Program Overview

Communication and Counselling Studies - BSc (Hons)

Overview

Offering practical skills and robust understanding of the importance of effective communication in counselling, health and related contexts.

Summary

This interdisciplinary and skills-focused degree programme:

• Provides students with a theoretical, empirical and experiential understanding of applied communication studies within interpersonal, professional, social and cultural contexts.
• Offers students an introduction to counselling theories, skills and ethical-decision-making.
• Equips students with knowledge to identify opportunities to plan and undertake interdisciplinary research in the fields of communication, counselling studies and mental health.
• Develops students' organisational, observation, analytical and reflective skills for continuing personal and professional development, all of which are a prerequisite for training or working as counsellors, psychotherapists or other healthcare professionals.
• Teaching is by an award-winning team of lecturers, researchers and practitioners with experience in the applied field of mental health, including counselling, psychotherapy and health communication.
• Holds Advanced Training Status for counselling studies from the National Counselling Society (NCS).

About this course

Attendance

Between four and six years part-time.

Two semesters per year.

One or two modules per semester (a maximum of four modules per year).

Each module usually involves two hours of lectures plus a one-hour seminar each week. In addition, students are required to undertake substantial directed independent learning.

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

• Attendance and Independent Study
• Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module.
• Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods.
• Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module's stated learning outcomes.

Academic profile

This course is team-taught by staff across the School of Communication and Media, all of whom are highly-experienced, internationally-recognised experts in their respective fields of study: Counselling and Health Communication, Communication Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, and Language and Linguistics.

Modules

Year one

• Social Psychology of Communication
• Understanding Ourselves and Others
• Understanding the Life Course
• Nature and Contexts of Counselling

Year two

• Communication and Language
• Interpersonal Communication: Skills and Strategies
• Counselling Theory
• Communication in Relationships

Year three

• Advanced Interpersonal Communication
• Research Methods
• Mental Health and Well-being
• Reflections on Workplace Experience

Year four

• Critical Issues in Counselling Studies
• Psychosocial Issues
• Communication & Social Justice (optional)

Year five

• Dissertation
• Rethinking Communication (optional)
• Healthcare Communication (optional)

Standard entry conditions

• A level: Provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE English Language grades A-C/ 4-9 or equivalent); and provide evidence of passes in five subjects, two of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and three at GCSE level* (grades A-C/4-9); or provide evidence of passes in four subjects, three of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and one at GCSE level* (grades A- C/4-9); or provide evidence of an approved qualification at an equivalent level such as a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma or Access to Higher Education qualification or equivalent; or provide evidence, for a process of formal accreditation by the University, of learning you have gained through work or other experience.
• GCSE: You must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first degree course and hold a GCSE pass in English Language at grade C or above (or equivalent).
• English Language Requirements: The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Careers & opportunities

• While this course is not formal counsellor training, it does provide a solid academic grounding for students who wish to pursue professional counselling or psychotherapy training and accreditation following graduation.
• It is also an excellent platform for graduates who wish to pursue further training in a range of professions, e.g. social work, social care, nursing, youth work, community work and teaching.
• The course can be used as a route into the area of more generic graduate schemes. It is ideal for graduate entry into careers, such as the civil service, police, retail management or human resource management.

Fees and funding

• Module Pricing: The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.
• Annual Increase Disclaimer: Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.
• Additional mandatory costs: It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.