Introduction to the Professional Certificate Programme in Guidance and Counselling

The Professional Certificate Programme in Guidance and Counselling is designed to nurture "people-helpers" such as teachers, youth workers, and those in other caring fields. The programme adopts a developmental approach, providing learning through experience and self-reflection, with a strong emphasis on how guidance and counselling can be rendered effectively in the context of Hong Kong.

Programme Objectives

The programme is designed for the following objectives:

• To provide participants with an understanding of the nature and theories of guidance and counselling and its historical development.
• To enhance participants' self-awareness and sensitivity to feelings and emotions.
• To improve participants' communication skills.
• To provide participants with the practical counselling skills and techniques needed when counselling students.

Programme Panel and Teaching Personnel

The programme is led by:

• Professor YIN Hong-biao, Chairperson & Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, CUHK, and Associate Director, Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, CUHK.
• Ms. YEUNG Kin Sie, Denise, with a background in education and counselling. The teaching personnel include experienced educators and counsellors with diverse backgrounds in psychology, education, and social work.

Target Participants

The programme targets:

• Full-time teachers in primary or secondary schools in Hong Kong who are serving in school counselling teams or who are interested in guidance and counselling.
• Full-time school social workers or youth workers.
• Teaching professionals or administrators in educational institutes, who are holders of a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university.
• Graduates of other professional diploma or certificate programmes in Guidance and Counselling offered by The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Schedule of Meetings

The programme schedule includes:

• Regular Meetings: Each module will take place on either one evening from Monday to Friday, Saturday morning, or Saturday afternoon.
• Workshops and Growth Groups: These will be held during school holidays or on Saturdays.
• Practicum and Supervision: This will be arranged on weekday evenings, Saturday mornings, or Saturday afternoons.

Tuition Fee

The tuition fee for the programme is HK$39,900. Payment should be made by bank transfer or crossed cheque/cashier order payable to "The Chinese University of Hong Kong". The fee is to be paid upon acceptance of the admission offer, and fees paid are not refundable or transferable.

Exemption Policy

Recipients of the Professional Diploma/Certificate in Guidance and Counselling, Professional Diploma/Certificate in Parent Education, and Professional Diploma/Certificate in School Discipline and Classroom Management, wishing to proceed to the following programmes, may apply for exemption from a maximum of 42 contact hours of elective study.

Programme and Graduation Requirements

To qualify for the Professional Certificate in Guidance and Counselling, participants must:

• Complete a total of THREE compulsory modules and THREE elective modules within ONE year of the date of registration.
• Attend no less than 80% of the required modules set in the curriculum.
• Complete all written assignments with an average grade of C or above.

Certificate of Completion

Participants may choose to take individual elective module(s) to tailor their studies to their own interest in guidance and counselling. Taking of any one of the elective modules with an attendance rate of no less than 80%, and having completed all designated assignments with an average grade of "C", a Certificate of Completion will be awarded. Holders of a Certificate of Completion may transfer, within a period of 7 years, the earned credit units to the Professional Certificate Programme in Guidance and Counselling or other professional certificate programmes offered by the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research for unit exemption and tuition fee reduction.