Swinburne University of Technology
Master of Counselling
- Delivery: Face to Face
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 3 Years
Advance your counselling and research skills, particularly if you're interested in or currently employed in education, mental health, justice or welfare sectors.
Course overview
Looking to build on your existing counselling skills and take the next step in your career? The Master of Counselling is designed for professionals working in the human services sector who are interested in specialising in areas such as couple counselling or forensic counselling. This program will help you strengthen your counselling and research skills, especially valuable if you work in education, mental health, justice or welfare settings.
Key facts
What you will study
To complete the Master of Counselling, a student must fulfil 150 credit points, consisting of:
- Foundations of Counselling
- Ethics and Cultural Diversity for Counsellors
- Lifespan Development and Systemic Thinking
- Advanced Counselling
- Trauma Loss and Grief Counselling
- Advanced Counselling Placement 1
- Systemic Approaches to Attachment and Development
- Advanced Research-Based Practice
Students must choose one specialisation:
Couple Counselling
- Couple Counselling Theory
- Couple Counselling Practice and Application
- Advanced Counselling Placement 2
- Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience
Forensic Counselling
- Core Skills in Forensic Practice
- Fundamentals of Criminal Law Process
- Principles of Violence Risk Assessment and Management
- Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience
Human Services Counselling
- Addiction Counselling
- Assessment and Evidence-Based Therapies
- Working with Groups
- Clinical Supervision and Workplace Experience
Entry requirements
- A minimum three-year Bachelor's degree from an Australian university or approved equivalent
- Graduate Certificate of Counselling or equivalent
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling or equivalent
All students will be required to submit a current Working with Children Check and Police Check.
Documents substantiating work experience need to be provided on company letterhead and clearly detail roles, as well as duties and duration of posts held.
Recognition of prior learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows students to gain credit (advanced standing) towards their course in recognition of skills and knowledge gained through work experience, life experience and/or formal training. Applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Outcomes
Graduates may work in a range of professional settings, including community and mental health, private practice, social work, grief counselling, pastoral care and mediation.
Career outcomes
- Private Practice Counsellor
- Mental Health Counsellor
- Social Worker
- Pastoral Care
- Grief Counsellor
Fees and FEE-HELP
Indicative yearly fee in 2025: $34,000 (domestic full-fee paying place)
Indicative total fee in 2025: $52,000 (domestic full-fee paying place)
All costs are calculated using current rates and are based on a study load of 150 credit points (normally twelve units) per semester per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per semester.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Elective units.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
