Name: Counselling & Psychotherapy, BSc (Hons)
Price: £9,535 per year GBP

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Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an autumn Open Day

Duration

3 years

Start

September 2025

UCAS Code

CPY1

Delivery

In-person

Foundation year available

Our BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy course will enable you to develop the skills you need to pursue a successful career working as a qualified counsellor with expertise in pluralistic practice.

This course will prepare you for a career where you’ll be listening, empathising and providing support to people in a safe space, shaping lives and facilitating change.

This qualification is designed enhance your personal development, particularly your knowledge and skills relating to the pluralistic approach during clinical practice.

Alongside this, you will complete a placement portfolio of 100 clinical client hours and follow the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) ethical framework in order to qualify as a practitioner.

This course will give you the unique skills and experience to channel that vocation, putting you on the path to work in the field of counselling. It’s ideal for anybody who wants to work in the helping professions. This unique course allows you to build on your strengths and look at how you work with people.

You’ll examine contemporary issues in the field, with a focus on public mental health and social prescribing.

Why study with us

We offer one of the only undergraduate courses with a qualifying counselling placement embedded in the curriculum.
Our team is made up of psychotherapists with extensive experience in their field who all continue to be in clinical practice.
We’ve been ranked third in the UK for the outstanding support we provide to help our students improve their mental health (HUMEN 2022).

Interested?

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What you'll do

You’ll develop an in-depth understanding of contemporary issues in counselling.
During the course you’ll complete a Professional Assessment Document demonstrating 100 hours of clinical practice.
Gain life-long learning and recognition of the value of education and research.

Modules

This module aims to enhanced personal development and clinical practice and introduces the use of the more advanced skills of challenging, developing behavioural experiments, focusing and use of metaphor and working with comorbid or specific presenting concerns or identities. You will be facilitated in acquiring the expertise to assess those clients who will be able to participate in and benefit from the pluralistic counselling relationship.

Module code: CG3014

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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Student centre rooftop students — Student Centre

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Academic expertise

Niomi Wilkinson

Lecturer

Future counselling and psychotherapy careers

This course will equip you with the skills you need to become a professional practitioner in the field of counselling. You can read our guide on how to become a therapist.

Entry requirements

We will consider your educational achievements, predicted grades, work experience and personal statement. If you don't meet the grades for your chosen course, we will consider you for other programmes.

We know that many factors can influence the grades you achieve in school or college. If your life experience has affected your academic studies, we can take this into account. Use the UCAS Points Calculator below to check whether you are eligible.

Unsure if you meet our entry requirements? Contact our friendly Course Enquiries team to talk through your options.

Please note if your application is deemed unsuccessful subsequent applications submitted within the same UCAS cycle will not be considered.

UCAS: 96-112 points at A2
BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM-DMM
BTEC Diploma: DD-D*D*
Pass Access Course: 96-112 UCAS points
International Baccalaureate Diploma: Pass including 96-112 points from Higher Level Subjects
T Level: P (C+) - M
IELTS: 6.0 with no Component lower than 5.5
GCSEs: 5 at grade C/4 including English or equivalent
Applicants are required to attend a selection day when they will be interviewed for the course
A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) is required for this course

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Use our UCAS points calculator

Discover how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth

Calculate your grades

Not got the grades?

Our courses with a foundation year could be exactly what you're looking for. They provide an alternative route to study for this degree.

Find out more about our courses with a foundation year.

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,535 per year

Sandwich year£1,575 for the sandwich year

International

Full-time£17,325 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Care Leaver Bursary
Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Care Leaver Bursary
Estranged student support
Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Estranged student support
Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Financial support package
If you are from a low income household our Financial Bursary may be able to help.
Find out more about Financial support package

The BSc (Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy is focused on developing a range of communication and counselling skills.

Each week there will be a mixture of short lectures, group discussion, debates, presentations and blended learning designed to meet the learning styles of all class members.

You’ll be encouraged to reflect on experiences from the skills sessions in order to maximise learning opportunities and discuss these experiences within a group setting. As you progress you’ll acquire the skills, strategies and behaviours expected of a confident, independent and active learner.

The assessments range from assignments to presentations, with the opportunity on some modules of negotiated assessments. You will also be given directed study and reading lists to help focus on specific areas in preparation for class.

All Counselling and Psychotherapy courses have a requirement to become a member of the BACP, pay for personal insurance, and attend clinical supervision when on placement.

Some placement providers charge students for DBS checks and interviews. They may also, in some instances, charge a monthly administration fee in addition to any supervision costs.

There is currently no requirement for students to have personal counselling or psychotherapy. However, it is usually the case that every student recognises this is necessary during their course.

All these costs are additional to your course fees and are met by you as a student.

This course requires you to become a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and attend clinical supervision when on placement.

In the event that your Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check proves to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of this course, your offer of a place may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course, even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice, as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Interested?

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This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Your saved courses

Counselling & Psychotherapy

Why study with us

What you'll do

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Year 3

Compulsory modules

View Counselling and Psychotherapy facilities

Academic expertise

Future counselling and psychotherapy careers

Entry requirements

Use our UCAS points calculator

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Dependants Bursary

Financial support package

Counselling & Psychotherapy

Why study with us

What you'll do

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Ask a student

View Counselling and Psychotherapy facilities

Academic expertise

Future counselling and psychotherapy careers

Interested in the psychology of counselling?

Entry requirements

Use our UCAS points calculator

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Additional costs

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Dependants Bursary

Financial support package

Learning and assessment

Additional costs

Further information