Graduate Diploma of Counselling (GDCN) - GradDipCouns
| External | |
| Start: | Semester 1 (February) Semester 2 (July) |
| Fees: | Domestic full fee paying place International full fee paying place |
| Residential school: | Ipswich campus — mandatory |
| Standard duration: | 1 year full time; 2 years part-time |
| Program articulation: |
Contact us
| Future Australian and New Zealand students | Future International students | Current students |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315 Email: study@usq.edu.au |
Phone: +61 7 4631 5543 Email: international@usq.edu.au |
Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252 Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285 Email usq.support@usq.edu.au |
Professional accreditation
Graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling will be able to apply for membership of the . Membership with the ACA enables registration as a Counsellor with the (ARCAP).
Completion of at least 50% of this program (including two Foundation of Practice courses) is also a requirement for entry into the Master of Counselling.
Program aims
The Graduate Diploma of Counselling is available to graduates of human services, health, nursing, psychology and other allied health disciplines. The Graduate Diploma of Counselling is a program that allows students and professionals to develop knowledge and expertise in one of four counselling areas:
-
Alcohol and Drug Studies
-
Child, Youth and Family Therapy
-
Mental Health Counselling
-
Foundations of Practice*
| * | The Foundations of Practice courses are embedded in all of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling streams. The Foundations of Practice specialisation has greater versatility in that it allows for students to choose approved courses from any of the streams if they meet the course pre-requisites. |
Program objectives
On completion of the award, students will be able to:
-
Demonstrate understanding of theories and models fundamental to fields associated with counselling
-
Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
-
Demonstrate ability to apply critical reasoning, judgment and problem solving to a range of professional, legal, and ethical practice issues
-
Demonstrate ability to contextualise knowledge within a counselling context.
-
Demonstrate ability to apply discipline knowledge and professional practice skills in formative development as a counselling practitioner and demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner or learner.
Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.
This program is at AQF Qualification Level 08. Graduates at this level will have advanced knowledge and skills for professional or highly skilled work and/or further learning.
The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .
Admission requirements
To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
All specialisations
-
Completion of an Australian university three year Bachelor degree in any area or equivalent.
-
English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 3.
All students are required to satisfy the applicable .
If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.
Program fees
Domestic full fee paying place
Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.
Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .
International full fee paying place
International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .
Program structure
Foundations of Practice specialisation
The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Foundations of Practice) consists of five Level 5 compulsory courses and three Level 5 approved courses.
| Compulsory Courses | Semester(s) Offered | Mode |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| Approved Courses | ||
| Choose three of the following: | ||
| 1 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| Footnotes | |
| # | This course has a mandatory 4–day residential school and 10 hours of mandatory online tutorials. |
Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation
The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Alcohol and Drug Studies) consists of seven Level 5 compulsory courses and one Level 5 approved course.
| Compulsory Courses | Semester(s) Offered | Mode |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| Choose one of the following two courses below: # |
1 1 |
ONL EXT |
| Footnotes | |
| # | This course has a mandatory 4–day residential school and 10 hours of mandatory online tutorials. |
Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation
The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy) consists of eight level 5 compulsory courses.
| Compulsory Courses | Semester(s) Offered | Mode |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| 1, 3 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| Choose one of the following two courses below: # |
2 1 |
ONL EXT |
| Footnotes | |
| # | This course has a mandatory 4–day residential school and 10 hours of mandatory online tutorials. |
Mental Health Counselling specialisation
The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Mental Health Counselling) consists of seven Level 5 compulsory courses and one Level 5 approved course.
| Compulsory Courses | Semester(s) Offered | Mode |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 1 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| # | 2 | EXT |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 1 | ONL | |
| 2 | ONL | |
| Choose one of the following two courses below: # |
2 1 |
ONL EXT |
| Footnotes | |
| # | This course has a mandatory 4–day residential school and 10 hours of mandatory online tutorials. |
Program completion requirements
Students must have successfully completed the core and approved courses (as applicable) to successfully complete the program.
IT requirements
Students should visit the USQ to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.
Residential schools
The attendance requirement of residential schools within this degree is indicated by the following letters: V = Voluntary; O = Optional; C = Compulsory; R = Recommended; HR = Highly Recommended; M = Mandatory. To find out more about , visit the to view specific dates for your degree, or visit the .
There are mandatory residential schools held at Ipswich, Springfield or Toowoomba campus, and mandatory synchronous online tutorials for:
Articulation
A student successfully completing all courses in the Graduate Diploma of Counselling may apply to articulate into the Master of Counselling provided the student has not graduated from the Graduate Diploma. Entry into the Master of Counselling is not automatic and students will need to meet additional requirements including completion of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling with a GPA of at least 5.0, and an application which is supported by two referees as well as a structured interview (refer Master of Counselling handbook entry).
A student articulating into a higher degree will only receive the award of the higher degree that they complete. Such students will be given full credit for all courses completed whilst studying the Graduate Diploma. Students must advise the Faculty in writing of their intention to articulate and this must occur prior to completion of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling.
Exit points
Students may exit after four courses with a Graduate Certificate of Counselling provided they have met the requirements within the program structure of the Graduate Certificate of Counselling.
Recommended enrolment patterns
In this section:
- Foundations of Practice specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
- Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
- Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
- Mental Health Counselling specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
Foundations of Practice specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Residential school | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | External (EXT) | Online (ONL) | ||||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | |||
|
Year 1 / Semester 1 entry - Full Time Pattern | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
|
Choose one of the following five courses: | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or MPPS or GCCO or MCCO | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
|
Semester 2 | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
|
Choose two of the following five courses: | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Residential school | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | External (EXT) | Online (ONL) | ||||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | |||
|
Year 1 / Semester 1 entry - Full Time Pattern | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or MPPS or GCCO or MCCO | ||||||
|
Choose one of the following two courses: | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCAD or GDCN or GCCO or MCCO or MPPS | ||||||
Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Residential school | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | External (EXT) | Online (ONL) | ||||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | |||
|
Year 1 / Semester 1 entry - Full Time Pattern | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1, 3 | Enrolment is not permitted in if has been previously completed. | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
|
Choose one of the following two courses: | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
Mental Health Counselling specialisation recommended enrolment pattern
Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.
| Course | Year of program and semester in which course is normally studied | Residential school | Enrolment requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus (ONC) | External (EXT) | Online (ONL) | ||||||
| Year | Sem | Year | Sem | Year | Sem | |||
|
Year 1 / Semester 1 entry - Full Time Pattern | ||||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
|
Choose one of the following two courses: | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | M | Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: GCCO or GDCN or MCCO or PDEV or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH | |||||