Counselling - Community courses

About Bachelor Of Counselling in Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology

If your aim is to become a professionally qualified counsellor, this is the programme for you.

After completing this programme, you’ll be able to enter the counselling profession at a beginning practitioner level.

Practical placements are an essential part of the programme and you’ll spend time working in community agencies and organisations.

There will be opportunities to experience counselling yourself and be involved in a group process in your first year.

In your final year, you’ll be able to select a practice focus in either Mental Health and Addictions counselling, Family/Whānau counselling or working with children and young people.

Once you’ve graduated, you’ll be able to apply for provisional membership of a relevant professional body such as the NZAC, Te Whāriki Tautoko, DAPAANZ or NZ Christian Counsellors Association.

Industry based learning

Practicum placements are a critical part of this programme and for your own professional development within the counselling field.

Emphasis is given to blending theory and practice through supervised practice and the application of theory in work-based projects and applied research.

Practice-based learning is a significant element in the programme. You’ll be introduced to practice learning in year 1 with an emphasis on understanding the practice environment and group processes.

In the second and third years, the emphasis shifts to engagement in counselling and group work practice. The practice-based learning provides the experience on which classroom discussions and integration of theory is based. This provides an ongoing and current work-based context for all learning.

Career opportunities and pathways

As a graduate of this programme you’ll be eligible for provisional membership of professional associations. While registration of counsellors is currently not mandatory, the current benchmark for counselling practice is membership of an appropriate professional association with an appropriate code of ethics such as the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), Te Whāriki Tautoko, or the New Zealand Christian Counsellors Association (NZCCA). Counsellors working in the addictions field in the health workforce require DAPAANZ registration.

You'll be qualified to work in a range of social services, mental health, and other counselling related roles. You may also pathway into relevant postgraduate programmes at Wintec and/or other tertiary education providers. Postgraduate study will enable you to practice at a more advanced level specialist fields such as education, management, human resources, career development, social services and mental health.

Academic qualification equivalents

• Higher Secondary Certificate / Standard 12. 

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS        :       overall academic score of at least 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each band)
• TOEFL      :       Score of 60 (with a writing score of 20)
• PTE           :      Academic) score of 50

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Tuition Fees

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Average tution Fees and Cost of living

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