The BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy course provides professional training in humanistic person-centred counselling / psychotherapy. This course is designed for those who have an interest in mental health, the human condition and a willingness to work with others in times of significant distress.
The course will involve a comprehensive study of Carl Rogers’ theory and practice contextualised in a range of key paradigms. Students have the opportunity to work with clients through the counselling service, clinical supervision is provided. The BA (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy is not accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) however the BACP Framework for Ethical practice is embedded throughout the course. In order to have been considered to have completed an accredited course candidates will need to have first completed the BACP accredited DipHe in Person-centred Counselling at University Centre Colchester in year 1 and 2.
Delivery is through a range of methods including lectures, seminars, case-study, discussions and workshops. A variety of assessment strategies will be used including assignments, case studies, work-based projects, patchwork texts and extended research study/dissertation.
The course operates on a modular basis that provides flexibility and choice. Most modules count for 20 academic credits, with each credit taken equating to a total study time of around 10 hours, which includes scheduled teaching, independent study and assessment activity.
Full-time students take modules worth 60 credits per semester, with part-time students taking proportionately fewer credits per semester. A total of 120 credits per level and 360 credits are needed for an honours degree as a whole. Overall grades for the course and degree classification are based on the marks obtained for modules taken at levels 5 and 6.
Each module is worth a specified number of credits: you take a combination of compulsory and optional modules, enabling you to cover key subject knowledge while developing your own interests. The number of optional modules you can take depends on the number of core modules at a given level. Our teaching is informed by research, professional practice and industry engagement and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline.
Further information on current modules can be found on the University Centre Colchester website.
Assessment: The course provides you with opportunities to test your understanding of the subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark.
There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and your final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark.
Feedback: You will receive feedback on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your module tutor.
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
Applicants applying from outside of the UK will need to provide evidence of their qualifications, English level and passport/visa documents. Colchester Institute requires applicants to have an English level of IELTS 6.0 (with Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking all being at least 5.5) for all of its courses.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | Colchester Institute requires applicants to have an English level of IELTS 6.0 (with Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking all being at least 5.5) for all of its courses. |
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
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Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Email:uccadmissions@colchester.ac.uk
Phone:01206 712777
Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm (4.30pm on Fridays).
Closed at Weekends and on Bank Holidays.
Email:info@colchester.ac.uk
Phone:01206 712000
Fax: 01206 763041
Sheepen Road
Colchester
CO3 3LL
At University Centre Colchester at Colchester Institute
