University of Notre Dame Australia

Master of Counselling

Delivery: Face to Face
Study Level: Postgraduate
Duration: 24 months
Course Type: Master's

Develop advanced counselling knowledge through evidence-based study, practical placement and research, preparing for professional counselling practice across diverse client groups and human service settings.

Course overview

The Master of Counselling from The University of Notre Dame Australia is designed for graduates from a range of professional backgrounds who want to develop advanced counselling knowledge and practical skills. Delivered on campus over two years full-time (or the equivalent part-time), the program combines coursework, research and supervised professional experience through an integrative approach to contemporary counselling practice.

Throughout the program, you will explore counselling skills, theoretical approaches to counselling, mental health, family systems and couples, group facilitation, trauma, loss and grief, professional practice and research methods. Learning is reinforced through a minimum of 200 hours of supervised counselling placement, providing opportunities to apply counselling skills in professional settings while completing placement supervision and case studies.

Accredited by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), the program combines academic study with practical counselling experience to support professional practice in a range of human service contexts.

CSP Subsidised Fees Available

This program has a limited quota of Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). The indicative CSP price is calculated based on first year fees for EFT. The actual fee may vary if there are choices in electives or majors.

Key facts

Delivery

Face to Face

Course Type

Master's

Duration

24 months (Full time)

Campus

Broadway
Fremantle

Intake

8th February, 2027
12th July, 2027

Units

Fees

HECS, CSP

What you will study

To earn the Master of Counselling, you must successfully complete units totalling 400 credit points, as detailed below. Unless otherwise noted, each course is worth 25 credit points.

Core courses

Ethical Issues in Professional Life
Interpersonal Group Practice
Counselling Skills
Theoretical Approaches to Counselling
Approaches to Mental Health
Couples and Family Therapy
Advanced Counselling Skills
Research Methods
Placement, Supervision and Case Studies A
Placement, Supervision and Case Studies B
Professional Practice
Trauma, Loss and Grief Counselling
Specialised Counselling Approaches

Elective units

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

To be eligible for admission to this program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent.
Demonstrate a suitable degree of mature life experience, including self-awareness, a capacity to relate to others and an understanding of ethical behaviour. Admission also requires a selection interview with a member of the Counselling staff. At the interview, the applicant must demonstrate a suitable mature life experience as defined by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA).
Successful applicants will be required to provide a current National Police Clearance.

Recognition of Prior Learning

You may be eligible for recognition of prior learning if you have previously studied or have relevant work experience. This will help to reduce the number of units that you need to study to finish your course. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Master of Counselling, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate advanced and integrated knowledge of a range of theoretical approaches to Counselling.
Demonstrate a commitment to professional and personal development through training, supervision and counselling.
Apply appropriate research skills relevant to an area of Counselling.
Execute advanced counselling skills, including assessing presenting issues, explaining aetiology, developing therapeutic alliances and implementing appropriate interventions.
Implement advanced skills in counselling practice in a variety of settings with individuals, couples and groups.
Research and report original findings through written and/or oral presentations.
Communicate, both orally and in writing, to an advanced level.
Work independently and, where appropriate, in collaboration with others.
Apply professional and ethical standards to clients and colleagues and provide culturally, linguistically and socially diverse counselling strategies.

Career outcomes

With a Master of Counselling, you can register as a counsellor and work with clients in various settings.
Careers include:

Relationship counsellors
Financial counsellors
Rehabilitation counsellors
School counsellors
Youth workers
Family support workers
Private practitioners and psychotherapists.

Fees and CSP

Indicative annual fee in 2026: $9,537 (Commonwealth Supported Place).

Indicative annual fees are based on your first year of study.

A student’s annual fee may vary by:

The number of units studied.
Choice of units.
Credit from previous study or work experience.
Eligibility for government-funded loans.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

Calculated per the course you're enrolled in.
Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
Reviewed and adjusted each year.