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  • Career Counselling and Coaching (Postgraduate Diploma)
  • 2012/2013 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • Essays, counselling transcripts and written examinations in June.

  • Attendance
      • October–July.
      • Five termly residential weekend workshops and 14 counselling skills workshop days at Birkbeck over two years.
  • Duration
      • Two years part-time minimum, three years part-time maximum.
  • Entry requirements
      • A good honours degree, or equivalent, from a recognised university.
      • A good command of the English language, both written and oral (IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent for applicants whose first language is not English).
      • Management development professionals and consultants without a first degree but with suitable professional qualifications and at least five or more years' significant management experience in a range of organisations may be considered.

      Find out about our international entry requirements

  • Fees and funding
    • Fees (2012/13)
      • Part-time (home/EU students): £4975 pa
      • Part-time (overseas students): £7050 pa
  • Location

    • By network learning, with regular face-to-face counselling skills sessions in central London and termly residential weekend workshops just outside London.

  • Teaching

    • Theoretical components are taught mainly through online, tutor-supported discussion groups via network learning. You will also attend termly residential weekends, involving both lectures and group exercises.

      The career counselling skills are taught mainly through whole-day skills workshops, with teaching and feedback on skills development from experienced tutors. Access to suitable clients is required for this work.

Career Counselling and Coaching (Postgraduate Diploma) - 2012/2013 entry


  • Overview

    • This programme is designed for those interested in understanding and developing individual and organisational careers. It will also be relevant if you want to develop expertise in career management, and is particularly appropriate for human resource practitioners and consultants, training managers and guidance workers.

      Through a programme of taught modules and career counselling skills training, you will gain a theoretical grounding, complemented by practical training. Career counselling training includes small-group skills practice and case discussion.

  • Why study this course at Birkbeck?
      • Suitable for those wanting to develop careers in adult career counselling and other career-based roles, such as mentoring or coaching.
      • Our Department of Organizational Psychology is renowned for its quality teaching and expertise in the delivery of part-time programmes.
      • Combination of face-to-face teaching and network learning, allowing you to study from home, at work or abroad.
  • Course structure
  • Study resources

    • Access to an extensive range of electronic resources, including specially prepared texts for each module. Use of the online learning environment with a high level of staff support.

      Find out more about our student support and study facilities.

  • Further study opportunities
  • Careers information

    • Career counselling and coaching is an expanding profession, given the changing world of work and ever-increasing career options. A large number of students have completed our career counselling programmes over the years, and they have a remarkable success rate in applying for jobs in the field. Some have joined career management and outplacement agencies; some have taken up positions in university careers advisory services; others have set up their own private practice. Not all want to spend their time doing one-to-one work, however, and some use the skills and knowledge gained on the course to progress in their current management role: for example, some with HR backgrounds have taken the lead in their organisation to develop career management initiatives for employees.

      In a recent Graduate Destination Survey, our graduates told us they were working as managers and consultants for law firms, the British Council, Shell, American Express and the London Business School.

  • Apply now