MA Counselling and Psychotherapy

This degree runs in part-time mode on two half-days per week, as well as two intensive days prior to the start of each year, and extra tutorials as necessary. All of the modules are either taught at the Bishop Otter campus in Chichester or online. In Year 2 attendance for taught modules switches to the other half of the day on the same days, with Semester 2 comprising less contact time due to the increased focus on your independent research.

There will be additional material available online, such as recordings, readers, suggestions for CPD, information on processes, and other resources.

Year 1 (2026-2027) meet on Mondays and Thursdays 13.00-14.30 in semester 1 (with Thursdays extending to 3pm in semester 2). In Year 2 students meet Monday and Thursday mornings (usually 10-11.30am or 10am-12pm) with the Mondays geared towards research needs and Thursdays containing the taught material.

The academic year has two semesters; the first semester runs from September to December and semester two runs from February to May. This means that students then have a gap from May to September in which they can catch up with background reading and continue working on their projects. We also encourage students to establish study groups so that they can maintain supporting and working with each other.

There is the option to continue ‘writing up’ your research (for a nominal fee) for up to two years after your formal studies have been completed, in order to obtain the degree if things are running behind schedule.

We do not require you to count hours towards the degree or to evidence hours obtained during the course, however we do recommend that you continue some current practice as a counsellor (and or supervision, depending on your work) if possible as it will help to keep your therapeutic experience ‘live’ and balanced.

No, we do not require you to be in personal counselling and trust that you will find support should the need arise.

Yes, students do need to find their own research topic, though this will be refined in conjunction with your allocated Research Supervisor and the University’s Research Ethics team. Devising a practicable and manageable project is part of the research process, and we will guide you to select the appropriate population, scale and methodology to achieve your aims.

Contact time during University semesters is only part of the picture. You also need to allow time for reading, study groups, finding new information and most importantly, thinking and not-thinking; an essential ingredient will be the ability to sit, reflect and do ‘nothing’ as you absorb, digest, plan and simply let yourself be.

As our structured contact time together for your project reduces in the second year, this will coincide with you needing to make sense of your data and write up your 12,000-word dissertation. You will still have access to tutorials and group time as needed.

There are no lower or upper age restrictions to applying for this Master’s degree, you just need to fulfil the other entry criteria such as being a qualified counsellor with at least 50 hours of post-qualifying experience. Applicants should be aware that the government Master’s Loan scheme requires you to be under 60 years of age when you start your course if you wish to be funded in this way.

The class size is approximately 8-12 students in both Years 1 and 2.

No, the course is not BACP Accredited, as this endorsement only applies to courses which contain counselling training, rather than post-qualifying courses.

Yes. If you feel you have exhausted other options such as intermission (a break from studies) or taking up to two years as a ‘writing-up’ period after the course has ended, with 120 credits successfully completed you may opt to take the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

The Psychology department who sit under the same School as Counselling at the University have a number of staff who are very experienced in statistics. While it may be an extra mountain to climb to learn a new discipline on top of your other commitments, the department has kindly shared with us some resources and will also happily let you sit in on their statistics classes at no extra cost, should this be a significant part of what you wish to do. We would then work together to supervise your work with input from Psychology as needed.

Currently no; the only thing which can at present move a counsellor from Category A to B, is obtaining Individual Accreditation. There is also a temporary process in place with the BACP which enables Accredited counsellors to move from B to C by applying for Senior Accreditation.