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Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Professional Counselling)

Course Code: N0814 CRICOS Code: Offshore

Duration	Campus and Intake	Fee*
1 Year/s (One year full-time)	External Venue (Semester 1, Semester 2)	Refer to Executive Counselling & Training Academy

*The indicative course fees shown in Course Search apply to international students studying on-campus in Australia for the relevant year only. They are based on a standard study load per year. However, please note that fees are assessed according to a student's study load in each semester, and variation to study load will result in an adjustment to tuition fees. All fees are subject to annual review and may be adjusted.

About the course

Course Description:

Please note: this program is only available in Singapore. A comparable program for Australian domestic students residing in Melbourne is the Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Human Services - Counselling) (N0805).

Swinburne University of Technology offers the Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Professional Counselling) (N0714) and the Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Professional Counselling) programs as a pathway to the Master of Social Science (Professional Counselling) (N0914). The three programs constitute an accredited nested suite of courses with different exit points.

The professional counselling programs are designed to provide training in basic and advanced counselling procedures adapted for use in an Asian cultural context. Students are taught a range of practical skills and competencies that can be applied to their work as counsellors as well as assisting them to develop their theoretical understanding of counselling. Students will receive supervised counselling experience at Mount Elizabeth Hospital as part of the program and participate in research on the impact of cultural factors in counselling.

Aims & Objectives:

Aims

This program aims to provide counselling practice and training for professionals in both the mental health and social services and other fields which would incorporate counselling skills in their primary occupational role.

The program also aims to provide a broad approach to counselling with a focus on skills acquisition and application, and research competency. The program is practical and it helps the student to develop an awareness of self and to obtain a well-articulated understanding of the courselling process.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the program, the student should be able to:

Gain a deeper understanding of the major counselling approaches
Examine professional ethics
Undertake research into cross-cultural issues
Develop the necessary understanding and skills to manage counselling cases

A graduate from the program should have:

The ability to demonstrate warmth, respect, congruence and empathy
The capacity to develop an effective therapeutic relationship
An awareness of personal and ethical values
An awareness of theoretical models of counselling
The ability to be culturally sensitive
Awareness of the impact of the client’s social context
The ability to make appropriate referrals
The ability to evaluate counselling research

Course Structure:

The graduate diploma is a full-time program comprising the four units in the graduate certificate and a further four prescribed units. The eight units in the graduate diploma total 100 credit points over two semesters. In addition to meeting the unit requirements, students are required to complete 25 hours approved professional development workshops and participate in a minimum of five hours of counselling for professional development purposes.

Units of Study:

Units are valued at 12.5 credit points each.

Semester 1
HAYS410 Theories and Foundations of Counselling
HAYS411 Counselling Processes and Interventions
HAYS412 Specific Skills in Counselling
HAYS413 Professional Ethics and Supervision

Semester 2
HAYS420 Specific Approaches to Counselling
HAYS421 Advanced Interventions in Counselling and Group Processes
HAYS422 Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Disorders
HAYS423 Counselling Research Processes

Employment Outcomes

Career opportunities:

Counselling in mental and/or community health, educational counselling and guidance.

Professional recognition:

The Singapore Association of Counselling recognises the nested suite of courses as appropriate training in professional counselling. The course has been approved by the Singapore Government Committee for Private Education.

An application for recognition by the Australian Counselling Association will be made.

How To Apply

How to apply:

This program is only available to Singaporean citizens in Singapore. Application forms are available from the Executive Counselling and Training Academy, Singapore.

English Language Requirements:

Swinburne College English for Academic Purposes Advanced level certificate at the postgraduate level (EAP 5: PG-70%); OR, obtaining a minimum IELTS overall band of 6.5 (Academic Module) with no individual band below 6.0; OR, a TOEFL (Paper-based) minimum score of 575 (with Test of Written English (TWE) score of 5); OR, a TOEFL (Computer-based) minimum score of 232 (with Written Writing score of 5); OR, a TOEFL (Internet-based) minimum score of 90 with no band less than 20.

Refer to the English Language Requirements website for further information.

Academic Requirements:

This program is only available to Singaporean citizens in Singapore.

The program is taught in English. If necessary, applicants will need to provide evidence of advanced proficiency in written and spoken English.

Applicants must also satisfy the following requirements:
* Completion of an approved undergraduate degree from a recognised university or equivalent institution; or
* Completion of professional qualifications in related areas such as psychology, social work, medicine, nursing, human resources, or education; or
* Completion of a government recognised program in counselling training at a satisfactory standard or completion of a program in a related discipline at professional certificate level, which in the opinion of the Selection Committee, is suitable preparation for entry into the program.

Selection is based on an interview and the applicant’s suitability for the course as determined by personal suitability as well as academic and work experience. Each applicant will be expected to provide: evidence of a high standard of performance in previous academic studies, two referee reports, evidence of appropriate supervised counselling experience and a written statement of their reasons for wishing to undertake the program.

Find Out More

For further information:

Prospective applicants residing in Singapore should contact :

Executive Counselling and Training Academy
#02-07/08/09/10/11 Katong Junction
Singapore 427664

Ph: (65) 63466411