Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (incorporating PG Cert/PG Dip)

• Study a course accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), so you can be sure it's relevant and recognised throughout the profession. Applicable on completion of the full MSc
• Build on your theoretical psychotherapeutic understanding to become a reflective practitioner, by improving your clinical skills and deepening your personal insight
• Develop your psychotherapeutic theory and skills in an intellectually creative and stimulating environment
• Develop transferable research skills related to psychotherapy and provide an opportunity to develop confidence in a self-critical and reflective approach to study
• Please note that our partners at Mediterranean College (Greece) run MSc Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy, the difference is it is not BACP accredited but meets all the competencies of BACP. 

This course is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), so you can be sure it’s relevant and recognised within the psychotherapeutic and health care profession. The course will help you to further your career and become a BACP accredited and autonomous counselling practitioner when you complete the full MSc.

The MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy provides an innovative approach to psychotherapeutic practice that enables you to learn about three different psychotherapeutic approaches; person-centered, attachment theory, and cognitive behaviour psychotherapy. A trans-theoretical model is used to provide a framework to integrate these theories to acknowledge the complexities of human problems in a meaningful way.

You’ll be encouraged to develop your understanding of the theoretical, social, cultural and ideological contexts in which your clients perceive, confront and manage problems. You’ll also consider and analyse major trends and orientations within integrative therapeutic work and develop your ability to identify and use appropriate sources of supervision within counselling practice.

Apart from the first module of the first year, you’ll need to engage in clinical supervised practice in your own place of work or in your placement. This will allow you to put your enhanced knowledge of counselling and psychotherapy into practice and is an important element of the course. The hours of clinical practice vary for each academic year.

The teaching will vary, depending on the module, to provide you with the most effective learning strategies. You can expect to learn through debates and discussions, experiential exercises, problem-solving, lectures and tutorials. Assessments also vary from written assignments through to practical assessments and a final dissertation at the master’s stage. Your personal tutor will support you in your studies.

We’re proud to say that our courses are closely mapped against the health and social care sector. This ensures that our curriculum is up-to-date, providing you with the assurance that your learning is current and relevant. This does mean that we do have to respond to national changes such as government policy.

Assessment Regulations

In accordance with the University Quality Assessment Regulations there is an annual assessment process which defines that an external examiner examines all work after internal moderation. The external examiner is appropriately qualified and has no current inappropriate relationship with other courses or members of the course. The external examiner must receive a sample of work monitor and safeguards the standard of the students’ assessed course work.

Students are assessed prior to working in agencies by completing a recorded counselling session with an unknown client (actor).  Students are required to critically assess their interaction demonstrating their depth of knowledge and understanding of counselling skills and theories. This assignment is a case study of 2500 word in which students critically analyse the client’s presenting issues in relation to the learned theories and skills.  This assignment is supported by a 4000-word written piece of work that is focused on theoretical understanding in relation to practice.  ALL STUDENTS MUST PASS THIS BEFORE GOING ON PLACEMENTS; all students must also have clinical supervisors, indemnity insurance and BACP membership in place before starting placements.

Placement hours are subject to change.

Each agency where students work with ‘real’ clients is required to agree to a three-way contract that enables the parties involved to be able to contact the other where concerns are raised about student’s practice.

All assessment and learning outcomes are explained by the programme leader to ensure consistency is maintained across the board for all students. All outcomes for the module are explained in writing and verbally by the programme leader and module leaders. Any student who might need a one to one on assessment is seen by the module leader or programme leader to ensure that the learning outcomes are completely understood by all.

Feedback to students on all work procedure as follows:

• All feedback is given within 15 working days of submission and is posted on Turnitin
• All feedback has a format that is used for all the modules and all markers follow the format for consistency. This is overseen by the programme leader.
• All students who want to meet after the feedback for pointers on how to improve their work are met for a personal tutorial
• If a student fails, they are contacted immediately for a face to face meeting and extra support when needed is put in place, this could also include support from the Student Wellbeing Centre

In case of students who have not met the learning outcomes, feedback is not posted on Turnitin until the programme leader has informed them by phone of the outcome. After this conversation, a meeting is arranged with the marker, the student and the programme leader face to face to explain the feedback and outcome. Measures at this point are put in for the students in order to support them to redo their work and pass the module.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Teaching methods are varied to provide the best possible application to clinical practice. You will learn from enquiry-based learning to help develop high level problem-solving skills, ongoing supervision and case management, experiential and skills-based workshops, video work, seminars, group working, counselling and psychotherapy skills training and lecture-based teaching and discussion. You will also develop skills in critical reflection and evaluation helping you to develop the ability for autonomous practice.

How you're assessed

The programme uses a wide variety of assessment methods including written assignments; video/audio work; construction of a professional portfolio including a summary of self-reflective diary, summative and formative presentation - viva voce.

All work is assessed in terms of the modular and generic learning outcomes. Each module has two or three learning outcomes which are then assessed via the module assessment schedule. The assessment strategy is dependent on the location of the learning outcome in one of four domains: cognitive, attitudinal, psychomotor, or transferable.

Feedback is provided for all assessed work using the Postgraduate grading scale and using standardised feedback grids that maintain clarity of observations and identification of content. Formative assessments and feedback are provided to the students through tutorials that are incorporated into the modular timetable and summative assessments are provided in February and July each year.

The course operates within the university policy of personal tutors.

A sample of assignments from each module are internally and externally moderated to ensure parity and quality of feedback to students.

• You'll need an undergraduate degree 
• You’ll need experience working with people and excellent communications and listening skills
• If English is not your first language you must have achieved an IELTS score of at least level 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skill area)
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is required at the point of accepting a place at the University

Interview information

2024/25 (August 2024 - July 2025)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional costs and optional extras

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

Additional costs and optional extras

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you’ll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

Past graduates have been employed in a wide variety of counselling settings such as general practice, health and social services, the police, accident and emergency services, HR, education, voluntary organisations and private practice.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Additional information about your studies

Download programme specification

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.