The FdSc will promote your capacity for self-exploration and appraisal, facilitating personal awareness, pertinent to your role as a counsellor.
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For further advice, see How to Apply for a Higher Education Course or contact us via our Contact Us page
Guildford – Full Time
15/09/26
20/06/28
Thursday
2 Years
230 hours per year
500 hours per year
£8,240 per year
Home/EU students.
International students not accepted.
This programme is quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion. The programme is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and delivered at our Guildford College campus.
You will be offered a rigorous grounding in counselling theory, together with a sound knowledge of the BACP framework for contemporary understanding.
Through developing your knowledge of theoretical models, through adopting an integrative approach, you will be prepared to establish an effective therapeutic relationship with clients.
The FdSc will promote your capacity for self-exploration and appraisal, facilitating personal awareness, pertinent to your role as a counsellor. Graduates from this programme will be well-equipped to take up a range of posts within the counselling profession, such as in organisations, private practice, or to undertake further study or specialist training in the field, such as CBT training. As a routine aspect of going about your daily practice, you will face unprecedented situations, therefore you will be challenged to understand how to handle individual situations and take full advantage of professional supervisory support.
Lecturers are all current, active practitioners, with a wealth of experience. Their training will be minimum bachelor’s level and all are qualified teachers and are actively engaged in continuous professional development. Many of the staff are accredited BACP members or equivalent.
This programme is delivered over two years, with five modules in each year:
A variety of assessment methods are employed on the programme to develop students’ academic and vocational knowledge. This includes case discussions, essays, reflective journals, and supervision reports.
Lectures and seminars are offered in each module, you will have regular tutorial contact and progress reviews.
Tutorial support provides students with the opportunity to discuss their progress on a 1:1 basis, as part of small group discussions.
Entry criteria for the programme includes:
Applicants will be assessed on their potential to meet the expectations of the counselling profession, meeting the professional, ethical, and academic requirements to be a practitioner.
Every FdSc student is required to be in a suitable counselling placement by the start of year two (Level 5), in which they will develop their clinical skills.
Furthermore, you will complete a minimum of 100 hours supervised counselling with suitable clients.
The protection of the clinical needs of vulnerable adults or minors and our students is central to decision-making processes, which we undertake transparently and collaboratively.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
We welcome applications from people with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
If you do not meet the formal entry requirements above but have relevant work experience, training, or alternative qualifications, you may still be eligible to apply through our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.
This process allows us to recognise the learning you have gained through professional practice, previous study, or other experiences when we assess your RPL application.
If you need any further advice or guidance, please see our How to Apply for a Higher Education Course, or send an enquiry through our Contact Us page.
Admissions Information
Our Admissions Policy outlines our commitment and responsibilities to applicants, while the Admissions Procedure for Higher Education explains the application and enrolment process.
All applicants are also encouraged to read our Higher Education Terms and Conditions, which provide important information and reference the relevant policies and procedures that apply to applicants and enrolled students. These can be found at the bottom of our Higher Education Policies page.
On successful completion of the FdSc in Counselling you will be able to apply for the BSc (Hons) in Counselling (top-up) which is also awarded by Middlesex University. Alternatively, you may wish to undertake further training in specialist areas of the practices.
Or you could become a practising counsellor in counselling centres, agencies, surgeries, hospitals, schools, businesses and private practices or set up your own private counselling practice.
On successful completion, you will be awarded a Foundation Degree (FdSc) Counselling from Middlesex University.
*Fee information for European Union (EU) students: If your course starts on or after the 1st August 2021, you will no longer be eligible for financial support from Student Finance England unless you meet one of the following criteria:
Additional costs include:
We recommend that you budget £100 a year for additional costs such as for stationary to undertake your studies. You can borrow textbooks and access journals from the recommended reading lists most of these are available from the Learning Resource Centre. If you choose to buy textbooks, they may cost up to £60 each.
Specific additional costs in respect of this course are detailed below.
Please note the following approximate costs over two years:
Students who do not complete their 100 client hours within two years of starting the Foundation Degree will continue to be provided with coordination supervision at a cost of £250 per term (maximum of £750). For example, if the number of outstanding client hours is approximately 30, this would normally take two terms to complete at a cost of £500.
BACP offers help with programme fees to anyone who has been accepted onto a BACP-accredited course. The bursary is £500, and they offer 60 each year. The guidelines and application for bursaries can be found on the BACP website/Bursary Guidelines and Application.
Activate Learning recognises that funding is a big part of your decision to embark on a higher education programme. You will be aware of, should budget for, and be able to meet, all of the pre-requisite costs associated with your course, eg course fees, cost of necessary materials or activities (such as personal therapy for counselling students) and regular travel to and from college.
For eligible students, we have arrangements in the form of bursaries and funds to support you with other course-related expenditures during your studies.
Please read these important documents before applying for this course.
