Graduate Certificate in Counselling Theory and Practice

Name: Graduate Certificate in Counselling Theory and Practice
Price: <p>Fee type for this course: <a href='#fees-and-scholarships'> Full fee </a></p> AUD

VU course code: HTCP | Level of study: Postgraduate

Duration

0.5 years full time or longer for part time

Delivery mode

Online Real Time

Fees

Fee type for this course: Full fee

Location

Online

Next start date

16 February 2026

Application closes

08 February 2026

Diploma of counselling student in a suit, outside, smiles at the camera

Overview

Develop foundational counselling skills with a Graduate Certificate in Counselling Theory and Practice from Victoria University.

Delivered over six months full-time, or one year part-time, this online postgraduate counselling certificate lets you build counselling skills while you work.

You will gain a solid grounding in the theories, practices and principles of counselling, and come to understand how social systems impact wellbeing.

Through role plays and class activities, you will build your confidence by practising counselling techniques. You will explore rapport-building with clients, including children and adolescents, learning to establish a positive environment where counselling can succeed. You will also develop skills for assessing client needs and formulating individual plans.

These skills will allow you to progress in any organisation where effective listening and communication are valued.

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate advanced understanding of human development and a diverse range of human experiences and how they may impact on wellbeing;

Critically review counselling theories and contemporary professional literature to formulate and implement evidence-based counselling practice;

Exemplify understanding of cultural and systemic considerations relevant to counselling practice including interprofessional relations;

Appraise and demonstrate advanced knowledge of psychological theories and therapeutic approaches relevant to counselling assessments, case formulations, and interventions; and

Formulate evidence-based intervention plans for a range of counselling presentations with due consideration of psychosocial and cultural issues.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your education, work experience, current skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a different course. We call this a ‘pathway’.

For PhD applicants, we offer a related ‘Integrated PhD’ which allows you to establish relevant skills before beginning your research.

You may also be eligible for course ‘credits’, where you are granted a unit or units towards your qualification for equivalent previous study or work experience, so you can graduate sooner.

Entry criteria

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To attain the Graduate Certificate in Counselling Theory and Practice, students will be required to complete:

48 credit points of Core studies.

Units

Fees & scholarships

University fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer (including our generous scholarship program).

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

Counselling skills translate to many professional roles that involve social interaction. University graduates in all fields will be able to add this certificate to their skills and qualifications to improve employability.

Most organisations now have policies and practices related to mental health and wellbeing, creating career opportunities in a range of professional settings. The skills learnt during your counselling course will enhance any role that involves relational dynamics, or support your career change to a more wellbeing, people-focused role.

Examples of roles where this qualification and accompanying skills would be valued include:

human resource roles
wellbeing officers
primary and secondary teaching
government agencies
community centres
a diverse range of wellbeing service organisations.

Some of the specific learning outcomes that are desirable in these organisations are knowledge of human lifespan development, listening skills, and basic knowledge of counselling skills and practices.