Programme summary for PG Dip Career Guidance (QCG)

Career Guidance Programmes | MA Careers

Successful completion of this course will enable you to function as an effective practitioner, confident to offer high quality career advice, able to identify your own training needs and take responsibility for your continuing professional development. It has been highly successful both in employability terms and in enabling people to make career changes, and is recognised as the professional qualification for guidance work in the statutory sector, further and higher education, and across the voluntary sector.

Self-reflection for personal development is an important part of professional training and work-based placements will provide opportunity to relate your learning to the professional context. To gain the professional award from the Institute of Career Guidance, you will register for the Qualification in Career Guidance (QCG) and complete a portfolio of evidence. The Diploma has recently been reviewed and re-validated to ensure the curriculum and learning opportunities meet current professional requirements.

About the programme

The programme places a strong emphasis on the development of professional skills training and reflective practice through thoughtful integration of theory and practice. Our close links with employers and professionals across the sector contributes to placement & employment opportunities;

The Postgraduate Diploma permits full membership of the Institute of Career Guidance (ICG). The MA can be used to satisfy CPD requirements for the ICG Register of Practitioners;

Programme structure

Students must complete four 30 credit Level M modules to gain the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance. These are: Social Inequality and the Labour Market; Professional Practice 1 and 2 and Career Theory. For the professional award of the QCG (Qualification of Career Guidance) by the ICG, students must also complete a Professional Log and the QCG portfolio which provides evidence of meeting all required QCG learning outcomes.

The Postgraduate Diploma programme can be completed in one year full–time or by part-time study (one day per week) over two years. It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa , within the constraints of the timetable. MA students will complete the Research Dissertation Module of 60 Level M credits.

Career opportunities

With the Post-graduate Diploma in Career Guidance (QCG) students have successfully secured employment in a range of contexts including: statutory sector, such as local authorities and career companies; adult career organisations in the UK & overseas; voluntary sector agencies; educational settings including schools, colleges and universities as well as self employed work. The programme responds to changes in the guidance sector to ensure learning is relevant to the changing needs of the guidance sector.
The MA has contributed to career progression.

Support

All UEL students have access to a range of support services. The DCG/ QCG programme provides timetabled meetings for group tutorials. In addition, each student is allocated a personal tutor. There are formal progress reports at the end of each semester on the full-time programme, and midway through the part time pathway. The programme team make positive efforts to ensure students take full opportunity of the offer to provide feedback on drafts of written work and academic tutorials. Student evaluations have consistently commended and appreciated the effectiveness of such personalised support. The programme team has found that investing in this supportive relationship from the outset fosters students’ confidence and performance as they progress through the programme.

Students on the Masters programme will have a designated research supervisor. Students will have access to on-line resources through UEL Plus as well as documentation such as student handbook, module guides/timetables to ensure you are clear on all programme requirements. During induction you will receive sessions to introduce library resources and on-line learning.

Admission

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance programme should normally possess a degree of a recognised University or equivalent. Applicants without formal qualifications who possess substantial experience in an appropriate field and can demonstrate confidence about taking academic and practical study may be admitted onto the postgraduate programme. All applicants must have CRB clearance. Applicants for the MA would normally have completed the post graduate Diploma in Career Guidance or an equivalent post graduate qualification. All applicants must demonstrate the capacity to study at Masters level.

All applicants are required to attend a selection interview at the University and to provide satisfactory references. In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS at 6.5 (or equivalent) is required. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes. Students that apply to enter stages of the programme may be admitted through normal Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL). Therefore such applicants must be able to demonstrate and evidence that they have the required learning outcomes as listed in the modules for which they are seeking exemption.

The University of East London actively promotes and celebrates equality and diversity and positively welcomes applicants regardless of race, gender, disability, sexuality, age, religion or social class. The programme has achieved Investors in Diversity standard at Level one from the National Centre for Diversity.