Counselling (Children and Young People) - MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
Our MSc Counselling (Children and Young People) course includes a minimum of 100 hours of supervised client practice hours. The placements will take place with our placement partners locally. Placements in areas other than Birmingham may be possible by negotiation....
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time
- Award MSc
- Start date September 2025
- Subject
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
Our MSc Counselling (Children and Young People) course includes a minimum of 100 hours of supervised client practice hours.
The placements will take place with our placement partners locally. Placements in areas other than Birmingham may be possible by negotiation.
The course aims to meet the professional accreditation requirements in counselling children and young people that will enable successful graduates (who have also met all required professional practice components) to continue towards accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Upon completion of the course you will have demonstrated sound practical counselling competence that will enable you to complete the BACP proficiency certificate and to apply for BACP registration. Your BCU qualification and BACP registration will enable you seek employment as a counsellor with children and young people as you work towards full BACP accreditation.
What's covered in this course?
During the first semester, the focus will be on the development of the necessary knowledge and competence to be able to begin practical counselling with child clients. Course and placement structures will ensure that work is performed safely and with appropriate support and guidance in accordance with the BACP ethical framework.
Two skills modules in semester 1 and placement modules in semester 2 and 3 will ensure the on-going integration of theory and practice. A focus on play, the use of creative media and an in-depth exploration of the knowledge base (detailed by the professional standards of education and training for child counselling) will ensure an appropriately level of skill and competence.
Your personal tutor will actively support you through the process of applying, obtaining and settling into placements from our list of approved placement providers in a process designed to provide the experience and practical competence you will need to find employment when you graduate.
Placements are supported and closely monitored by the staff team, who are all professional child counsellors and psychotherapists.
Supervision costs are included in the overall course fee, and supervision is fully integrated into your course in a way that enhances your learning and meets professional body requirements.
During the final semester, an extended practice-based research project will support your understanding of the importance of outcome measure in child therapy and develop your competence in child counselling research.
Why Choose Us?
- You will receive a quality learning experience that meets professional standards and that will enable you to achieve professional accreditation
- All supervision costs for the year are included in the course fee. The only additional cost is for personal therapy (at a discounted rate as detailed above)
- You will be studying within a thriving and research active psychology department with a strong specialism in child psychology
- You will be taught by professional child counsellors and psychotherapists
- A strong student focus at the forefront of our approach, with everything designed to give you the skills you need to succeed in the profession
- You’ll have the opportunity to work in collaboration with our academic researchers in the area of children development and therapeutic interventions
- The course is strongly practice based, with all assessments focussing on practical skills or the links between theory and practice
- You will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus, ideally located for you to take advantage of our links to industry in the UK’s second city
OPEN DAY
Join us for a virtual Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: 5 February 2025
Entry Requirements
Essential requirements
Essential Requirements
Typical Offers (UK Students) | ||
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Applicants must have a minimum 2:2 degree in a BPS accredited Psychology degree. |
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Entry via alternative equivalent qualification and experience will be considered on a case by case basis. |
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Evidence of personal resilience and resources, maturity and emotional stability to support the intensity of the training process, the profession of child counselling, and of working with people in a responsible role. |
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Applicants will be required to undertake an interview. |
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Successful candidates will be required to obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to enrolling on this course. |
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Level 6
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete the following 20 credit CORE modules:
This module is delivered intensively across the first 4 weeks of semester 1 and will enable you to gain the essential knowledge and skill often specified as an entry requirement for practitioner courses. The module focuses on generic counselling theory, skills and introductory ethics and as such does not focus specifically on any particular client or age group. You will not commence learning on other modules during this four week period. In order to progress to semester 2 and to begin professional practice with clients in semester 2, you will need to achieve a pass in this module and in PSY7069 Initial Counselling Practice.
Level 7
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 160 credits):
This is the first of three modules across the year focussing on key areas relevant to the counselling children and young people. These modules follow the same core themes, but each of the three modules emphasise slightly different aspects across these areas. Both the indicative content and the learning outcomes of all three modules focus on legal and ethical issues, theory, practical skills, competencies, and issues of context.
You will begin this module in week 5 of semester 1, alongside Initial Counselling Practice and after the delivery of Introduction to Counselling. In this module you will explore key aspects of child and young person development of relevance to counselling practice. An exploration of theories and domains of development will help you to recognise typical and optimum developmental processes with a particular emphasis on emotional and psychological development. The general principles of Interpersonal Neurobiology introduced during the Introduction to Counselling module will be refined and focussed with reference to children and young people and linked to relevant elements of attachment theory for practical application during semesters 2 and 3.
This is the second of three modules across the year focussing on key areas relevant to the counselling of children and young people. It focuses primarily on the content and practical processes to support you starting out in clinical practice. The legal and ethical context introduced in Initial Counselling Practice will be considered in practice, and theory will be applied to the process of assessing the presenting issues and needs of clients, and developing a counselling plan.
During this second semester module you will explore the range of complex presenting issues of child clients, their underlying causes, precipitating and maintaining factors and some of the ways these can be addressed in counselling practice. The module will be taught alongside Developing Counselling Practice and Cultural, Familial and Contextual Dynamics and will coincide with starting counselling practice.
This module supports the explicitly stated course inclusive ethos and philosophy of the course by providing a focussed counterpoint to the traditional euro-centric perspective of counselling theory. It does so by promoting an attitude of self-reflection and exploration of counsellor unconscious bias and an depth contextual inquiry. Further exploration of personal attitudes and the experience of the impact of discrimination will be supported by your ongoing personal therapy, offering essential personal development and increasing your capacity to work with the issues presented by child clients.
This is the final module to focus specifically on the ethics, theory and practice of counselling children and young people. During the course of this third semester module you will complete the minimum client counselling and personal therapy hours required for graduation. The module will support you to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of counselling children, to deepen your ability to work in an appropriately relational manner and to extend your practical skill base in counselling children and young people.
This final module provides you with an opportunity to consolidate your learning through the preparation and presentation of a research project of relevance to your counselling practice. You will be supported through in an exploration of relevant research methodologies, the development of a research proposal and the submission of an ethics proposal. You will demonstrate advanced professionalism and independence in undertaking, completing and reporting your findings. Your project supervisor will support you on a one-to-one basis during this process. Your project should draw upon and critically evaluate a range of both classic and contemporary research findings. You will be encouraged to seek to publish your project in order to contribute to the knowledge base in this area of work.
Employability
International
Welcome to Birmingham City University, home to students from all around the world!
Most of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences are open to international students, and our courses have been tailored to take a global approach to learning.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent over £400 million on new learning facilities.
Psychology Labs
Explore the cutting-edge psychology labs, their resources and spaces that support our quest to unravel the complexities of the human mind and behaviour.
Learn about the Psychology Labs
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other social sciences, law and business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
Realistic, simulated environments include two mock court rooms, a Magistrates' and Crown Court, and an interviewing suite. We’re also exploring the use of virtual environments as a way to develop case study analysis.
For those studying on the BA (Hons) Professional Policing or BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation degrees, you’ll experience simulations of police interviewing environments for both suspects and witnesses, with access to tape recording and video playback analysis.
Crime investigation files are prepared using computer-based technology, and the crime data analysis requirements of the degree are supported by appropriate statistical and analytical software.
Psychology students can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment as well, including the latest in eye-tracking software, and our new EEG machine, all geared towards giving you true hands-on experience with tools you’ll be using in your later career. You will also benefit from facilities across the wider campus including the Parkside and Millennium Point buildings.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Dr Fran Renwick
Associate Professor, Academic Lead: Counselling & Psychotherapy
Teaching enables Dr Fran Renwick to share some of the knowledge and practical skills she has gained as a psychotherapist with extensive experience in clinical practice, supervision and service management.
More about FranKirsten Antoncich
Senior Lecturer and Course Leader
Kirsten initially trained in Psychology, moving into education with children displaying complex and challenging needs.
More about Kirsten