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MA Integrative Counselling

Undertake training as a counselling practitioner to work across diverse contexts and settings. Gain a critical awareness of contemporary problems and discourses. Develop a comprehensive understanding and competence in the practical application of the clinical skills underpinning practice.

Students speaking to a patient during a simulated home visit

Key course information

Course codeCID1587
Duration3 years
Fee(s)View fees
LocationOn campus

Course summary

Counsellors work in a wide range of settings, from private practice to charitable organisations and public-sector services. If you’re motivated to support people experiencing emotional, relational, or mental-health difficulties, this course will help you build the professional skills and reflective capacity needed for effective practice.

You’ll develop strong reflexive and anti-oppressive practice, learning to work ethically, creatively, and with an awareness of diversity, difference, and the role of self in the counselling relationship.

A key feature of the course is its focus on contemporary mental-health discourses and the counsellor’s role within modern services. In your second year, you may choose to specialise in counselling children and young people or counselling adults (subject to numbers), with your award reflecting your chosen pathway. Teaching is delivered by experienced practitioners and supported by staff engaged in current research.

Graduates qualify as professional counsellors, prepared for roles across the voluntary and statutory sectors as well as private practice.

What you'll study

Year 1

Year 2: MA Integrative Counselling with Adults route

Year 2: MA Integrative Counselling with Children and Young People route

Year 3: (Adult and Children and Young People routes)

Many of our courses include a range of modules you can choose from. Some of these options may only be available if you’ve already studied specific required modules. If you’re not sure what you need before picking a module, your course leader can help.

Postgraduate module credits should total 180. If optional modules are available alongside core modules on your course, you should choose an amount that totals 180 credits.

How you'll learn

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials.

A diversity of assessments are used across the course including presentations, case studies, reports, viva’s, essays, and reflective work.

You'll undertake a clinical placement of 100 hours during which you'll work with real clients within a counselling organisation supervised by an experienced practitioner. This is a requirement to qualify and register with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). You'll need to find your own placement but will be supported in this process.

Entry requirements

Fees and finance support

You may need to purchase your own professional indemnity insurance if your placement does not provide cover. Teaching staff can provide advice on this.

You may need to pay for clinical supervision if not covered by your placement. The cost would be negotiated with the clinical supervisor, but fees can range from £45–£80 per session and would need to be for a minimum of 1.5 hours per month or a ratio of 1:8 client hours, whichever is applicable while you're in placement.

You need to pay for your personal therapy at a fee negotiated with your therapist. The cost of personal therapy can range from £20–80 per hour.

Please note, part-time courses aren't available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

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UK students

  • Part-time September 2026

    Adults

    Apply now
  • Part-time September 2026

    Children and Young People

    Apply now

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