Graduate Diploma in Counselling

Name: Graduate Diploma in Counselling
Price: <a href='#fees-and-scholarships'> Commonwealth supported place </a> AUD

VU course code: AGPD | Level of study: Postgraduate

Duration

2 years part time

Delivery mode

In Person

Fees

Commonwealth supported place

Location

City Tower

Next start date

24 February 2025

Application closes

16 February 2025

Overview

Unlock your potential to make a meaningful difference in people's lives with the Graduate Diploma of Counselling at Victoria University (VU).

This transformative program will deepen your understanding of counselling theory while equipping you with the practical skills needed to support individuals through life’s challenges.

Throughout this two-year, part-time course, you’ll explore:

psychological theory, to gain insight into the human mind and behavior
counselling interventions and psychological therapies tailored to adults or children and adolescents, depending on your chosen stream
techniques to suport clients facing depression, anxiety, grief and loss
the principles and ethics that guide professional counselling.

You'll have the opportunity to apply your knowledge through hands-on, industry-based learning and placement opportunities.

Choose your area of focus to align with your passion and career aspirations:

General counselling: Support a diverse range of clients across all life stages.
Child and adolescent counselling: Help young people navigate their unique challenges and thrive.

Whether you're looking to enhance your current career or begin a new journey, this program provides a solid foundation for becoming a compassionate, skilled, and ethical counsellor. Take the first step towards empowering others and transforming lives.

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Critically review counselling theories and contemporary professional literature to apply evidence-based practice to counselling interventions;

Investigate cultural and systemic elements relevant to counselling practice including inter-professional relations;

Appraise psychological theories and therapeutic approaches offered by helping professionals in relationship to the role of the counsellor;

Formulate evidence-based intervention plans for a range of counselling presentations addressing psychosocial issues;

Critically evaluate core ethical and professional conduct issues that are likely to be encountered by practising counsellors; and

Demonstrate appropriate and responsive counselling practice in a professional workplace setting.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your education, work experience, current skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a different course. We call this a ‘pathway’.

For PhD applicants, we offer a related ‘Integrated PhD’ which allows you to establish relevant skills before beginning your research.

You may also be eligible for course ‘credits’, where you are granted a unit or units towards your qualification for equivalent previous study or work experience, so you can graduate sooner.

Entry criteria

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To attain the Graduate Diploma in Counselling students will be required to complete:

96 credit points of Core studies

Units

Fees & scholarships

University fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer (including our generous scholarship program).