Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice)
Postgraduate | USQ-CFP-GCE | 2022
Course information for 2022 intake
View information for 2023 course intakeCounselling skills to enhance your work with people
This part-time online counselling course covers core counselling topics and key professional skills. Learn how to plan, structure, and manage a counselling session. You’ll study major theories and start thinking about your own professional practice.
- Study method
- Online & on-campus
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Credit available
- Yes
- Total subjects
- 4
- Price from
- $12,280
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice)
About this degree
Study UniSQ’s Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice) and explore more about national mental health standards, professional practice, risk management counselling frameworks, ethics and legislation. The skills you will gain from your counselling studies will be transferable between nursing, psychology, teaching, welfare, human services or allied health practices.
- Demonstrate understanding of theories and models fundamental to fields associated with counselling
- Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
- Demonstrate ability to apply critical reasoning, judgment and problem solving to a range of professional, legal, and ethical practice issues
- Consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide counselling within diverse contexts and client groups, including Indigenous Australians.
Enhance your career and gain skills in counselling with UniSQ’s Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice). Your studies will include national mental health standards, professional practice, risk management counselling frameworks, ethics and legislation. The skills you will gain from your counselling studies will be transferable between nursing, psychology, teaching, welfare, human services or allied health practices. Our online counselling degree is designed to develop your career within the health, psychology or human services profession. Offered part-time, this degree is a professional development opportunity for psychologists and social workers. There is a four-day mandatory residential school for each of the four Foundations of Practice courses.
Recommended study pattern
Year 1 - Semester 1
COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications
COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics
COU8104 Counselling Frameworks
COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts
Award requirements
Completion of four (4) units as outlined in the Recommended Study Pattern section.
Choose your subjects
Majors
- Alcohol and Drug Studies
- Child, Youth and Family Therapy
- Foundations of Practice
- Mental Health Counselling
As Australia’s #1 university for graduate starting salary (Good Universities Guide, 2022), University of Southern Queensland is the right place to make real progress. Regardless of your education history, your age or your aspirations, at UniSQ you’ll be inspired by quality learning experiences matched with top resources and research. Having delivered distance and online learning for over 40+ years, UniSQ supports you to learn at your own pace—exactly how it suits you.
Learn more about USQ.
Explore USQ courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 24
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 24
How to apply
University of Southern Queensland manages enquiries and applications for this degree.
Complete your details and we'll make sure your enquiry is sent to University of Southern Queensland who will contact you to discuss this degree.
Don't worry, we're still here to help you - you'll receive a personalised follow-up from an Open Universities Australia student advisor to make sure you have found the right degree for you.
Entry requirements
Completion of an Australian university three-year bachelor degree, or equivalent, in any area.
All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. For entry to the Graduate Certificate of Counselling (Foundations of Practice) program, applicants are required to meet the Category 3 English Language Proficiency requirements.
Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the USQ Credit and Exemption Procedure.
Study method requirements
There are mandatory residential schools held at Ipswich, Springfield or Toowoomba campus, and synchronous mandatory online tutorials for:
- COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics
- COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts
- COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications
- COU8104 Counselling Frameworks
Career opportunities
As a graduate, your counselling and case management skills will provide you with the opportunity to work in a professional nursing, psychology, teaching, welfare, human services or allied health practices.
Career outlook
- Careers Counsellors:
- $68K to $86K
- Counsellors:
- $68K to $86K
- Health and Welfare Services Managers:
- Over $111K
- Social Workers:
- $86K to $111K