Are you ready to apply to our Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies?

Congratulations on taking the next step towards further study! Applications to enrol into our Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies are now open for our 10 February 2025 start-date. Enrolments are limited, and applicants may be waitlisted. If you're interested in studying later in 2025 or 2026, please sign up for enrolment updates. 

When you apply to enrol into a programme with Tuihono UC | UC Online you're applying to Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury. This means you'll be part of the University of Canterbury student body, and are eligible for a wide range of support and digital services.

How many courses do I choose? 

The number of courses you choose to enrol into at this stage depends on how you are financing your study. Note that all courses added to your enrolment must be paid before the first course starts. 

This means if you are self-funding, you may only want to add your first course to your enrolment for now, so that you only need to pay for one semester at a time. We will be in touch later in 2025 when you can update your enrolment with your next course.

If you’re using StudyLink to cover your tuition fees, please add both courses.

The course you will need to search for and select is:

• COUN681 – Solution-focused Theory and Skills with Individuals and Groups (10 February - 15 June 2025)

If you’re using StudyLink Student Loan, please also add:

• COUN671 – Counselling and Psychology: Theories and Skills (14 July - 16 November 2025)

The specific course codes to search for during the application process are COUN681 and COUN671. The correct courses to select will then be shown in the course selector as follows: 

• COUN681-25X1 (O) and COUN671-25X3(O)

Submit your StudyLink application ASAP

We know that many of our learners are planning on using a StudyLink student loan to finance their study, which can take up to a month to process. If you're looking to use a StudyLink student loan, we recommend applying as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance of having everything sorted and ready for the start of your study.

Get your documentation ready

Before you start your application to enrol in the Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies, you'll need to prepare these documents:

• Verified evidence of your identity, such as a certified copy of your birth certificate, or a certified copy of the photo page in your passport. There are additional requirements depending on your visa status, or if you have legally changed your name - for more information view full verification requirements.
• Proof of your academic qualifications, such as a transcript or your UC student ID number if you studied your undergraduate degree with us. If you graduated with a bachelor's degree from another university, you will need to request a digital copy of your transcript through them.
• For international learners: proof of your English language proficiency. You will also be expected to participate in an online interview with a member of the faculty as part of the application process.
• Clinical practice requirements: you will also need to meet the requirements stipulated in the Children's Act 2014, and health/immunisation requirements of clinical agencies and the HPCA Act 2003.

It's also helpful to have: 

• Your National Student Number on hand - if you have one. You can locate your number through the NZQA website.
• Prepared two short paragraphs explaining what interests you about studying this programme, and what you'd like to achieve with the postgraduate certificate.

In-person intensives

Please note: learners are required to attend 8 days of in-person intensives on-site at the University of Canterbury. The first two in-person intensives will be held on 20 - 21 March 2025, followed by another two days on either 27 - 28 OR 29 - 30 May 2025. Final dates for these sessions, as well as the semester two in-person intensive days, will be confirmed with enrolled learners.

Need help with your application?

We recommend allowing up to an hour to complete the application process. If you get stuck along the way, our team are here to help: 

• info@uconline.ac.nz 
• + 64 3 369 0600

You can also download our handy enrolment guide (PDF) with screenshots and more detailed instructions for support along the way.