Graduate Certificate of Counselling

2023 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2023 course information (First intake Trimester 2)
Award granted	Graduate Certificate of Counselling
Course Map	This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 2 2023. Course maps for commencement in previous years or study periods are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central.
Campus	This course is only offered Online
Online	Yes
Duration	Up to 1 year of part-time study. The course is only available to students on a part-time basis
Deakin course code	H558
Approval status	This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8.
This course can form a nested pathway to the Graduate Diploma of Counselling.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Our Graduate Certificate of Counselling will provide you with essential knowledge and skills in counselling required to effectively and compassionately support individuals with mild or moderate mental health problems and normal developmental issues. The course has a particular focus on telecounselling and counselling diversity, both of which are of increasing importance and experiencing higher demand in Australia and globally.

Want to expand on your current career in helping others or start a new career path in counselling?

This course will be a perfect fit for you if you’ve considered a career related to counselling or would like to develop counselling expertise to support your current role and expand your career opportunities (i.e. support workers, social workers, teachers, student advisors, nurses, supervisors, managers, doctors, occupational therapists etc.).

As a graduate, you will be armed with practical knowledge and expertise relating to counselling micro-skills, mental health issues, professional practice issues, and human development.

By studying counselling with Deakin, you’ll be joining a university ranked well above world standard for our Psychology and Cognitive Sciences research.*
*Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2018

Alternative Course offerings

You can choose to continue your studies in counselling by applying for our Graduate Diploma of Counselling. After successful completion of the Graduate Certificate of Counselling you will only need to complete four more units to graduate with the diploma level qualification.

Indicative student workload

As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, workshops, online interaction and clinical placements. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

The course requires a part-time commitment, with a substantive load of required learning activities and study time. Although the course is designed for working health professionals, students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities per unit credit point.

Professional recognition

The Graduate Certificate will not be accredited as the minimum requirement for Australian Counselling Association accreditation is a Graduate Diploma. Accreditation will be sought for the Graduate Diploma.

Career opportunities

The course has been designed to foster practical counselling skills that can be applied in-person, over the phone, or online via videoconference. There is a growing demand for these skills across a range of occupations related to mental health, disability, allied health and social support services, with an expected very strong increase in demand over the next five years.*

As a counsellor you will provide advice and information on relationships, social, educational, occupational and a range of other every-day life difficulties. You will develop rapport and a healthy therapeutic relationship with people to help them to identify and define their emotional issues through a range of therapies including cognitive behaviour therapy, interpersonal therapy, and other talking therapies.

*Australian Government Job Outlook

Participation requirements

See individual unit descriptions for full details.

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability.

Articulated courses

Fees and charges

Fees and charges vary depending on your course, the type of fee place you hold, your commencement year, the units you choose and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

Use the Fee estimator to see course and unit fees applicable to your course and type of place. Further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods is available on our Current students fees website.

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate specialist knowledge of counselling roles, skills, and theory across the lifespan to a variety of audiences relevant to professional counselling.
Communication	Employ clear written and oral communication skills in order to effect therapeutic change in counselling.
Digital literacy	Select appropriate digital tools to find, use, and disseminate information in counselling practice.
Critical thinking	Identify, synthesize, integrate, and critically reflect on research to inform counselling practice.
Problem solving	Appraise, select, and apply specialized counselling skills and knowledge to solve complex problems in the field of counselling.
Self-management	Demonstrate high level self-management and awareness in learning and practice that reinforces the importance of responsibility, accountability, and ethics in professional counselling.
Teamwork	Work effectively in supervisory, leadership, and managerial capacities. Communicate and collaborate with other mental health professionals to support clients.
Global citizenship	Evaluate and apply ethical principles to work productively in the field of counselling within diverse social, cultural and environmental contexts. Collaborate and communicate in a self-reflective manner.

Course rules

The Graduate Certificate of Counselling is part-time only and consists of the standard academic integrity module and 4 core Foundations of Counselling units, each worth 1 credit point (total 4 credit points).

All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first semester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).

The Graduate Certificate in Counselling is nested within the Graduate Diploma of Counselling. Students in the Graduate Certificate can easily transition into the Graduate Diploma.

The course is only available on a part-time basis.