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LOCATION
Stratford Campus
Location Fees and Funding
Here's the fees and funding information for each year of this course
Overview
Would you like to study for an undergraduate degree leading to a professional career in mental health? A course packed with transferable skills relevant to so many careers? A course with an integral placement, working alongside clients as they explore life’s troubles and life’s meaning?
Then our BSc Counselling course is what you are looking for!
We’re offering you an exciting and inclusive British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited professional and academic training and education in counselling. Our course integrates theory, therapeutic competencies, self-awareness, professional development, skills work, and placements, so that you’re prepared to become skilled, competent and reflective practitioners and life-long learners.
On the course, we'll give you in-depth knowledge of three major psychotherapeutic approaches:
- Person-centred therapy
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic therapy
You will develop your understanding of a key feature of counselling: the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client. In order to achieve this, you'll experience personal therapy yourself, starting in year one. You'll also practise what you've learned in lectures through video-recorded counselling sessions with your peers in the UEL labs. Once you’ve passed a Readiness to Practice assessment, you’ll progress into supervised clinical placements, meeting with clients bringing a range of life experiences - such as loss and bereavement, violence and abuse, depression and anxiety.
We’ll prepare you to think about work with clients, and learning at university, with regard to intersectionality. Social justice is one of our passions as a teaching team. It’s what UEL stands for!
There are many jobs and careers that are options for you with a BSc Counselling degree. It is a vocational training programme so graduates are eligible to practice after graduation in public and private practice. Other opportunities include jobs within the Allied Psychology sector, such as: Employment Specialist; Social Prescribing Link Worker; Wellbeing Manager; support roles in NHS and other mental health providers; advocacy work in the third sector. Some of these many require further training that we can help you with.
Some of our graduates choose to seek employment in non-Psychology areas. These are jobs in areas where there are employers who want counselling graduates, due to the transferable skills you will gain during your studies. These include Human Resources; Civil Service; Graduate Training Schemes; Teaching; Third sector/Charity roles; administration; Self-employed/entrepreneur (counselling or non-counselling psychology linked).
Students could further progress their education with any of the postgraduate courses we offer such as Counselling and Psychotherapy-linked PG courses for professional development, Counselling psychology, MSc Psychology conversion programme.
What makes this course different
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Theory, practice, research and personal development are the four pillars on which we've built our course.
In year one, you'll study the foundations of the therapeutic process and start to practise counselling skills. You’ll be introduced to the importance of working ethically. You’ll engage in personal and professional development. There will be research methods modules, on working with small and larger samples. You’ll learn about one modality (or approach) to therapy – person-centred therapy.
Year two builds on what you have learned in year one, offering you modules in life-span development with regard to adults, and children and young people. You’ll deepen your knowledge of research methods. You’ll learn about psychodynamic counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In year two, you’ll take your Readiness to Practice assessment – when you’ve passed that, you can go out into clinical placement.
The final year of the course brings together the modalities (or approaches) you have studied – person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic – to look at becoming an integrative practitioner. You will have a module about clinical practice and supervision and one about becoming a competent practitioner. There is an optional module on existential counselling, and other choices from psychology. This year, you will also complete your research dissertation.
We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up to date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.
If you want to join us to study for a degree in counselling but don't have the standard entry requirements, then our one-year Foundation course is perfect for you. Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year (passing all four modules including Topics for Counselling), students are eligible for an interview to join the BSc Counselling degree. If you change your mind during the course, you are also eligible to progress onto the BSc (Hons) Psychology, or one of our specialised pathways.
DOWNLOAD COURSE SPECIFICATIONS
BSc (Hons) Counselling - course specification
pdf, 166.81 KB
MODULES
- Core Modules
Core Counselling Skills and Processes CloseCore Counselling Skills and Processes
By the end of this module, you will have received an overview of the main tenets of counselling theory, research and practice in the UK. You will have acquired an understanding of the various attitudes and core qualities relevant to counselling and allied helping professions, and you will have begun to understand the importance of ethics and ethical issues in counselling.
You will also have gained hands-on experience of the development and use of core skills such as attending, listening and communicating empathy. During this process, you will gain a good grounding in the role of personal therapy as a means of persona and professional development.
Moreover, you will have experienced, first-hand, the privilege of working with peers in a process of developing personally and professionally through practical experience. A central theme in this pursuit is that of embracing reflective practice through giving and receiving feedback.
Personal Development and Professional Life (Mental Wealth) ClosePersonal Development and Professional Life (Mental Wealth)
This module aims to enhance your knowledge of theories and interventions in various areas of personal and professional development including the acknowledgment and refining of emotional, social, physical and cognitive intelligence. You will develop your reflective abilities and interpersonal skills; you will understand the importance of self-awareness in your role as a professional, accountable and ethical trainee counsellor. Issues of difference, diversity and equality will be considered in relation to personal and professional values and responsibilities.
Researching with Small Samples CloseResearching with Small Samples
To introduce students to key approaches to research in Psychology, including research design, data analysis, evaluating and writing up research. This module will focus on research methods appropriate to questions relating to smaller sample sizes.
Person-Centred Counselling ClosePerson-Centred Counselling
This module will introduce you to the main theory and philosophy of the Person-Centred therapeutic approach. It will enable you to develop a relationship with yourself and others, by means of understanding and putting into practice the Person-Centred philosophy. Through reflective learning and ethical practice, you will learn about difference and diversity whilst developing your understanding of human distress. Contemporary advancements of the Person-Centred approach will also be discussed.
Professional Development and Ethical Practice CloseProfessional Development and Ethical Practice
By the end of this module, you will have received an overview of psychological theories and methods of professional development. You will gain an understanding of the conceptual, historical and philosophical assumptions of counselling and psychology as compared with other helping professions, including the medical profession.
You will learn about the BACP Ethical Framework and explore ethical dilemmas in counselling. You will continue to develop your self-awareness, reflecting on your beliefs, assumptions and values. You will explore the benefits and challenges of working with others who hold similar and different perspectives to your own.
Researching with Larger Samples CloseResearching with Larger Samples
To introduce students to key approaches to research in Psychology, including research design, data analysis, evaluating and writing up research. This module will focus on research methods appropriate to questions relating to larger sample sizes.
- Core Modules
Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (Mental Wealth) CloseBecoming a Reflective Practitioner (Mental Wealth)
This module will prepare you for the process of finding a clinical placement. We will focus on a variety of personal and professional development activities to enable you to use reflective practice theory and applied skills to become more aware of your development as an emerging practitioner. You will have opportunities to improve the core and generic skills and personal qualities necessary for safe and effective practice and you will learn how to reflectively apply your knowledge of the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice. You will be introduced to the theory and application of reflective practice and you will be working with peers under tutor supervision to reflect on, monitor and critically evaluate your counselling practice.
Psychodynamic Counselling ClosePsychodynamic Counselling
This module will introduce you to the theories and practices of psychodynamic thinking. You will gain an in-depth understanding of how interpersonal dynamics unfold within a therapeutic relationship and how they inform therapeutic practice. You will be able to reflect on your personal experiences and how they influence your emerging counselling practice and your style of relating to others.
Research Methods CloseResearch Methods
This module will provide you with a detailed and practical overview of qualitative research theory and methodology, placing an emphasis on the use of research skills which are particularly amenable to counselling practice. You will increase and refine your ability to plan and design ethical research and write up research proposals. Epistemological and methodological issues including reflexivity and ethics will be introduced and discussed. At the end of the module you will also have familiarised yourself with key findings from research into counselling and related disciplines, acquiring an enhanced ability to review and evaluate previous findings in the field.
Life Span Development (Children and Young People) CloseLife Span Development (Children and Young People)
This module will introduce you to psychological theories related to child development and to the main historical landmarks in the understanding of counselling for children and young people. The main theoretical principles that underpin current models of counselling children and young people and the associated legal and ethical frameworks will be discussed. At the end of the module you will have acquired an understanding of a range of counselling skills and techniques deriving from contemporary approaches to counselling children and young people.
Life Span Development (Adulthood and Later Life) CloseLife Span Development (Adulthood and Later Life)
This module will introduce you to the main psychological theories of lifespan development and its various milestones and transitions. It will adopt a multidimensional framework of the lifecycle in order to place clients' presenting issues in a developmental context. Through this process you will become aware of how your own experiences and stages of life affects the way you relate to others, both generally and in context of counselling work.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CloseCognitive Behavioural Therapy
By the end of this module, you will have received a broad overview of theory, research, skills, techniques and applications of relevance to Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT). You will gain an understanding of scientific understandings of the mind, the brain, behaviour and experience, as well as how each interacts with the complex environments in which it is situated. This will then inform your grasp of the cognitive and behavioural underpinnings of CBT as a psychotherapeutic approach.
You will have acquired tangible knowledge that can be explicitly applied toward integrating the cognitive-behavioural therapeutic approach with other counselling skills and processes. You will also be introduced to various cognitive conceptualisation models (assessment and formulation from a CBT perspective), all of which will have application to a variety of client presenting issues.
- Core Modules
Becoming a Competent Practitioner (Mental Wealth) CloseBecoming a Competent Practitioner (Mental Wealth)
This dedicated work-based learning module will equip you with the knowledge and skills required for competent, professional and ethical practice as a counsellor. You will be able to recognise specific conditions and utilise your knowledge to make decisions regarding therapeutic plans, multidisciplinary support, and/or referral to other professionals. At the end of the module, you will know how to present and communicate a case to other professionals in supervision. You will have acquired experience of attending clinical supervision, utilising it to develop your practice as an emerging counsellor. Continuous reflection will be further embedded into both your counselling work and personal development.
Research Dissertation CloseResearch Dissertation
This module will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to conceptualise, design, execute and report an original piece of research relevant to counselling and psychology. It will facilitate the application of your skills and psychological knowledge to conduct and report an independent piece of empirical research.
Clinical Practice and Supervision CloseClinical Practice and Supervision
This module will augment your knowledge about various client presentations and how to work within them. It will sharpen your professional understanding and skills, whilst furthering your ability to assess and formulate a client's presenting issues and form a therapeutic plan. Utilisation of clinical supervision will hold a central place in your practice and learning. Continuous reflection and self-care will be further embedded into both your counselling work and personal development.
The Integrative Practitioner CloseThe Integrative Practitioner
This module will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to critically evaluate the theory and philosophy of integration in counselling and psychotherapy. You will understand the philosophical underpinnings and challenges of integration and visit a range of theories and approaches on integrative practice, assessment and formulation. You will reflect on your own personal synthesis and way of working with a counsellor. Within this reflective process you will achieve a critical evaluation of your evolving personal and professional development, your integrative understanding of human distress and the language you tend to use when framing and communicating a client's presenting issues in your counselling practice and to peer practitioners.
Optional ModulesExistential Counselling CloseExistential Counselling
By the end of this module, you should expect to have gained a theoretical understanding of concepts and issues involved in Existential Counselling and its application to therapeutic practice. By exploring aspects of the human condition, you will develop knowledge and understanding of how existential ideas can facilitate change within the psychotherapeutic process.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
We have implemented an innovative Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL):
- Increased face-to-face learning and teaching. Students will spend their timetabled contact hours on campus in a 2.5 day block and have access to a wide range of additional learning and career development opportunities.
- Access to notes, readings and e-resources through the VLE, so that student engagement in learning takes place beyond timetabled hours.
- Access to industry standard technology and specialist spaces that help prepare students for their future career.
- Dedicated time, every Wednesday afternoon, for most students to engage in activities and development programmes such as sport and physical activity, volunteering and student-led clubs and societies.
- A holistic approach to learning and teaching, providing a range of opportunities to actively develop academically, personally and professionally.
- Access to our on-campus and virtual Career Zones - places to receive advice and guidance, meet employers, practice interviews and engage with opportunities for internships and jobs.
- Personalised support throughout the learner journey, with access to academic advisers, skills tutors, career coaches and wellbeing advisers.
- A dedicated portal - Track My Future (TMF) - which provides access to all learning and support services and a personalised student engagement dashboard.
You'll be taught by a range of staff, all of whom are qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, or psychologists, which ensures practice-focused teaching and research that is relevant to your professional development and future career.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
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% 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

Stratford Campus, Water Lane, Stratford
WHO TEACHES THIS COURSE
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
What we're researching
At the University of East London we are working on the some of the big issues that will define our future; from sustainable architecture and ethical AI, to health inequality and breaking down barriers in the creative industries.
Our students and academics are more critically engaged and socially conscious than ever before. Discover some of the positive changes our students, alumni and academics are making in the world.

Taking up a counselling degree has helped me a lot in my self-discovery and personal growth. Over the last year I have become more and 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 or for other career options. 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)
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
There are many jobs and careers that are options for you with a BSc Counselling degree. It is a vocational training programme so graduates are eligible to practice after graduation in public and private practice.
Other opportunities include jobs within the Allied Psychology sector, such as: Employment Specialist; Social Prescribing Link Worker; Wellbeing Manager; support roles in NHS and other mental health providers; advocacy work in the third sector. Some of these many require further training that we can help you with.
Some of our graduates choose to seek employment in non-Counselling areas. These are jobs in areas where there are employers who want counselling graduates, due to the transferable skills you will gain during your studies. These include Human Resources; Civil Service; Graduate Training Schemes; Teaching; Third sector/Charity roles; administration; Self-employed/entrepreneur (counselling or non-counselling psychology linked).
You could further progress your education with any of the postgraduate courses we offer such as Counselling and Psychotherapy-linked PG courses for professional development, Counselling psychology, MSc Psychology conversion programme.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.