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Studying BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling at Northumbria University provides a valuable foundation for those who wish to use guidance and counselling strategies as part of a job role within a range of ‘helping’ professions or as basis for further research or professional training.

This theoretically rich subject draws upon a range of disciplines including Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy. You will be encouraged to develop critical thinking, to be able to recognise the inequalities and discriminatory practices encountered by people in everyday life and to consider strategies to influence and bring about change.

You will engage with a range of learning experiences that include group work, case studies, enquiry based and experiential learning, as well as the more traditional lecture-based approach. Applying theory to practice is a central theme of the course and you will take part in a number of experiences to enable you to develop your skills such as peer mentoring, careers interviews and group facilitation. Work placements and study abroad options are available for a full year between your second and final years, with the additional option of a placement during your second year.

BA Hons Guidance and Counselling at Northumbria is unique in being the only undergraduate programme that qualifies you to enter the career guidance profession, just one of the areas graduates can go into. Our graduates offer a unique skillset which equips them for a wide range of job roles within education, health and community settings, many which support mental health and well-being, an area where there is growing demand. Students can also use their degree as a basis for further study or professional training in areas such as Counselling, Teaching or Social Work. Please note that in order to qualify as a Counsellor you would need an additional qualification and observed experience in practice – something many students choose to do.

Why choose Northumbria to study Guidance and Counselling?

  • Top University - Counselling, Psychotherapy & Occupational Therapy at Northumbria is ranked 7th in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2024.
  • A Research Powerhouse - Social Policy is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK out of 76 submissions (REF, 2021). This represents a rise of 15 places compared to 2014.
  • Student Rated - 100% of students studying Guidance and Counselling at Northumbria thought staff made their subject engaging & supported their learning, and believed that their course introduced subjects & skills in a way that built on what they’d already learned (NSS, 2023).

Course Information

UCAS Code
B9L5

Level of Study
Undergraduate

Mode of Study
3 years full-time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad

Department
Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing

Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City
Newcastle

Start
September 2024 or September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

Department / Social Work, Education

Within this department, over half of our research in Social Work and Education has been rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

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Book an Open Day / Experience Guidance and Counselling BA (Hons)

Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Guidance and Counselling. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.

Entry Requirements 2024/25

Standard Entry

112 UCAS Tariff points

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo

Subject Requirements:

There are no specific subject requirements for this course.

GCSE Requirements:

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

A suitable DBS Enhanced Certificate is required.

International Qualifications:

We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.

If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English Language Requirements:

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Fees and Funding 2024/25 Entry

UK Fee in Year 1: £9,250

* The maximum tuition fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by government. Tuition fees may increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, these are subject to government regulations and in line with inflation.


EU Fee in Year 1: £18,250

International Fee in Year 1: £18,250


Please see the main Funding Pages for 24/25 scholarship information.

 


ADDITIONAL COSTS

Additional costs associated with travel to undertake field work in the first year and optional additional placements later in the programme. We would anticipate this being in the region of £100 per student.

If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

PP0425 -

Learning at University (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide formal academic induction across your whole first year of study, introducing you to the academic literacy practices required to perform successfully in higher education. The module will equip you to become effective, active, independent learners throughout the rest of your degree. It will enable you to recognise appropriate approaches to study in higher education and begin to develop the academic skills, qualities and competencies expected of students on the programme. The module has been designed to support you to recognise and debate key concepts of your degree by encouraging you to actively engage in discussion and debate to enable you to make-sense of the subject-curricula and discourse communities of the discipline area and to develop your own standpoint.
The module will illuminate how to use, at various points throughout the programme, the expertise and resources on offer in a range of formats via, for instance, the Northumbria Skills framework including Skills Plus.

More information

PP0426 -

Developing Skills and Strategies for Helping (Core,20 Credits)

This module enables you to develop guidance and counselling skills used in a range of ‘helping’ professions and to explore the nature and application of one to one and group interventions in a range of settings. Drawing upon counselling theory, you will consider the skills, strategies and models underpinning effective guidance and counselling. You will undertake a range of formative, skill based activities and a summative assignment which encourages you to reflect on your own experience and use of guidance and counselling skills.

More information

PP0427 -

Counselling Perspectives (Core,20 Credits)

This module has been designed to support you to recognise and debate key concepts of your degree by providing you with underpinning knowledge and understanding regarding the broad foundation of the history and practice of counselling. You will examine a range of counselling perspectives and evaluation issues in relation to counselling practice. Through a range of teaching and learning strategies you will be encouraged to explain and distinguish between the various theoretical bases of counselling and identify their key features. The module aims to orientate you to the breadth of the discipline as well as the language and key terms used in the literature.

More information

PP0428 -

Introduction to Academic Research (Core,20 Credits)

This module provides you with an introduction to academic research within health and social sciences disciplines. In an increasingly information-rich society, knowledge and skills in research play an essential role in enabling society to anticipate, and respond to, unexpected challenges and change. Therefore, understanding and using research are recognised as essential requirements for all professionals to inform service improvement. This module is designed to develop your understanding of the nature, purpose, principles, practical challenges and ethics of research by examining a broad range of research methodologies and methods. You will also learn essential concepts and languages in research.

The focus of the module is on specific and very important aspects of research for you:
• Understanding the role of research;
• Introduction to research methodologies and how these underpin different forms of knowledge;
• Introduction to research methods and their strengths and weaknesses;
• Reviewing and critiquing literature with methodological appropriateness and with particular reference to the application to practice;
• understanding the importance of the ethical issues in research;
• Application of knowledge to practice and putting research to use.

This module will support you to develop the research skills and knowledge necessary that are transferable across disciplines. This module will assist you in the conception, development, documentation, delivery and reporting of your independent research. The module is invaluable in providing you with a solid foundation from which to develop your independent research, including final year project.

More information

PP0429 -

Professional Contexts in Guidance and Counselling (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will explore some of the criteria that might be used to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of services in the field of guidance and counselling. You will learn about: major areas of policy and government strategy that determine the focus or development of services in different fields; codes of practice and quality standards governing the operation of guidance and counselling organisations and agencies; systems for performance management and customer feedback. You will be introduced to enquiry skills including, observation and narrative recording, to enable you to undertake a series of enquiry based visits, and/ or conversations with practitioners and desk-based inquiry. You will also explore issues of safeguarding and ethical practice in relation to delivery of services and to support your planning and delivery of these visits.

More information

PP0430 -

The Social Self and Meaning Making (Core,20 Credits)

Being an effective practitioner hinges on having a clear and detailed understanding of self. In this module you will explore different ways of thinking about what it means to ‘be’ or to ‘have’ a self. You will look at the ways in which the experience of the self is embedded in social relations. Taking as a starting point the proposition that being a self involves being uniquely situated within the context of contemporary social conditions, dealing with an incessant sense of becoming, and being an active participant in social change, you will learn about the relationships between individuals and the wider cultural and structural contexts they inhabit. You will explore the ways in which being a self involves not simply being a product of social life but being collaboratively involved in its continuous emergence. You will examine ways in which competing, conflicting and subversive narratives around gender, class, age, disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, come to shape individuals’ perceptions of life and of their own roles in it. While the presence of structural and cultural influences are often obscured at the level of people’s everyday interactions with each other, it is within these that the self takes its shape and roles and identities are bestowed, learned, negotiated and resisted. When life is an ongoing, incessant process of meaning making, an insight into these relationships will enhance your understanding of why people think and feel about themselves as they do, and ground your developing Guidance and Counselling practice.

More information

RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

PP0548 -

Mentoring: Theory and Practice (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of mentoring, focusing on the use of both group and individual approaches in developing and enhancing the mentoring relationship. You will recognise the core guidance and counselling skills inherent in the mentoring role and apply them with 1st year undergraduates. You will undertake research into the effectiveness of mentoring across the life course and within educational, business and community settings.

More information

PP0549 -

The Skilled Helper (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of a range of helping processes drawn from differing contexts and critical perspectives. Attention is given to individual approaches to helping and initiating change. This will include the exploration of counselling within specific contexts (e.g. Transcultural, feminist, online etc.) and representations of helping in the media. There will also be an opportunity to explore critical views of counselling paradigms that have been developed within the disabled people’s movement and other sociological perspectives.

More information

PP0550 -

Career Development Project (Core,20 Credits)

The aim of the module is to provide you with an opportunity to explore potential career pathways and develop an understanding of professional roles by undertaking a career development project. Exploring entry routes and requirements of occupations through a range of sources, including direct contact with professionals, will further develop research skills as well as develop and utilise networks to help you to enhance your employability. You will conduct a study into a chosen professional area, reflect critically upon a range of academic and work related experiences and consider how these have informed your career identity and contributed to the development of graduate attributes and employability skills. You will complete an application and undertake a mock interview in which you will be supported to reflect upon and verbally articulate your graduate skills, attributes and values.

More information

PP0551 -

Guidance and Counselling in Groups (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of group delivery within a Guidance and Counselling context, building upon experience gained within the ‘Developing Skills and Strategies for Helping’ module. Throughout the module you will be provided with knowledge and practical experience of working with groups, initially as a participant and later as a facilitator. You will study theoretical approaches to group work and group management, the latter including the skills of leadership and facilitation. You will gain practical experience of working in groups, beginning with low stakes activities to build your confidence. Ultimately you will be involved, with a small group of your peers, in the planning and delivery of a group work session. You will undertake personal research into the effectiveness of group delivery of guidance and counselling as the module proceeds.

More information

PP0552 -

Research in Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module will help you to further develop knowledge from the module ‘introduction to academic research’ through development of a deeper understanding of the research process.
The overall module aim is to support you in developing your research skills and knowledge. You will also further develop your ability to analyse and critique research literature and to consider its application to practice. The module will provide you with a strong grounding in a range of research methods. It will also enable you to understand the philosophical and theoretical frameworks that underpin these methods and the research process as a whole. Undertaking this module will help you to prepare for your final year dissertation / project

More information

PP0553 -

Exploring Professional Practice (Optional,20 Credits)

The aim of the module is to provide you with opportunities to further develop knowledge and skills to enable transition from graduate level to the world of work. This module provides you the opportunity to develop your employability and understanding of contemporary professional practice by participating in a work related learning opportunity. Experiences will be provided to enhance your professional skills in a workplace setting by exploring the realities of day to day practice. Learning experiences will also be also provided to enable you to gain an appreciation of the contribution of the reflective process in developing your professional practice and an understanding of professional roles and responsibilities within a multi-agency context. This will give you the opportunity to explore possible areas of career interest and gain relevant experience.

As part of your placement preparation you will attend a short series of lectures and workshops in which you will be introduced to models of reflective practice and key concepts and issues relating to contemporary professional practice such as organisational culture, professionalism, professional boundaries, ethics/codes of conduct and multi agency/ integrated working. As the placement unfolds you will reflect on your experiences and progress towards agreed professional development targets via a placement diary. These reflections will then be shared in seminars and tutorials with peers and a tutor who will provide formative feedback that will enable you to enrich your understanding of professional practice in the workplace.

More information

PP0555 -

MAD Studies (Optional,20 Credits)

This module invites you to explore the concept of ‘madness’ with a consideration of ‘mental health’, ‘distress’ and ‘wellbeing’ through the perspectives of mental health service users and/or ‘survivors’. The survivors’ movement reject biological and genetic explanations of their mental health, they celebrate their difference and challenge the legal constraints placed upon them. In essence this is a political alignment within both the ‘anti psychiatry’ and ‘holistic’ movements in the UK and internationally. This module will therefore introduce you to the principle theorists Foucault, Laing, Beresford and LeFrancois. In addition the contested importance of mental health ‘recovery’ in current mental health provision will be explored along with critical challenges to diagnosis, treatment and potential stigma. Recovery refers to the affirming process of discovering (or rediscovering) a positive sense of self and accepting and coping with the reality of any ongoing mental health distress. This in turn includes a critic of the biological determinism often associated with any mental health pathology. The module will take a historical perspective to the field of madness including topics of architecture and art as well as the early interpretations and treatments. Intersectionality will also be considered through the relative influences of gender, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation providing a fuller understanding of how these effect the mad narrative.

More information

PP5001 -

Creative Helping Practices (Optional,20 Credits)

You will learn to identify, engage and apply a range of creative helping practices in the context of their programme of study. Students will be encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of alternatives to traditional interventions to allow for work with diverse communities and clients. You will explore the practicalities associated with engaging with alternative approaches, including the realities of accessing creative helping practices, developing engagement with clients, and understanding how these can support wellbeing across the life course. You will be introduced to a range of methods and supported to explore how these can be engaged with in practice.

More information

RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

PP0562 -

Guidance and Counselling: Year Abroad (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year long module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year. It is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host university, the student and the home university (Northumbria). Your study abroad year will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification however if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Study Abroad Year)”.

More information

PP0563 -

Guidance and Counselling: Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a full year module available only on degree courses which include a work placement year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6 (the length of the placement will be determined by your programme but it can be no less than 30 weeks and no more than 52 weeks). You will undertake a guided work placement at a host organisation. This is a Pass/Fail module and an overall pass grade and so does not contribute to classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by the placement provider, the student, and the home University (Northumbria).

More information

SW0519 -

Guidance and Counselling Placement Semester Long (Optional,60 Credits)

On this module you will gain experience and knowledge of working in a relevant placement, for a minimum of 15 weeks. You will develop transferable skills, such as knowledge of confidentiality, data protection, communication, problem-solving, group work, time-management, self-management, and record keeping. You will work within a team whilst maintaining boundaries and building professional relationships.

More information

SW0520 -

Guidance and Counselling Study Abroad Year out (semester long option) (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad semester long module is taken as part of an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. The other half of the year is occupied by the semester long placement module for the year out option.

You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host university, the student and the home university (Northumbria). Your study abroad semester will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification however if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Study abroad and work placement year)”.

More information

PP0635 -

Guidance and Counselling Project (Core,40 Credits)

Building on research understanding and skills developed throughout your programme, this module will introduce you to key ideas, perspectives and activities in social research relevant to guidance and counselling. You will develop knowledge and understanding about what and how things can be ‘known’ (epistemology), ways of seeing the world (paradigms), approaches and traditions in research (methodology), collecting or generating data (methods) and analysing or interpreting findings (analysis). In addition, you will understand how to relate each of these elements into a coherent research project and will appreciate relevant ethical issues that apply to your research.

More information

PP0636 -

Models of Career Guidance Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module explores theories of career choice and development and how these are used in career guidance practice with young people and adults. In this module you are encouraged to develop insight into a range of multi- disciplinary models of career choice and development and consider their relevance to current practice in the UK (both in schools and in in a range of settings for all ages). You will have the opportunity to further develop and apply important guidance and counselling skills in the context of careers work. You will undertake formative assessments which allow you to practice and further develop guidance skills. The summative assessment will involve planning and delivering a career guidance intervention, for example a career guidance interview or a group activity, and written commentary, drawing upon career development theory.

More information

PP0637 -

Engaging with Older Clients (Core,20 Credits)

Within this module you will develop the knowledge needed to support practice when working with older people. You will develop a critical understanding of key theoretical perspectives on ageing, with a focus on life course perspectives. You will also explore current, global, debates on ageing and develop the ability to apply underpinning knowledge to counselling practice when working with older people.
Within this module you will explore the realities of aging in society from the perspective of older people. As part of this module you will also explore a range of issues that may impact on older people and influence their engagement with guidance and counselling services.

More information

PP0638 -

Brief Approaches to Counselling and Helping (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of a range of brief approaches drawn from differing theoretical and critical perspectives. In this module you will develop knowledge and critical understanding of three types of brief counselling approaches as used in guidance and counselling settings: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Approaches and Motivational Interviewing. You will develop understanding of the theoretical background to the approaches and implications for practice. This may involve working in situations where you will think about issues that some people face, such as anxiety and depression, as well as behaviours which may prove problematic, such as substance misuse.

More information

PP0639 -

Narrative Approaches to Counselling and Helping (Core,20 Credits)

In this module you will develop knowledge and critical understanding of three types of narrative practice used in guidance and counselling: personal construct psychology, existential therapy and narrative therapy. You will develop understanding of the ways in which the lives of individuals, families and communities are shaped by the stories they tell about themselves, and of ways in which identities can be enriched and strengthened or hurt and diminished depending upon the sorts of stories that are told and who is recognised as having the right to tell stories. In exploring these three types of therapeutic intervention, you will gain insight into how different types of listening conversations can be used as opportunities to allow people to think about how damaging stories can be rejected, and different meanings and preferred storylines can lead to more positive, accepting outcomes. You will gain insight into the view that the person is never the problem, but that the problem is the problem: and find creative ways of working with people in to support them to think differently about problems. As well as learning about the theoretical bases of each of these approaches, you will participate in workshops and seminars where you will have the opportunity to begin to put them into practice. This may involve working in situations where you will consider ideas about subjects including loss, bereavement, death, modern power, or where you will learn about counselling individuals, couples, family groups and communities.

More information

RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

PP0425 -

Learning at University (Core,20 Credits)

This module aims to provide formal academic induction across your whole first year of study, introducing you to the academic literacy practices required to perform successfully in higher education. The module will equip you to become effective, active, independent learners throughout the rest of your degree. It will enable you to recognise appropriate approaches to study in higher education and begin to develop the academic skills, qualities and competencies expected of students on the programme. The module has been designed to support you to recognise and debate key concepts of your degree by encouraging you to actively engage in discussion and debate to enable you to make-sense of the subject-curricula and discourse communities of the discipline area and to develop your own standpoint.
The module will illuminate how to use, at various points throughout the programme, the expertise and resources on offer in a range of formats via, for instance, the Northumbria Skills framework including Skills Plus.

More information

PP0426 -

Developing Skills and Strategies for Helping (Core,20 Credits)

This module enables you to develop guidance and counselling skills used in a range of ‘helping’ professions and to explore the nature and application of one to one and group interventions in a range of settings. Drawing upon counselling theory, you will consider the skills, strategies and models underpinning effective guidance and counselling. You will undertake a range of formative, skill based activities and a summative assignment which encourages you to reflect on your own experience and use of guidance and counselling skills.

More information

PP0427 -

Counselling Perspectives (Core,20 Credits)

This module has been designed to support you to recognise and debate key concepts of your degree by providing you with underpinning knowledge and understanding regarding the broad foundation of the history and practice of counselling. You will examine a range of counselling perspectives and evaluation issues in relation to counselling practice. Through a range of teaching and learning strategies you will be encouraged to explain and distinguish between the various theoretical bases of counselling and identify their key features. The module aims to orientate you to the breadth of the discipline as well as the language and key terms used in the literature.

More information

PP0428 -

Introduction to Academic Research (Core,20 Credits)

This module provides you with an introduction to academic research within health and social sciences disciplines. In an increasingly information-rich society, knowledge and skills in research play an essential role in enabling society to anticipate, and respond to, unexpected challenges and change. Therefore, understanding and using research are recognised as essential requirements for all professionals to inform service improvement. This module is designed to develop your understanding of the nature, purpose, principles, practical challenges and ethics of research by examining a broad range of research methodologies and methods. You will also learn essential concepts and languages in research.

The focus of the module is on specific and very important aspects of research for you:
• Understanding the role of research;
• Introduction to research methodologies and how these underpin different forms of knowledge;
• Introduction to research methods and their strengths and weaknesses;
• Reviewing and critiquing literature with methodological appropriateness and with particular reference to the application to practice;
• understanding the importance of the ethical issues in research;
• Application of knowledge to practice and putting research to use.

This module will support you to develop the research skills and knowledge necessary that are transferable across disciplines. This module will assist you in the conception, development, documentation, delivery and reporting of your independent research. The module is invaluable in providing you with a solid foundation from which to develop your independent research, including final year project.

More information

PP0429 -

Professional Contexts in Guidance and Counselling (Core,20 Credits)

In this module, you will explore some of the criteria that might be used to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of services in the field of guidance and counselling. You will learn about: major areas of policy and government strategy that determine the focus or development of services in different fields; codes of practice and quality standards governing the operation of guidance and counselling organisations and agencies; systems for performance management and customer feedback. You will be introduced to enquiry skills including, observation and narrative recording, to enable you to undertake a series of enquiry based visits, and/ or conversations with practitioners and desk-based inquiry. You will also explore issues of safeguarding and ethical practice in relation to delivery of services and to support your planning and delivery of these visits.

More information

PP0430 -

The Social Self and Meaning Making (Core,20 Credits)

Being an effective practitioner hinges on having a clear and detailed understanding of self. In this module you will explore different ways of thinking about what it means to ‘be’ or to ‘have’ a self. You will look at the ways in which the experience of the self is embedded in social relations. Taking as a starting point the proposition that being a self involves being uniquely situated within the context of contemporary social conditions, dealing with an incessant sense of becoming, and being an active participant in social change, you will learn about the relationships between individuals and the wider cultural and structural contexts they inhabit. You will explore the ways in which being a self involves not simply being a product of social life but being collaboratively involved in its continuous emergence. You will examine ways in which competing, conflicting and subversive narratives around gender, class, age, disability, sexuality, race and ethnicity, come to shape individuals’ perceptions of life and of their own roles in it. While the presence of structural and cultural influences are often obscured at the level of people’s everyday interactions with each other, it is within these that the self takes its shape and roles and identities are bestowed, learned, negotiated and resisted. When life is an ongoing, incessant process of meaning making, an insight into these relationships will enhance your understanding of why people think and feel about themselves as they do, and ground your developing Guidance and Counselling practice.

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RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

PP0548 -

Mentoring: Theory and Practice (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of mentoring, focusing on the use of both group and individual approaches in developing and enhancing the mentoring relationship. You will recognise the core guidance and counselling skills inherent in the mentoring role and apply them with 1st year undergraduates. You will undertake research into the effectiveness of mentoring across the life course and within educational, business and community settings.

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PP0549 -

The Skilled Helper (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of a range of helping processes drawn from differing contexts and critical perspectives. Attention is given to individual approaches to helping and initiating change. This will include the exploration of counselling within specific contexts (e.g. Transcultural, feminist, online etc.) and representations of helping in the media. There will also be an opportunity to explore critical views of counselling paradigms that have been developed within the disabled people’s movement and other sociological perspectives.

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PP0550 -

Career Development Project (Core,20 Credits)

The aim of the module is to provide you with an opportunity to explore potential career pathways and develop an understanding of professional roles by undertaking a career development project. Exploring entry routes and requirements of occupations through a range of sources, including direct contact with professionals, will further develop research skills as well as develop and utilise networks to help you to enhance your employability. You will conduct a study into a chosen professional area, reflect critically upon a range of academic and work related experiences and consider how these have informed your career identity and contributed to the development of graduate attributes and employability skills. You will complete an application and undertake a mock interview in which you will be supported to reflect upon and verbally articulate your graduate skills, attributes and values.

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PP0551 -

Guidance and Counselling in Groups (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of group delivery within a Guidance and Counselling context, building upon experience gained within the ‘Developing Skills and Strategies for Helping’ module. Throughout the module you will be provided with knowledge and practical experience of working with groups, initially as a participant and later as a facilitator. You will study theoretical approaches to group work and group management, the latter including the skills of leadership and facilitation. You will gain practical experience of working in groups, beginning with low stakes activities to build your confidence. Ultimately you will be involved, with a small group of your peers, in the planning and delivery of a group work session. You will undertake personal research into the effectiveness of group delivery of guidance and counselling as the module proceeds.

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PP0552 -

Research in Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module will help you to further develop knowledge from the module ‘introduction to academic research’ through development of a deeper understanding of the research process.
The overall module aim is to support you in developing your research skills and knowledge. You will also further develop your ability to analyse and critique research literature and to consider its application to practice. The module will provide you with a strong grounding in a range of research methods. It will also enable you to understand the philosophical and theoretical frameworks that underpin these methods and the research process as a whole. Undertaking this module will help you to prepare for your final year dissertation / project

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PP0553 -

Exploring Professional Practice (Optional,20 Credits)

The aim of the module is to provide you with opportunities to further develop knowledge and skills to enable transition from graduate level to the world of work. This module provides you the opportunity to develop your employability and understanding of contemporary professional practice by participating in a work related learning opportunity. Experiences will be provided to enhance your professional skills in a workplace setting by exploring the realities of day to day practice. Learning experiences will also be also provided to enable you to gain an appreciation of the contribution of the reflective process in developing your professional practice and an understanding of professional roles and responsibilities within a multi-agency context. This will give you the opportunity to explore possible areas of career interest and gain relevant experience.

As part of your placement preparation you will attend a short series of lectures and workshops in which you will be introduced to models of reflective practice and key concepts and issues relating to contemporary professional practice such as organisational culture, professionalism, professional boundaries, ethics/codes of conduct and multi agency/ integrated working. As the placement unfolds you will reflect on your experiences and progress towards agreed professional development targets via a placement diary. These reflections will then be shared in seminars and tutorials with peers and a tutor who will provide formative feedback that will enable you to enrich your understanding of professional practice in the workplace.

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PP0555 -

MAD Studies (Optional,20 Credits)

This module invites you to explore the concept of ‘madness’ with a consideration of ‘mental health’, ‘distress’ and ‘wellbeing’ through the perspectives of mental health service users and/or ‘survivors’. The survivors’ movement reject biological and genetic explanations of their mental health, they celebrate their difference and challenge the legal constraints placed upon them. In essence this is a political alignment within both the ‘anti psychiatry’ and ‘holistic’ movements in the UK and internationally. This module will therefore introduce you to the principle theorists Foucault, Laing, Beresford and LeFrancois. In addition the contested importance of mental health ‘recovery’ in current mental health provision will be explored along with critical challenges to diagnosis, treatment and potential stigma. Recovery refers to the affirming process of discovering (or rediscovering) a positive sense of self and accepting and coping with the reality of any ongoing mental health distress. This in turn includes a critic of the biological determinism often associated with any mental health pathology. The module will take a historical perspective to the field of madness including topics of architecture and art as well as the early interpretations and treatments. Intersectionality will also be considered through the relative influences of gender, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation providing a fuller understanding of how these effect the mad narrative.

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PP5001 -

Creative Helping Practices (Optional,20 Credits)

You will learn to identify, engage and apply a range of creative helping practices in the context of their programme of study. Students will be encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of alternatives to traditional interventions to allow for work with diverse communities and clients. You will explore the practicalities associated with engaging with alternative approaches, including the realities of accessing creative helping practices, developing engagement with clients, and understanding how these can support wellbeing across the life course. You will be introduced to a range of methods and supported to explore how these can be engaged with in practice.

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RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

PP0562 -

Guidance and Counselling: Year Abroad (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year long module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year. It is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host university, the student and the home university (Northumbria). Your study abroad year will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification however if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Study Abroad Year)”.

More information

PP0563 -

Guidance and Counselling: Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a full year module available only on degree courses which include a work placement year which is taken as an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6 (the length of the placement will be determined by your programme but it can be no less than 30 weeks and no more than 52 weeks). You will undertake a guided work placement at a host organisation. This is a Pass/Fail module and an overall pass grade and so does not contribute to classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the training agreement signed by the placement provider, the student, and the home University (Northumbria).

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SW0519 -

Guidance and Counselling Placement Semester Long (Optional,60 Credits)

On this module you will gain experience and knowledge of working in a relevant placement, for a minimum of 15 weeks. You will develop transferable skills, such as knowledge of confidentiality, data protection, communication, problem-solving, group work, time-management, self-management, and record keeping. You will work within a team whilst maintaining boundaries and building professional relationships.

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SW0520 -

Guidance and Counselling Study Abroad Year out (semester long option) (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad semester long module is taken as part of an additional year of study between levels 5 and 6. The other half of the year is occupied by the semester long placement module for the year out option.

You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host university, the student and the home university (Northumbria). Your study abroad semester will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification however if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 60 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling (with Study abroad and work placement year)”.

More information

PP0635 -

Guidance and Counselling Project (Core,40 Credits)

Building on research understanding and skills developed throughout your programme, this module will introduce you to key ideas, perspectives and activities in social research relevant to guidance and counselling. You will develop knowledge and understanding about what and how things can be ‘known’ (epistemology), ways of seeing the world (paradigms), approaches and traditions in research (methodology), collecting or generating data (methods) and analysing or interpreting findings (analysis). In addition, you will understand how to relate each of these elements into a coherent research project and will appreciate relevant ethical issues that apply to your research.

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PP0636 -

Models of Career Guidance Practice (Core,20 Credits)

This module explores theories of career choice and development and how these are used in career guidance practice with young people and adults. In this module you are encouraged to develop insight into a range of multi- disciplinary models of career choice and development and consider their relevance to current practice in the UK (both in schools and in in a range of settings for all ages). You will have the opportunity to further develop and apply important guidance and counselling skills in the context of careers work. You will undertake formative assessments which allow you to practice and further develop guidance skills. The summative assessment will involve planning and delivering a career guidance intervention, for example a career guidance interview or a group activity, and written commentary, drawing upon career development theory.

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PP0637 -

Engaging with Older Clients (Core,20 Credits)

Within this module you will develop the knowledge needed to support practice when working with older people. You will develop a critical understanding of key theoretical perspectives on ageing, with a focus on life course perspectives. You will also explore current, global, debates on ageing and develop the ability to apply underpinning knowledge to counselling practice when working with older people.
Within this module you will explore the realities of aging in society from the perspective of older people. As part of this module you will also explore a range of issues that may impact on older people and influence their engagement with guidance and counselling services.

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PP0638 -

Brief Approaches to Counselling and Helping (Core,20 Credits)

You will explore the theory and practice of a range of brief approaches drawn from differing theoretical and critical perspectives. In this module you will develop knowledge and critical understanding of three types of brief counselling approaches as used in guidance and counselling settings: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Approaches and Motivational Interviewing. You will develop understanding of the theoretical background to the approaches and implications for practice. This may involve working in situations where you will think about issues that some people face, such as anxiety and depression, as well as behaviours which may prove problematic, such as substance misuse.

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PP0639 -

Narrative Approaches to Counselling and Helping (Core,20 Credits)

In this module you will develop knowledge and critical understanding of three types of narrative practice used in guidance and counselling: personal construct psychology, existential therapy and narrative therapy. You will develop understanding of the ways in which the lives of individuals, families and communities are shaped by the stories they tell about themselves, and of ways in which identities can be enriched and strengthened or hurt and diminished depending upon the sorts of stories that are told and who is recognised as having the right to tell stories. In exploring these three types of therapeutic intervention, you will gain insight into how different types of listening conversations can be used as opportunities to allow people to think about how damaging stories can be rejected, and different meanings and preferred storylines can lead to more positive, accepting outcomes. You will gain insight into the view that the person is never the problem, but that the problem is the problem: and find creative ways of working with people in to support them to think differently about problems. As well as learning about the theoretical bases of each of these approaches, you will participate in workshops and seminars where you will have the opportunity to begin to put them into practice. This may involve working in situations where you will consider ideas about subjects including loss, bereavement, death, modern power, or where you will learn about counselling individuals, couples, family groups and communities.

More information

RV5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Nursing, Midwifery and Health; Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.

Guidance and Counselling BA (Hons)

Home or EU applicants please apply through UCAS

International applicants please apply using the links below

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Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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