Counselling BSc (Hons)

This course is in clearing

Overview

Course options

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Degree

UCAS code: B941 112 UCAS points

What makes this course different

Highly rated by our students

93% of students surveyed on this course responded positively to questions on “The Teaching on my Course” in the 2024 National Student Survey.

(National Student Survey 2024, Results published 10 July 2024)

100 hours of placement

By graduation, you'll have at least 100 hours of client work. You'll be on your way to the 450 hours you need for full British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accreditation.

What BACP accreditation means

3rd in London

This counselling course is ranked 3rd in London by the Complete University guide 2024

Accreditation

Accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

This is one of the very few undergraduate counselling training degrees in the UK awarded professional accreditation from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which is essential for your counselling career.

Course modules

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

Your future career

A BSc Counselling degree opens up career opportunities in public and private practice, the allied psychology sector, and non-psychology fields. It also provides a foundation for postgraduate studies in counselling and psychotherapy or psychology. We encourage you to bring your unique lived experiences and personal identities to the forefront. Whether you identify as LGBTQAI+ and want to become a therapist supporting that community, or you are a survivor of domestic violence looking to make a difference in the sector, our course will empower you.

Industry links

We have links with Place2Be, a children and young people's mental health charity.

Explore our industry links

Graduate employers

Our counselling graduates have gone into roles in schools, the NHS, charities and private practice.

Job roles

Counselling graduates can pursue roles within the allied psychology sector, such as employment specialist, social prescribing link worker, and support positions in healthcare. Other options include non-counselling fields like human resources, civil service, teaching, and entrepreneurship.

We offer postgraduate courses for further specialisation and you can explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.

Further study

You could pursue further training to become a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist. You could go on to do a PgDip or master's in Counselling and Psychotherapy here at UEL.

Two students, both seated, talk to one another across a room
Studying for a BSc Counselling degree at UEL was a valuable stepping-stone towards the career that I wanted to pursue. I was able to bring together theory and practice not only in the classroom but also through clinical placements."
Majda Rogers

Counselling, BSc (Hons)

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. Our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting-edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

This digital platform provides you with careers and employability resources, including: 

  • Jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work 
  • Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts 
  • 1-2-1 career coaching services 
  • Careers workshops and employer events 
  • Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you've mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

Our Mental Wealth programme

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top:

  • Work-based projects
  • Networking and visits to leading organisations
  • Support in starting a new business
  • London on our doorstep

 

How you'll learn

You will be taught through lectures, seminars, process groups, skills practice sessions (which start from your first week on the course), academic supervision, and, in your final year, group-based clinical supervision with a course tutor.

Guided independent study

Our innovative Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) approach enhances face-to-face learning by providing students with scheduled on-campus contact hours and additional learning opportunities. Through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), students can access course materials and resources beyond their scheduled hours. We offer access to industry-standard technology and specialised spaces to prepare students for their future careers. Dedicated time for activities and development, along with a holistic approach to learning, fosters academic, personal, and professional growth. Students benefit from career support through on-campus and virtual Career Zones, personalised support services, and a dedicated online portal, Track My Future (TMF)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This is a key part of university-level work. It will typically involve reading journal articles and books, preparing for seminars, preparing coursework assignments, and arranging independent skills practice sessions with your peers. In your final year, much of your independent study will be focused on your research project.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library, and Moodle.

Academic support

Students are supported with academic or subject-related queries by a programme director, module leaders, academic advisors (you’ll have an academic advisor from the teaching team as soon as you arrive with us), and university central support services.

Dedicated personal tutor

If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, English, maths, or statistics, academic tutors offer workshops, drop-in sessions, and one-to-one appointments to help you achieve your potential.

You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses. Our Student Support hubs feature centralised helpdesks.

UEL provides support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).

Workload

Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars, and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.

The approximate hours for this course are: 

  • Year 1: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours
  • Year 2: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours
  • Year 3: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally attracts around 50 students a year. Lectures will be attended by everyone, and then we have smaller groups for seminars. You will also engage in skills practice in groups of around four to six peers, plus a staff observer.

How you'll be assessed

Your academic work will be assessed through 100 per cent coursework. It will include academic essays, reflective essays, skills analysis of recorded practice counselling sessions, oral presentations, and video-recorded personal statements. In your final year, you will complete a research project. 

You'll always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days.

Campus and facilities

Water Lane, Stratford

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Statistics for BSc (Hons) Counselling Degree, Full Time

Statistics for BSc (Hons) Counselling Degree, Full Time

What our students and staff say

counselling subject image
Taking up a counselling degree has helped me in my self-discovery and personal growth. Over the last year, I have become more certain that helping others through therapy is the right path for me. This is a practical and academic course that gives me a good starting point for my career as a counsellor. I chose UEL because it gave me the right support and it felt right to be here - it felt like home."

Carina Faria

Counselling, BSc (Hons)

Mac integrative counselling hero banner
I chose this particular course as the first stage in my path to becoming a therapist because it was one of the few BACP accredited courses which would allow me to qualify as a counsellor once completing my client hours. If you'd like to become a therapist but unsure of where to start or which therapeutic approach is the one for you, then I could not recommend this course enough.

Christina Kapartis

Counselling, BSc (Hons)