As you grow and develop over the 4 years your counselling practice will become more informed and aware. This is central to your development as a counsellor, along with your increasing knowledge of theory, practice and self-development.

Learning about yourself is a key part of the course. This enables you to be clear when working with others as you need to understand your limits and attitudes, so they do not interfere with your practice.

This BACP accredited programme is designed to help you grow your therapeutic capacity to work with a range of client needs. It will give you time to embed your personal and professional development and prepare you thoroughly for a demanding, yet very rewarding counselling career.

Entry requirements are flexible, a level 3 academic qualification (or equivalent) is preferred.

The application form invites you to provide a reflective statement and if invited to interview you will be assessed in a group discussion exercise and a written task. If you have not studied for some time we may require further evidence of your study skills in order to demonstrate your readiness for this BA (Hons) programme.

The degree is designed to be fully supportive to those who are new to university study, whatever your age.

Some of our students have gained placements in domestic violence and sexual assault organisations, hospices, community based charities e.g.MIND, the criminal justice system, and student counselling and these placements allow contemporary experience which may lead to employability within similar settings.

Our graduates have also found roles in school settings, the NHS, further and higher education, agencies, the voluntary sector and as independent practitioners.

You will develop yourself through self-awareness, small group work, counselling practice, and academic assignments.

As part of the course, you will find a counselling placement and gain 100 hours of practice in an agency of your choosing. This allows for rich learning in terms of mental health and the presenting problems of the people you will counsel.

The core model is the person-centered approach developed by Carl Rogers, the belief in creating a non-judgemental environment. During the course you will also cover mental health, culture and diversity, research, and creative therapeutic approaches.

Your personal and academic learning will be well supported by peers, tutors and specialists in academic study skills. You will also develop:

• An in-depth understanding of the underlying philosophy and theories of the person-centred approach to counselling
• An understanding of how to apply theory to counselling
• A clearer understanding and awareness of your own attitudes and behaviour with other people;
• Supervised client work in placements
• Insight into counselling and psychotherapy professional developments, as well as the work of other mental health professionals;
• Confidence in how to use research

Throughout this course, you will develop your ability to work in counselling and psychotherapy. We offer you the opportunity to practise and study at the same time, and to develop your counselling placements with people in all kinds of well supported settings, including the NHS, schools, colleges, universities and community agencies.

The hours required to be completed by students are as follows (students must ensure they can commit to these additional time commitments):

• Year 1 - 30 hours work-based learning
• Years 2- 4 - 100 counselling placement hours + fortnightly supervision
• Plus 20 hours minimum personal therapy across the whole course

Applications are now open, apply now. The closing date to guarantee your application is considered is 31 May 2020. We will continue to accept applications until 30 June 2020.

Tuition fees for Home/EU Students in 2020-21 are as follows:

£4,620 (90 credits) - year 1
*The University will charge Home students £1,540 for each 30 credit module in 2020-21. Fees for subsequent years of the course have yet to be confirmed.

See Student fees and funding for more information and view potential additional fees.

Additional Fees specific to this programme

• DBS (enhanced) £53 for 2 years, students can then chose to renew annually or bi-annually
• Student membership of BACP £82 annually
• Residential weekend approx. £300 (held in year 1 only)
• Professional indemnity insurance £54-£85 annually

• Placement supervision costs vary but are usually within the range of £60-£100 per hour (in years 2-4). Fortnightly supervision as required by BACP. These costs are influenced by market forces and may increase over the period of the course.

• Personal therapy £35-£55 per hour (min of 20 hours over the whole course)
• Travel costs to and from placements
• Each year students are asked to bring in contributions for a shared lunch, approx. £10 a year.

Classes will take place on Fridays between 10am-5pm at Westwood campus, University of Warwick.

There is also a Saturday workshop each year, dates tbc.

The course starts with a compulsory induction residential weekend on 3 and 4 October.

If you are offered a place on this degree, it will start with a mandatory residential induction weekend.

Due to the nature of this degree, if you are invited to the interview stage, you will be asked to declare if you have an intimate relationship with any other candidates.