Develop and advance your knowledge and understanding of the dimensions of counselling and guidance.
Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.
NZQF level 8Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Open to international students studying online from outside New ZealandWith the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Guidance Studies you will develop knowledge and understanding regarding counselling and guidance practice and roles. Are you already in a human services role encompassing counselling and guidance responsibilities? Considering moving more fully into this domain? This postgraduate diploma will advance your knowledge and understanding in this regard.
This qualification is a stand-alone academic programme that is not in itself a professional counselling credential. Its primary purpose is to provide comprehensive conceptual knowledge and understanding of the dimensions of guidance and counselling and their contributions to a wide variety of personal and professional contexts.
There will be some attention in the programme to basic counselling skills learning, but more within the broad context of helping skills relevant to enhancing relationships, supporting, and developing individuals, groups and organisational systems.
Students will also develop knowledge, understanding, and abilities for critiquing and drawing on research relevant to helping and human service contexts.
Whilst a stand-alone qualification, it also functions as a comprehensive theoretical foundation for the Master of Counselling Studies degree for students who gain admission into that programme. As such it is the standard major academic prerequisite for entry into that professional counselling qualification.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Guidance does not in itself enable you to become a qualified counsellor.
This postgraduate diploma is an academic prerequisite if you are thinking of seeking admission into the advanced professional qualification, Master of Counselling Studies. Completion of that qualification is a pathway for gaining membership into the national counselling professional body (the New Zealand Association of Counsellors) and to practise as a professional counsellor.