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Make a lasting impact on the lives of others by developing the skills to support the social and emotional welfare of people and communities. Gain practical experience in advanced counselling methods and learn how to design, plan, and ethically implement professional guidance programs in a variety of contexts.

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Five stars

For full-time employment outcomes* *Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Education

$85,000

Median graduate salary* *Good Universities Guide 2022, PG Education

Work internationally

Only PG Counselling degree qualifying you to practice in Aus. and Singapore

Online

Available to off-shore students with some on-campus attendance required

Online: February, July

$30,960.00⁺

⁺estimated annual tuition fee for a full-time study load

Plus Student Services and Amenities fee
Scholarships and financial aid available if eligible

1.5 years full-time

or part-time equivalent

AQF level 7 bachelor in cognate discipline

English language requirements

Band 2

If your native language is not English, you must meet the minimum English language requirements for this course.

34704

What to expect

Ready to take on a career that supports others to live confidently and healthily as they find the path that’s best for them? Studying JCU’s Master of Guidance and Counselling will equip you to provide information and support to future clients in the ways they need most. Whether you go on to work as a school guidance officer or professional counsellor, you’ll have an array of guidance and counselling techniques and skills, allowing you to compassionately and sensitively educate and empower your future clients.

Over the course of this 1.5-year degree, you will gain a deep and critical understanding of the theoretical origins and concepts underpinning current approaches to counselling and their application to the field, including career development. You will explore the intercultural applications of guidance and counselling to the tropical context, including Indigenous, rural and regional wellbeing. You will develop strong micro and macro skills in counselling and have opportunities for intentional practice of micro skills in simulated counselling sessions.

This Master of Guidance and Counselling degree has eight core subjects that cover topics such as the foundations of counselling theory and practice, advanced counselling techniques, reflective practice, career and leisure guidance, and atypical development. You can tailor the degree to suit your interests and career goals by choosing four elective subjects, with options including educational research, behaviour management, social learning perspectives, conflict analysis and resolution, plus many others.

In this degree, you will undertake an individual, small-scale research project that encourages informed, action-oriented leadership approaches to building social and/or ecological capacity in the guidance and counselling field. You will be supported in your research by expert academics who will give you advice and guidance relevant to your chosen topic and your future goals. The research knowledge and skills you gain in this project will prepare you for pursuing a Higher Degree by Research.

Upon completion of JCU’s Master of Guidance and Counselling, you will be ready to be a guidance officer, counsellor, or career development advisor with the ability to identify complex issues, develop creative solutions, give informed guidance and provide compassionate counselling in a range of professional guidance and counselling practice contexts.

View the handbook for a detailed overview of subjects.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please review the inherent requirements for the Master of Guidance and Counselling .

Career Opportunities

Diversify your teaching and human resource management skills with a JCU Master of Guidance and Counselling.

You could provide specialist human resource management skills across the public or private sector for business or government, as well working in schools as a guidance counsellor.

This course is accredited by the Australian Counselling Association and the Singapore Association for Counselling, giving you the ability to pursue a career internationally.

Handbook

Master of Guidance and Counselling

Handbook year	2022
Course code	34704
Course type	Masters Degree (Coursework) (AQF Level 9)
Professional accreditation status	This course is accredited by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and by the Singapore Association of Counselling (SAC). Graduates are eligible for professional membership of the ACA or the SAC.
Owner	Division of Tropical Environments and Societies
College	Arts, Society and Education

Award Requirements

Admission Requirements

Course pre-requisites	Completion of an AQF level 7 bachelor degree in a cognate discipline. Cognate disciplines include education, psychology, social work, law, health or career development.
Minimum English language proficiency requirements	Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 2 – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.
Special admission requirements	In exceptional cases applicants may be admitted to the course if they submit other evidence of academic and professional attainments and their candidature is approved by the Division.

Academic Requirements for Course Completion

Credit points

36 credit points as per course structure

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of the Master of Guidance and Counselling, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate advanced and integrated understanding of theoretical and professional knowledge, research methods, ethical reasoning principles and recent developments in guidance and counselling, with depth in the Professional Standards of the Australian Counselling Association and their Code of Ethics and Practice, and / or the Singapore Association for Counselling and their Code of Ethics
Reflect on deep and critical approaches to learning in issues relating to the tropics, sustainability, and Indigenous, regional and rural wellbeing, and their application in the guidance and counselling field, including career development
Critically review, analyse and synthesise theoretical propositions, professional practice and research principles and methodologies in guidance and counselling, including intercultural and career development applications
Interpret, evaluate, generate and justify complex ideas, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist stakeholders, using advanced speaking, reading, writing, listening, numeracy and advocacy skills
Identify, theorise and design solutions for complex issues in a range of professional guidance and counselling practice contexts including career development, exercising expert judgement, adaptability and collaboration
Design, plan and ethically execute a substantial research-based project with creativity and initiative and a high level of autonomy and accountability.

Inherent Requirements

Inherent Requirements

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Master of Guidance and Counselling.

Reasonable adjustments

All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure.

Course Structure

CORE SUBJECTS

ED5859:03 Atypical Development

ED5862:03 Foundations of Counselling Theory

ED5863:03 Foundations of Counselling Practice

ED5864:03 Advanced Counselling

ED5310:03 Practicum in Guidance and Counselling

ED5311:03 Reflective Practice Research in Guidance and Counselling

ED5853:03 Career and Leisure Guidance and Counselling

ED5857:03 Assessment

OPTIONS

Select 12 credit points of subjects from List 1

List 1

ED5190:03 Introduction to Educational Research

ED5855:03 Behaviour Management

ED5880:03 Educational Leadership

ED5881:03 Leading for Change in Curriculum and Pedagogy

ED5911:03 Education for Sustainability

ED5912:03 Social Learning Perspectives for a Sustainable Future

ED5913:03 Communicating Sustainability and Climate Change

ED5914:03 Individual Researched Action Project

LB5514:03 Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution

LB5525:03 Conflict Analysis

LB5536:03 Ethical Decision Making and Reflective Practice

WS3027:03 Social Welfare Practice with Children and Families

WS5103:03 Community Development

Location

COURSE AVAILABLE AT	NOTES
JCU Singapore
JCU Townsville	Some subjects are only available via mixed or intensive attendance mode.

Candidature

Expected time to complete	1.5 years full-time or equivalent part-time
Maximum time to complete	5 years
Maximum leave of absence	2 years

Progression

Course progression requisites	Nil
Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)	Yes Further information about placements can be found at Coursework Enrolment Procedure. Students may be required to undertake placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled at their own expense.
Special assessment requirements	Refer to Review of a Student’s Suitability to Continue a Course Involving Placement policy.
Professional accreditation requirements	Graduates are eligible for professional membership of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) or the Singapore Association of Counselling (SAC).
Supplementary exam for final subject	Not applicable

Credit

Eligibility	Students may apply for a credit transfer for previous tertiary study or informal and non-formal learning in accordance with the Credit Transfer Procedure
Maximum allowed	18 credit points
Currency	Credit will be granted only for studies completed in the 10 years prior to the commencement of this course.
Expiry	Credit gained for any subject shall be cancelled 15 years after the date of the examination upon which the advanced standing is based if, by then, the student has not completed the course of study prescribed for the degree.
Other restrictions	Credit will not be granted for ED5311. Students who have accrued two years of full-time (or equivalent) professional experience in a cognate discipline area or have an AQF Level 8 cognate qualification may be granted advanced standing of up to 12 credit points for non-core subjects. Students seeking admission without a cognate degree must first complete the Graduate Certificate of Career Development. Then, within the Master of Guidance and Counselling, they must complete 6 credit points of ED level 5 subjects instead of ED5853 and ED5862.

Award Details

Award title	MASTER OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
Approved abbreviation	MGuidCouns
Inclusion of majors on testamur	Not applicable - this course does not have majors
Exit with lesser award	Students who exit the course prior to completion, and have completed 12 credit points of appropriate subjects, may be eligible for the award of Graduate Certificate of Education.
Course articulation	Not applicable

Fees and scholarships

Estimated annual tuition fee: $AUD30,960.00

Course fees are charged per year of full-time study. International course fees are reviewed annually and subject to change.

A Student Services and Amenities Fee is payable per subject up to a maximum amount per year.

Student Visa holders must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their Student Visa (except Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian citizens). Costs depend on the length of study and the number of dependents accompanying the student. For more information see Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Scholarships and financial aid are also available for international students.

Pathways to JCU

Consult the admission requirements section in the Handbook for prerequisites and pathways into this course.

How to apply

Gather the documents you need to apply and submit an application via JCU's online application portal.

Student

Garrett McKenzie

Master of Guidance and Counselling

Working within a wellbeing role already, I am now able to better understand students and their behaviour to support them more effectively in the classroom. Some of the best school leaders I’ve worked with have a Masters of Guidance and Counselling and are some of the greatest and most inspiring leaders in their fields.
Alumni

Irna Spigariol

Master of Guidance and Counselling

The course prepared me fully for my new career and I have gained my first position as a Guidance Officer in The Torres Strait Islands. As a first generation Australian from a minority background, I hope to assist other students who have had adversity in their lives, to stretch their success and lead fulfilling lives.
Lecturer

Jon Woodend

Master of Guidance and Counselling

The course prepares students to work with a range of clients, covering foundational up to advanced counselling skills, including ethical and diversity considerations and contemporary approaches. Students can study independently or join in workshops where they receive one-on-one feedback on their counselling skills.
Employer

Colette Wasson

Director, Human Resources Business Partnering, Education Queensland

The Department of Education finds JCU students to be equipped with the knowledge, skill set and willingness to make a difference in Queensland State Schools. Graduates leave JCU with a well-rounded ability to succeed in the classroom, while also stepping outside their comfort zone to begin their professional careers.