Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- New Trauma Specialisation in Counselling & Psychotherapy commences in 2025 -
Strengthening mental health
Counsellors work holistically to facilitate change in clients’ emotional, mental, and relational difficulties. Counselling is a rewarding career choice for students who want to pursue personal growth and collaboratively transform the lives of others.
What will you do?
Our Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy supports the development of ethically aware, research-informed and clinically effective counsellors. You will:
- learn from academics with extensive professional counselling experience
- build hands-on skills through experiential learning, including the use of actors to simulate realistic counselling sessions
- collaborate with peers and develop social skills through extensive face to face teaching
- benefit from case-based learning
- gain a core understanding of counselling theories, grief, attachment theory, trauma, and ethical practice
- develop skills in a range of therapies including CBT, Narrative Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Expressive Therapies
From second year you’ll begin tailoring your studies to your personal interests, eventually choosing between a clinical, clinical trauma or research pathway.
Where could it take you?
Graduates obtain employment across a wide range of mental health and community services. You could support young people in your community through counselling and programs in schools or youth work. Perhaps you’ll be a relationship or return-to-work counsellor. You may be employed in AOD counselling, a hospital setting, or aged care.
The Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy contains 3 specialisations. As part of the second year, students will choose between the Clinical Practice, Clinical Trauma Practice and Research Specialisation. The Clinical Trauma Practice Specialization is new for 2025 and is the only accredited Trauma Counselling Specialisation in Australia. Students who choose the Clinical Practice or Clinical Trauma Practice Specialisation will undertake counselling placements, while students who choose the research specialisation will complete a dissertation.
Our clinical pathway and trauma specialisation graduates (Master of Clinical Practice and Master of Clinical Trauma Practice) can register as a provisional member with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia or as a level 2 member with the Australian Counselling Association. After further clinical experience, graduates are eligible to apply for full registration.
Note:
This degree is only available in blended mode and on-campus attendance is required. If you are a continuing student in the degree and are unable to attend campus, please contact your program coordinator for program advice.
^Imip.gov.au Occupation Projection
Entry Requirements
Choose your applicant type to view the relevant admissions
information for this program.
I am a:
Before applying make sure you understand the eligibility and entry requirements for your chosen degree.
Look out for any prerequisites or assumed knowledge subjects. Some degrees also have additional entry requirements like interviews and auditions.
Domestic applicants
| SATAC Code | 3CM146 |
|---|---|
| Deferment | Yes - 2 year |
| Intake | February |
| Additional Entry Requirements | Entry to this program is competitive and quotas apply. All applicants must: * Provide a copy of their finalised official results in the form of an official transcript, or finalised results able to be officially verified by the University of Adelaide, or results showing they are in their final semester of study. * Provide Casper Situational Judgement Test (CSJT) results by the relevant date for the round in which they are applying. * Attend an interview (if invited). The Counselling & Psychotherapy Admissions Guide details important information regarding the entry requirements for entry at the University of Adelaide. All applicants are advised to read the Guide. Failure to do so will not warrant special consideration. |
Selection Criteria
| Higher Education Study | A completed Bachelors degree or equivalent. |
|---|
Fees and Scholarships
Choose your applicant type to view the relevant fees and scholarships information for this program.
I am a:
Domestic applicants
| Indicative annual tuition fees |
Australian Full-fee place: $34,000
|
Where the standard duration of the program is less than one year the full cost of the program is displayed.
FEE-HELP
This is an Australian full-fee program. As a domestic student you may be eligible to:
- receive a zero interest government assistance package to cover your course fees and
- use over $100,000 in HELP assistance over your lifetime
Scholarships
Scholarships are not only for high achievers—they are also available to provide students with an equal opportunity to study at university, no matter where they live or what their financial situation might be.
Scholarships are available to both new and continuing students. We encourage students to apply for any scholarships for which they may be eligible.
To browse scholarships offered by the University, visit: University Scholarships
To explore scholarships offered by organisations external to the University, visit: External Scholarships
Careers
Career Readiness
The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.
Graduate Attributes
The objective of this program is to produce graduates with specific attributes as outlined in University of Adelaide Graduate Attributes.- Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth
- Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving
- Teamwork and communication skills
- Professionalism and leadership readiness
- Intercultural and ethical competency
- Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency
- Digital capabilities
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
Industry Placement
Students undertaking the clinical practice pathway are required to allow up to two days each week for counselling placements. Placements are organised by The University of Adelaide and provide students with supervised practical experience in counselling and psychotherapy.
Professional Accreditation
The clinical pathway of the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy has been designed to meet the training requirements for counselling practitioners as outlined by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA). This enables graduates to apply for registration with the Counselling Association of South Australia and PACFA, and to be listed with the Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (ARCAP).
Potential careers
Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:
Mental Health Worker; Counsellor; Psychotherapist; Therapist; Community Services Officer
Degree Structure
The first year of the program follows the structure of the Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
To qualify for second year, students will need to have met the requirements for the Graduate Diploma (which requires a satisfactory completion of a program of study consisting of 7 core courses to the value of 21 units and closed electives to the value of 3 units).
The Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy contains 3 specialisations. As part of the second year, students will choose between the Clinical Practice, Clinical Trauma Practice and Research Specialisation. Students who choose the Clinical Practice or Clinical Trauma Practice Specialisation will undertake counselling placements, while students who choose the research specialisation will complete a dissertation.
An elective in the Second Year of the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy is offered during the Winter School period (June – July).
As part of the accreditation for our Masters program with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), students are required to attend all classes/seminars.
Academic Program Rules
The Calendar is a comprehensive handbook of the University's academic program rules.
Example Study Plan
To qualify for the degree of Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the student must satisfactorily complete a program of study in either the Clinical Practice, Clinical Trauma Practice and Research Specialisation.
| Year1 | S1 | PUB HLTH 5007 Attachment Processes in the Therapeutic Relationship | PUB HLTH 5005 Counselling Skills 1 | PUB HLTH 5008 Counselling and Psychotherapy Theories | PUB HLTH 7010 Mindfulness-based Counselling Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PUB HLTH 7003 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | PUB HLTH 5006 Ethics in the Workplace | PUB HLTH 6018 Counselling Skills 2 | PUB HLTH 6021 Nature of Grief | |
| Year2 | S1 | PUB HLTH 7020A Counselling Placement 1A (0 units) | PUB HLTH 7005 Narrative Approaches to Counselling | PUB HLTH 7025 Trauma Informed Practice | Closed Elective Course. Explore here |
| S2 | PUB HLTH 7020B Counselling Placement 1B (6 units) | PUB HLTH 6019 Overview of Mental Health | Closed Elective Course. Explore here | Closed Elective Course. Explore here | |
| Year1 | S1 | PUB HLTH 5007 Attachment Processes in the Therapeutic Relationship | PUB HLTH 5005 Counselling Skills 1 | PUB HLTH 5008 Counselling and Psychotherapy Theories | PUB HLTH 7010 Mindfulness-based Counselling Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PUB HLTH 5006 Ethics in the Workplace | PUB HLTH 6018 Counselling Skills 2 | PUB HLTH 6021 Nature of Grief | PUB HLTH 7300OL Developing a Novel Research Question | |
| Year2 | S1 | PUB HLTH 7211A Dissertation Part 1 (0 units) | PUB HLTH 7078 Qualitative Research Method in Health | Closed Elective Course. Explore here | |
| S2 | PUB HLTH 7211B Dissertation Part 2 (12 units) | PUB HLTH 6019 Overview of Mental Health | Closed Elective Course. Explore here |
||
| Year1 | S1 | PUB HLTH 5005 Counselling Skills 1 | PUB HLTH 5007 Attachment Processes in the Therapeutic Relationship | PUB HLTH 5008 Counselling and Psychotherapy Theories | PUB HLTH 7010 Mindfulness-based Counselling Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PUB HLTH 6018 Counselling Skills 2 | PUB HLTH 5006 Ethics in the Workplace | PUB HLTH 6021 Nature of Grief | PUB HLTH 7003 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | |
| Year2 | S1 | PUB HLTH 7020A Counselling Placement 1A (0 units) | PUB HLTH 7005 Narrative Approaches to Counselling | PUB HLTH 7025 Trauma Informed Practice | Closed Elective Course. Explore here |
| S2 | PUB HLTH 7020B Counselling Placement 1B (6 units) | PUB HLTH 7033 Trauma-informed counselling for CALD and Indigenous populations | PUB HLTH 70XX Interpersonal Trauma Counselling | PUB HLTH 6019 Overview of Mental Health | |
Assessment
Case reports, presentations, quizzes and written assignments and may include counselling placements or a research thesis.
Related Degrees
Testimonial
You will learn about emotional depth and how to support others, it is also an opportunity to reflect on yourself and grow as a person. My favourite aspect of the program has been the opportunity to counsel trained actors as if they are real patients.
The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
Last updated: Friday, 20 Sep 2024
