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You are currently viewing the 2023 Handbook. For study in 2024, please refer to the .

Notes

In 2023 the programs follows the Semester calendar. The Academic Calendar and Important Dates webpage will allow you to view and download a copy of the important dates for the Semester calendar.

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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 .

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Program aims

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling aims to provide an introduction to counselling practice and enables registration with the ACA. The Graduate Diploma of Counselling provides an introduction to practice, allows for registration as a counsellor, and prepares students for further study. Depending on specialisation, the Graduate Diploma of Counselling further aims to equip students with in-depth knowledge of one of four specialist areas.

• Alcohol and Drug Studies

• Child, Youth and Family Therapy

• Mental Health Counselling

• Foundations of Practice

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling is available to graduates of human services, health, nursing, psychology and other allied disciplines. The Graduate Diploma of Counselling contains mandatory Residential Schools and online tutorials as well as mandatory foundational courses in order to ensure that the training standards required for registration are met

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Program objectives

On completion of the award, students should be able to:

1. Apply a core body of knowledge, including contemporary theories and models central to counselling assessment, and treatment.

2. Effectively utilise a range of advanced interpersonal, written, oral and digital literacy skills appropriate for communicating with diverse audiences including clients and professionals.

3. Apply critical reasoning, problem solving, and professional and ethical judgement with initiative to identify and resolve a range of therapeutic, professional, legal and ethical practice issues.

4. Consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide counselling within diverse cultural and practice contexts and client groups.

5. Utilise relevant research literature, methodologies and findings to inform practice development and decision-making processes.

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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 .

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• 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.

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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, external or online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

Each Graduate Diploma of Counselling consists of 4 Core Courses (COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications ; COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics ; COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts ; COU8104 Counselling Frameworks ) and 3 or 4 courses related to a specialisation. Some specialisations also allow students to select a number of elective courses.

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Program completion requirements

Students must have successfully completed the core and approved courses (as applicable) to successfully complete the program.

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 3 years to complete this program.

Specific specialisations

In this section:

• Foundations of Practice specialisation
• Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation
• Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation
• Mental Health Counselling specialisation

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Foundations of Practice specialisation

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Foundations of Practice) consists of five Level 8 core courses and three approved courses.

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Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Alcohol and Drug Studies) consists of eight Level 8 core courses.

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Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Child, Youth and Family Therapy) consists of seven level 8 core courses and one approved course.

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Mental Health Counselling specialisation

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Mental Health Counselling) consists of seven Level 8 core courses and one approved course.

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the .

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Residential schools

The attendance requirement of residential schools within this degree is indicated by the following letters: 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 or Toowoomba campus, and mandatory synchronous online tutorials for:

• COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics

• COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts

• COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications

• COU8104 Counselling Frameworks

• COU8006 Group Counselling Process and Practice

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Articulation

A student who has successfully completed 50% of the courses in the GDCN Graduate Diploma of Counselling may apply to articulate into the MCCO . Entry into the MCCO is not automatic and students will need to meet additional requirements including having a GPA of at least 5.0, and an application that is supported by two referees as well as a structured interview (refer MCCO 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.

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Related programs

The Graduate Diploma of Counselling is nested with the Graduate Certificate of Counselling and the Master of Counselling .

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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.

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Credit

Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the .

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

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Foundations of Practice specialisation recommended enrolment pattern

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Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation recommended enrolment pattern

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Child, Youth and Family Therapy specialisation recommended enrolment pattern

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Mental Health Counselling specialisation recommended enrolment pattern