11Jan
UndergraduateWarwickshire College and University Centre has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Open days
Course summary
Our Foundation degrees are accredited with the NCPS register, which means that when clients choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, they have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register. This course meets professional standards required to practise as a psychological counsellor with clients of all ages and in a range of settings. Students taking the FdSc course will achieve qualification after two years full-time at level 5. Level 5 graduates can choose to apply for the BSc (Hons) Top-Up level 6 course if they would like to continue their studies to achieve a full degree. Linking theory to practice on a clinically-supervised placement, and offering a choice of Person-Centred (PC) or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) pathways, the course will develop your skills to work with a wide range of clients, including children and young people (CYP) and clients with complex issues. In addition, this course will provide you with the professional and academic training to become a reflective practitioner who can meet changing needs within the counselling profession. Our FdSc course is National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) accredited and meets the NCPS requirements for our graduates to apply to its accredited register. Our courses also meet the requirements of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) for graduates to take the Certificate of Proficiency and pursue post-qualification individual membership. The CYP element of the course is delivered in accordance with BACP competencies and can contribute to application to the NCPS CYPT register post-qualification by portfolio route. The programme consists of 120 credits at Level 4 and 120 credits at Level 5 and is delivered over 30 weeks in each year, on one full day and one half day per week. In addition to direct teaching time, students will complete 100 supervised client hours in clinical placement and a further 10 hours of personal therapy and 10 hours of online work-based placement learning. For the September 2025 intake, classes for the full time course in Year 1 will be held on Tuesdays from 9.00am to 5.30pm and Wednesday afternoons from 1.30pm to 5.30pm. Course Comparison between the Foundation Degree and Level 5 Diploma: https://blob.wcg.ac.uk/pdf/l5-course-comparisons-2b85d804edeb76ea7c552d5bb013dce7.pdf This course is delivered and awarded by Warwickshire College and is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). For our Higher Education Terms and Conditions please visit https://wcg.ac.uk/page/701/terms-and-conditions
Modules
Modules may include: Level 4 Academic Study Skills, Employability and T-Shaped (WCG Generic) (20 credits) Psychotherapeutic Approach: CBT (40 credits) or Psychotherapeutic Approach: PC (40 credits) Personal and Professional Development 1 (20 credits) Ethics, Law and Culture (20 credits) Counselling Children and Young People (20 credits) Level 5 WBPL (WCG Generic) (20 credits) Personal and Professional Development 2 (20 credits) Developing Competence: CBT (40 credits) or Developing Competence: PC (40 credits) Mental Health and Wellbeing (20 credits) Integrity and Integration (20 credits) All students must complete an additional 120 hours of work-based learning to achieve their qualification. This comprises 100 appropriately supervised clinical placement hours across the duration of the course and 20 hours to be completed at Level 4 which includes personal therapy and additional online learning. For further details about this course, please refer to the programme specification here: https://blob.wcg.ac.uk/pdf/definitive-programme-specification-bsc-hons-counselling-and-psychotherapy-v3-acc-4d67e761062fd7d0d9a17fbd16b38621.pdf We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated, please contact us for the latest information.
Assessment method
Students will be required to undertake a range of assignments on the course, including essays, practical assessments, presentations, digital recordings, a multiple choice test, research proposal and final work-based placement portfolio.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
Applicants will have achieved a full level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills before the start of the course. However, applicants with a level 2 in Counselling Skills will be considered, provided that they are deemed to have sufficient transferable experience AND alternative relevant qualifications at Level 3 or above. All applicants will be expected to provide evidence of their qualifications, a personal statement and a robust supportive reference from their course tutor confirming academic and psychological readiness. All applicants will be assessed on their potential to meet training standards required by the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). Applicants may be invited to attend an online interview where they will be asked questions to establish sufficient readiness and robustness to undertake this academic and work-based learning programme and to meet the emotional demands of the course. Applicants who have been made an offer will be invited to attend an online Q&A session with the course leader, which is usually held in June. Supervised clinical practice is an integral and essential part of the course and students are responsible for securing and completing an approved placement to complete a minimum 100 clinical hours, once they are enrolled on the course.
Additional entry requirements
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
In order to complete the mandatory clinical placement, students will be required to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which is usually paid for by the placement provider.
Interview
Applicants may be invited to attend an online interview where they will be asked questions to establish sufficient readiness and robustness to undertake this academic and work-based learning programme and to meet the emotional demands of the course.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £11950 | Year 1 |
| International | £11950 | Year 1 |
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 .
Additional fee information
WCUC tuition fees are listed per academic year and will remain for the duration of your course.
The following course-related costs are not included in the fees:
Essential: Professional Body student membership in preparation for placement. This is likely to be in the first year of study, especially for the full time route. See websites for current fees:
NCPS information available from ncps.com
BACP information available from bacp.co.uk
Essential: Personal Therapy 10 hours (costs variable but anticipate minimum £40 per session). This is in the first year for full time and second year for part-time students.
Essential: Clinical Supervision 1.5 hours minimum per calendar month when working with clients (costs variable from £0 - £75 per month).
Professional indemnity insurance when on placement. Some placements insure the student, otherwise seek a quote from relevant insurers.
Printing, depending on individual preferences. WCUC maintain a policy of digital documentation and digital assessment submission.
Cost of books that you might wish to purchase. It is recommended to purchase essential reading for each module. WCUC has library resources including e-books.
Cost of electrical equipment such as laptops, notebooks and stationery for your personal use. A personal laptop is recommended.
Accommodation and living costs not included in the fees:
This information can be obtained from our Accommodation webpage (https://wcg.ac.uk/accommodation).
Sources of financial support
If you receive funding from Student Finance you may be eligible to apply for additional benefits. Details can be obtained from our HE fees and financial support webpage (https://wcg.ac.uk/page/2428/he-fees-and-financial-support).
Bursaries
WCG also provides bursaries for undergraduate students, for which you may be eligible to apply. You can check your eligibility for these types of financial support, along with their value and application deadlines, at our HE fees and financial support webpage (https://wcg.ac.uk/page/2428/he-fees-and-financial-support).
Provider information
Warwickshire College and University Centre
Warwick New Road
Leamington Spa
CV32 5JE