Counselling MCouns, PgCert, PgDip
Awards: MCouns, PgCert, PgDip
Study modes: Part-time
Accreditation
Funding opportunities
Programme website: Counselling
This programme aims to foster the development of critically reflective practitioners who are able to work in a variety of settings with a broad range of people. It is founded in dialogue between the person-centred approach and psychodynamic perspectives in counselling.
The Master of Counselling is validated professionally by COSCA at Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma levels. It is a flexible, student-centred training process with a strong emphasis on practice, including a counselling placement.
A distinctive feature of this degree is its focus on the student’s individual counselling practice with clients, which normally begins in year two.
Accreditation
The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling is a professionally validated programme that qualifies you to practise counselling and psychotherapy in the UK, and in other countries where equivalence in qualifications is recognised. Successful completion of this programme, followed by post-qualification practice and supervision, enables you to apply for individual accreditation as a counsellor or psychotherapist with a UK professional body.
You will be taught through:
- experiential group work
- counselling practice
- supervision of counselling practice
- theory seminars
- independent study
- mentorship
- academic support
Your assessments will include:
- essays
- seminar presentations
- self and peer assessments
- placement-based assessment
- the professional portfolio
- a dissertation (for relevant programmes)
The programme provides a high level of student-tutor contact and close supervision of both counselling practice and research, in line with professional and academic requirements.
Find out more about compulsory and optional courses
We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MCouns | Counselling | 4 Years | Part-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
PgCert | Counselling Studies | 1 Year | Part-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
PgDip | Counselling | 3 Years | Part-time | Programme structure 2024/25 |
Students who successfully complete the programme will:
- be reflective, self-aware, safe, accountable and competent counsellors
- have a sound knowledge base of theories and research on the development of the person, group process, therapeutic relationships and processes, and the role of counselling in society
- possess highly developed and transferable interpersonal, conceptual and analytical skills, including critical thinking, self-evaluation and research skills
The Pg Diploma and Master of Counselling qualifies students to be eligible for employment in a variety of contexts where this unique combination of interpersonal, therapeutic, self-reflective and analytical skills is highly valued. This includes counselling in the UK.
Postgraduate Certificate
The Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies enhances your career prospects in a variety of fields that use listening skills, such as healthcare, social work or education. It is also an excellent foundation for further specialist therapeutic training in the UK or abroad. In addition, the general skills you gain will be of use in any professional or academic role.
Postgraduate Diploma
The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling is a professionally validated programme that qualifies you to practise counselling and psychotherapy in the UK, and in other countries where equivalence in qualifications is recognised.
Successful completion of this programme, followed by post-qualification practice and supervision, enables you to apply for individual accreditation as a counsellor or psychotherapist with a UK professional body.
Masters
Many employers today require masters qualifications for management positions in counselling and psychotherapy. With the Master of Counselling, you can join the many Edinburgh graduates who now hold senior positions in the field, and contribute to the development of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK and across the world.
As a graduate, you could also gain employment as a counsellor and psychotherapist working in the statutory, voluntary/non-government and private sectors. You can enter private practice, or use your counselling training and allied skills in communication and project management to enhance your career in a related profession, such as healthcare, social work, nursing or education.
These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.
A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.
You should demonstrate a high level of motivation through your personal statement, indicating why you wish to study counselling, and demonstrating an understanding of counselling and the capacity to reflect on personal aptitude for work in this field.
We will also consider a UK 2:2 honours degree, or its international equivalent, with a strong personal statement and relevant experience or references confirming aptitude for study at postgraduate level.
We may also consider your application if you have other professional qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply.
As this is a professional training programme, students are subject to the University's Fitness to Practise policies and processes while on programme.
Progression from the first year of the programme requires an assessment of readiness for counselling training. This includes successfully completing a written self assessment, a reference and an oral assessment.
Students from China
This degree is Band C.
Protecting Vulnerable Groups
All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.
International qualifications
Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:
English language requirements
Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
- TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
- C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
- Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
- PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
- Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 6 in each component.
Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Degrees taught and assessed in English
We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:
We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).
If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.
Find out more about our language requirements:
Additional programme costs
Students undertaking the PgDip or MCouns in Counselling are required to undertake a minimum of 25 hours of professional supervision in relation to their placement practice. Students may need to pay for this supervision of their counselling practice. See the programme website for further information:
Tuition fees
Award | Title | Duration | Study mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|
MCouns | Counselling | 4 Years | Part-time | Tuition fees |
PgCert | Counselling Studies | 1 Year | Part-time | Tuition fees |
PgDip | Counselling | 3 Years | Part-time | Tuition fees |
Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.
Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:
borrowing money
taking out a loan
family support
personal savings
income from work
employer sponsorship
- scholarships
Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study
Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:
- Phone: +44 (0)131 651 3969
- Contact: counselling.programmes.info@ed.ac.uk
- Academic Selector, Sharan Collins
- Phone: +44 (0)131 651 3969
- Contact: sharan.collins@ed.ac.uk
- School of Health in Social Science
- Medical School
- Teviot Place
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9AG
- Programme: Counselling
- School: Health in Social Science
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Applying
Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.
MCouns Counselling - 4 Years (Part-time)
PgCert Counselling Studies - 1 Year (Part-time)
PgDip Counselling - 3 Years (Part-time)
Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.
Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we may make offers to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.
We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.
Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts. English language documentation can be submitted later but if you have already met the English language entry requirements for your programme at the time of application, your application may be considered more competitive in selection than applications where an English language test still needs to be taken.
Selection deadlines
Round | Application deadline | Places awarded by |
---|---|---|
1 | 13 January 2025 | 17 April 2025 |
2 | 29 May 2025 | 30 June 2025 |
Please be aware that applications must be submitted and complete, i.e. all required documents uploaded, by the relevant application deadline in order to be considered in that round. Your application will still be considered if you have not yet met the English language requirement for the programme.
Deadlines for UK/Scotland fee status
After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open only to applicants who are eligible for the UK/Scotland fee rate, including the EU/EEA Pre-settled Scotland fee status. Applications will remain open no later than 30 June 2025 and may close earlier than this if the programme becomes full, so we strongly recommend you apply as soon as possible.
If you apply with another fee status after 29 May 2025, your application will be rejected.
You must submit one reference with your application.
Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:
Further information
- Phone: +44 (0)131 651 3969
- Contact: counselling.programmes.info@ed.ac.uk
- Academic Selector, Sharan Collins
- Phone: +44 (0)131 651 3969
- Contact: sharan.collins@ed.ac.uk
- School of Health in Social Science
- Medical School
- Teviot Place
- Central Campus
- Edinburgh
- EH8 9AG
- Programme: Counselling
- School: Health in Social Science
- College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences