The entry requirements, for applicants who have not already completed the Keele Graduate Certificate in Counselling or BSc Psychology with Counselling at Keele, are a 2:1 degree in any discipline or equivalent professional qualifications. This is to ensure that students have the required foundational written and analytic skills to study at MSc level. We are also looking for applicants with some experience of working with people in a helping capacity, whether voluntary or paid. The MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy is a very demanding course - emotionally as well as academically; we are training to people to work with people who may be in great emotional and psychological distress. For this reason, and in line with the requirements of BACP, applicants also need to demonstrate the following attributes: self awareness, maturity and stability; ability to make use of and reflect upon life experience; capacity to cope with the emotional demands of the course; ability to cope with the intellectual and academic requirements; ability to form a helping relationship; ability to be self-critical and use both positive and negative feedback; awareness of the nature of prejudice and oppression; awareness of the nature of difference and equality; ability to recognise the need for personal and professional support; competence in or the aptitude to develop generic personal skills, including: literacy, numeracy, information technology, administrative skills, self-managements skills, communication and interpersonal skills. Applicants will need to address all of these points in their personal statements in the application form and in response to the criteria questionnaire to be completed as part of the application process. Applicants will be required to initially complete an online application form including a personal statement. Once the application has been received, if the applicant meets the entry requirements for the programme, they will be sent a set of criteria questions to fill out. In line with the gathered field process, applicants will be scored on their responses to these questions and, on the basis of this scoring, applicants may progress to the next stage of the selection process, a group interview with other applicants and two members of the course team. Applicants not initially called for interview will be held on a waiting list to see whether or not they may be called for interview at a later date or will be informed that they will be not be progressing further. If called for interview, applicants will be informed of the criteria against which they will be assessed at interview and, following this interview, will be offered a conditional or unconditional place, depending on references and other conditions that might need to be met (e.g. the completion of required qualifications); will be held on a waiting list, or may be informed that they will not receive an offer for a place. A DBS will also be required. For International students, there is a requirement of IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component. The University also accepts a range of internationally recognised English tests. If you do not meet the English language requirements, the University offers a range of English language preparation programmes.