Postgraduate USQ-CYF-MAS-2023
Master of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy)
Family therapy research and expertise
Become the expert counsellor families trust during challenging times. You’ll analyse counselling frameworks in Australia. This accredited postgraduate counselling degree includes on-campus learning and clinical experience.
Available loans
Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Study method
Online & on-campus
Price
From
$49,120
Total subjects
16
Assessments
100% online
Credit available
Yes
Applications Close
- No dates available
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.
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QS Ranking 2023
29
Times Higher Education Ranking 2023
13
Degree details
What you'll learn
Study the Master of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy) and develop your expertise and make a real difference in families’ lives. Gain the required knowledge to work in relationship, family, child and youth counselling, as well as child abuse prevention and intervention.
- Apply a core body of knowledge, including contemporary theories and models central to counselling assessment, treatment, and clinical supervision.
- Effectively utilise a range of advanced interpersonal, written, oral and digital literacy skills appropriate for communicating with diverse audiences including clients and professionals.
- Apply critical reasoning, problem solving, and professional and ethical judgement with initiative to identify and resolve a range of therapeutic, professional, legal and ethical practice issues.
- Consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide counselling within diverse cultural and practice contexts and client groups.
- Critically evaluate relevant research literature, methodologies and findings to inform practice development and conduct research.
Career opportunities
Career opportunities exist in a range of counselling and human services roles within government, non-government, and private organisations, or alternatively, graduates may become self-employed in private practice. Additionally, graduates may have opportunities to progress into doctoral studies.
Professional recognition
This specialisation within the Master of Counselling is accredited by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
Entry requirements
Higher education
- Completion of an Australian university three-year bachelor degree in any area (or equivalent).
- Completion of at least 50% of the GDCN Graduate Diploma of Counselling at UniSQ with a GPA of 5, or above, or completion of an equivalent qualification at another institution.
- Provide two satisfactory Referee Reports and a report to address the Selection Criteria indicating the applicant's abilities to successfully undertake the professional and research components of the program; and
- Participate in an interview with a panel of School staff.
English Proficiency Requirements
All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. For entry to the Master of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy) program, applicants are required to meet the Category 3 English Language Proficiency requirements.
On campus 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
- COU8006 Group Counselling Process and Practice
Practicum placement
Practical and/or clinical experience will be undertaken as part of the program (with the exception of the Advanced Practice stream). Students will negotiate supervised industry placement where they will have to demonstrate competency in those components of the course(s) that require application in a counselling situation.
Students undertaking practical and/or clinical experience are responsible for their own transport to and from their clinical placements and are also responsible for their own safety in organising that transport, whether public or private.
Students must have a Blue Card issued by the Commission of Children and Young People and Child Guardian in Queensland or its respective interstate equivalent, or be a registered health professional who qualifies for a professional exemption, to enrol in COU8050 Masters Counselling Practicum. These courses must be satisfactorily completed in order to graduate from the Master of Counselling.
Information about application requirements for each state can be found below:
- National
- Australian Capital Territory
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Northern Territory
- Western Australia
- South Australia (see National requirements) - Organisation’s responsibility to conduct criminal check only if regular contact with children)
- Tasmania - none required
Mandatory Documents required prior to commencing ANY clinical placements in the program:
- Blue Card or Working with Children Check
- Australian Police Certificate
- Resume
- USQ Student Declaration
- USQ Placement Request Form
Credit for previous study or work
Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the USQ Credit and Exemption Procedure.
Description
Study the Master of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy) and develop your expertise and make a real difference in families’ lives. Gain the required knowledge to work in relationship, family, child and youth counselling, as well as child abuse prevention and intervention. This is a qualifying degree into the counselling profession and entry into this specialisation requires partial completion of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling at UniSQ, or equivalent. This specialisation is professionally accredited by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
Degree structure details
Recommended Study Pattern
Year 1 - Semester 1
COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications
COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics
COU8021 Couple and Family Counselling
EDU5325 Child Abuse and Neglect: Intervention, Protection and Prevention
Year 1 - Semester 2
COU8104 Counselling Frameworks
COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts
COU8022 Child and Youth Counselling
Approved course
Research Project Stream
Year 2 - Semester 1
HSC8050 Research Methodology for the Human Sciences
MSC8001 Research Project I
COU8006 Group Counselling Process and Practice
Year 2 - Semester 2
COU8050 Masters Counselling Practicum
MSC8002 Research Project II
Capstone Project Stream
Year 2 - Semester 1
HSC8050 Research Methodology for the Human Sciences
COU8040 Counselling Capstone Project
COU8006 Group Counselling Process and Practice
Year 2 - Semester 2
COU8050 Masters Counselling Practicum
Approved course
Approved course
Award Requirements
Completion of 16 units as outlined in the Recommended Study Pattern section.
Exit Points
- Upon completion of the appropriate 4 units, a student may apply to exit with the Graduate Certificate of Counselling.
- Upon completion of the appropriate 8 units, a student may apply to exit with the Graduate Diploma of Counselling.
Choose your subjects
Majors
- Advanced Practice
- Alcohol and Drug Studies
- Child, Youth and Family Therapy
- Foundations of Practice
- Mental Health Counselling
Electives
Approved Courses List
COU8011 Assessment for Substance Misuse
COU8012 Motivational Interviewing
COU8013 Introduction to Psychoactive Drugs
COU8014 Relapse Prevention
COU8031 Contexts of Mental Health Counselling
COU8032 Mental Health Practice 1
COU8033 Mental Health Practice 2
EDU5335 Emotional and Behavioural Problems of Children and Adolescents