Address: 1 University Drive Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3 Canada
Website: http://calendar.athabascau.ca/grad/current/counsel_01.php
School Description:
About: Athabasca University
Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University, is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict access to and success in university-level study and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.
As Canada’s premier online distance education university, Athabasca University provides innovative, Internet-based graduate programs that reach students around the world. Earn a master’s degree, doctorate, graduate diploma or certificate online. Each program offers a spectrum of courses relevant to today’s work environment.
Undergraduate Program Description
Psychology Major
Regulations effective September 1, 2013.
Athabasca University’s Psychology program is designed to develop or expand your knowledge of the broad field of psychology. Both the concentration and major degree programs will provide grounding in foundational courses central to psychology as a science. The programs also provide options for students to focus their studies in the applied areas at Athabasca University (i.e., Career Development, Inclusive Education, Counselling). Students who complete the degree will be prepared for general employment across a number of fields (business, management, government research, program evaluation, human services, law, etc.) and/or graduate studies in applied and basic programs.
Athabasca University has developed program learning outcomes that describe the career options that may be available to you upon graduating. Students complete the program regulations in effect at the time of their enrolment.
Did you know? Athabasca University also offers:
- three-year BA Psychology Concentration
- Minor in Psychology (optional)
Graduate Program Description
Master of Counselling
The Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology offers a 36-credit, course-based Master of Counselling (MC) program. The MC is a distributed learning, mixed delivery master’s program designed to meet the graduate academic requirements for the career paths of professional counsellor or counselling psychologist. The program incorporates core and specialization courses to ensure that all students attain competency in the fundamentals of counselling psychology as well as a particular area of specialization.
The MC program includes seven core courses that focus on the fundamentals of counselling theory and practice. All students are required to complete these core courses. The following courses are three credits unless marked otherwise. The core courses are:
- GCAP 631 Models of Counselling and Client Change
- GCAP 632 Professional Ethics
- GCAP 633 Infusing Culture into Counselling
- GCAP 634 Assessment Processes
- GCAP 635 Intervening to Facilitate Client Change
- GCAP 671 Developing a Working Alliance
- GCAP 691 Methods of Inquiry
All students are also required to complete an Advanced Counselling Practicum:
- GCAP 685 Advanced Counselling Practicum (6)
Students may opt to focus their specialization courses in the following areas of concentration:
- Master of Counselling: Counselling Psychology
- Master of Counselling: Career Counselling
- Master of Counselling: Art Therapy
Students in the Art Therapy specialization take their art therapy courses through the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute.
Students may be successful in being selected to complete a thesis as part of the Counselling Psychology Specialization. In this case, they complete the following additional courses:
- GCAP 692 Advanced Quantitative Methods
or
- GCAP 693 Advanced Qualitative Methods
- GCAP 696 Thesis I
- GCAP 697 Thesis II
Students in the Counselling Psychology specialization are automatically enrolled in the course-based exit route. Students in other specializations must choose this route. For the course-based exit route, students complete two courses in their area of specialization (three courses for art therapy) and the following culminating course:
- GCAP 695 Specialization Seminar – Knowledge Transfer as their third elective course.
Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Counselling
The 18-credit Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Counselling (PBDC) program focuses on the fundamentals of counselling psychology, theory, and practice. The Diploma is designed for students who either do not want to complete a full master’s degree or who do not meet the admissions criteria for the master’s program and plan to apply to ladder into that program upon completion of the Diploma. All Diploma students are required to complete the following courses:
- GCAP 631 Models of Counselling and Client Change
- GCAP 632 Professional Ethics
- GCAP 633 Infusing Culture into Counselling
- GCAP 671 Developing a Working Alliance
In addition, students will complete two elective courses. Students who successfully complete the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Counselling may apply to ladder their coursework directly into the Master of Counselling. Normally, students will not take GCAP 681, 682, or 685 as part of the Diploma program.
There are no specialized streams offered within the Diploma program.
Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling
The 12-credit Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling (PMCC) program allows individuals with a master’s degree in counselling, applied psychology, or equivalent to develop additional expertise in a particular area of specialization. To form their certificate program, students select four courses from those offered in the area of specialization selected.
Students may opt to focus their specialization courses in the following areas of concentration:
- Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling: Counselling Psychology
- Post-Masters Certificate in Counselling: Career Counselling
This program is designed for people who want to re-specialize in another area. You may be looking for a change of career direction or you may have taken a master’s degree with a general focus and are looking for an opportunity to gain education and specialization in a particular area. You may also be missing courses required for licensure and want to roll them into the Post-Masters Certificate. All courses are offered online, so the entire program may be complete at a distance.
With special permission, students may also opt to include a core course from the Master of Counselling Program to make up deficits in their previous training experiences or to enhance their work in a particular area.