work

Learn more about your career options on the Australian government's Career Information and Resources website.

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Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

  • develop an awareness of a range of theoretical orientations in counselling;
  • develop practical skills in the application of specified counselling paradigms;
  • identify the impact of social structures upon the counsellor/client relationship and the community to which the client belongs;
  • explore aspects of cultural difference relevant to counselling practice;
  • develop an awareness of ethical issues relevant to professional practice;
  • explore the interface of counselling theory and practice;
  • develop and implement the skills acquired during field placement within a community organisation.

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Units and electives

Students would normally be expected to complete eight units of study over two years. Day and evening classes are usually available. The practica require daytime placement in a community or counselling agency. To qualify for the award of Graduate Diploma in Counselling, students must complete a total of 96 credit points. Students must successfully complete six core units of study and two elective units for the general stream and seven core units and one elective unit for the child and adolescent stream. Where students are eligible for exemption from APT5035 Theories and Techniques of Counselling, they will be required to complete an extra elective unit.

Core units of study

- COMMON TO BOTH GENERAL STREAM AND CHILD AND ADOLESCENT STREAM

AND enrol in the following unit for two semesters

PLUS FOUR UNITS - SPECIFIC TO GENERAL STREAM

AND two electives selected from the following list of five units:

PLUS UNITS - SPECIFIC TO CHILD AND ADOLESCENT STREAM

AND one elective selected from the following list of three units:

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take, and optional 'elective' units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

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Admission Information

  • Mature: The entry requirements are an undergraduate degree and demonstration of a commitment to professional development in the field of counselling. An interview may be required for applicants to this course.
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How to apply for this course

We are currently accepting applications for this course.

You can apply direct to VU. Applications close on 25 January 2013.

When you're ready to apply:

  1. Read the Advice to applicants (contains details about how to apply for your course, extra requirements, what happens when you submit your application and other important information).
  2. Complete the Higher education direct entry application form.
  3. As part of the application you may need to complete extra requirements such as:
    • submit supplementary forms
    • attend an interview, audition, information session or workshop
    • submit a folio
    • sit a test

Details about extra requirements are available from the College of Arts.

You need to complete all extra requirements by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered.

Transferring between VU courses

Want to transfer into this course from another VU course? Complete the Victoria University internal course application form and check whether you need to complete any extra requirements, listed above.

You can also contact us directly:

  • Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Student Centre
    Phone: +61 3 9919 4409
    Email: aehdcourses@vu.edu.au
  • Course Coordinator:
    Glen Hosking
    Phone: +61 3 9919 2266
    Email: glen.hosking@vu.edu.au
  • Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100
  • Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

Get in touch

Contact us to discuss your course options:

Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100

Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

At Victoria University, we make every reasonable effort to make sure the information displayed online about our courses is accurate and complete. We continually look to provide innovative courses. Those courses are shaped by a number of things including your feedback and changes in Government funding arrangements. As a result there may be changes to the courses we deliver and fees charged. We will update the website regularly to reflect any changes.

Information about course fees, articulation and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations, and services available to students can be accessed on the University’s website or by contacting the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100.

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