Murdoch University
Graduate Diploma in Counselling
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 12 months
Enhance your understanding of mental health practices and cultivate the professional skills necessary for a career in counselling with a Graduate Diploma in Counselling.
Course overview
Counsellors help people through difficult times, often when they are most vulnerable. Prepare for a career in counselling by building your personal and professional skills. With a focus on building counselling relationships with your clients, which is essential to effective practice, you’ll gain the skills you need to succeed in a rewarding career.
You’ll have the opportunity to develop professional skills for a career in counselling by critically appraising the counselling literature, learning foundation skills of applied counselling practice and creating a sound understanding of the core principles of counselling and case conceptualisation. Hear how these real-world learning principles have cemented Counselling student Jay's love for the practice.
After graduating from this course, you can apply to study the Master of Counselling and gain exemption from those units that are common to both degrees.
CSP Subsidised Fees Available
This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.
Key facts
What you will study
To complete the Graduate Diploma in Counselling, you must fulfil 24 credit points.
- Case Conceptualisation and Assessment in Counselling
- Introduction to Creative Arts Therapies in Counselling
- Counselling Children and Adolescents
- Experiential Learning in Group Counselling
- Principles of Counselling 1 (6 credit points)
- Counselling Adults
- Applied Health Research Methods: From Research to Practice
Entry requirements
Completing a bachelor's degree (AQF Level 7) or equivalent in any discipline. Applications based on previous study or professional experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
English Requirements
To study at Murdoch, you must meet a minimum standard in English, which for most courses can be demonstrated by providing evidence that you have completed Year 11 and 12 in Australia at any level if you are a domestic student or through English proficiency tests, university preparation courses, English language courses, previous tertiary study or vocational education.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Everyone has a different path to university, so if you’ve already completed formal or informal learning, you could receive advanced standing. Also known as recognition of prior learning, advanced standing can reduce the study needed to complete your degree by giving you credit for specific units.
Formal learning can include previous study in higher education, vocational education, or adult and community education. Informal learning can include on-the-job learning and various kinds of work and life experience.
Please reach out to the university for more information.
Outcomes
Learning outcomes
- Coached practice in small groups.
- Counselling adults.
- Counselling children and adolescents.
- Experiential learning in group counselling.
- Introduction to creative arts therapies.
Career outcomes
Graduates with corresponding undergraduate degrees may be employed in government and non-government counselling organisations working with adults, children, families and couples. Careers could include:
- Counsellor
- Psychotherapist
- Caseworker
- Support Worker
- Mental Health Professional
Fees and CSP
Indicative 2026 full course fee: $15,811 (Commonwealth Supported Place).
Indicative 2026 full course fee: $24,720 (domestic full-fee paying place).
All costs are calculated using current rates based on a full-time study load of 24 credit points.
A student’s annual fee may vary by:
- The number of units studied.
- Choice of units.
- Credit from previous study or work experience.
- Eligibility for government-funded loans.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
Commonwealth Supported Places
The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.
If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you only need to pay some of your tuition fees. The student contribution amount is the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.
Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.
Your student contribution amount is:
- Calculated per courses you're enrolled in.
- Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
- Reviewed and adjusted each year.
HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
