Certificate of proficiency in professional counselling practice

Course highlights

Introduces you to self-reflective practice and prepares you for practicum in level 6. While studying this course, you will have to consider where you would like to do your practicum placement that fits in with your life and work commitments. This will need to be approved by the practicum co-ordinator.

Key facts

Start month(s) July
Duration 17 weeks
Level 5
Study location(s) Online plus workshops at MIT Manukau
Domestic fees

Individual course fees

International fees (NZD) Certificates of Proficiency are not recommended for international students
Course code 752.571

Entry requirements

All applicants must provide two character references attesting the candidate’s suitability for working as a counsellor; and

All applicants are required to declare whether they have been convicted of, or are being prosecuted for, a criminal offence. The Police Vetting Process will reveal all criminal convictions.

Students will be advised of the following:

Please be aware that if you are going to be working with children, in certain circumstances some specified offences are not permitted, pursuant to the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. We recommend that you fully disclose all convictions to MIT prior to enrolment, so that we can discuss the potential implications on your eligibility to participate fully in your course of studies, including the practicum and your likely eligibility/suitability for employment once you graduate; and

Applicants may be required to provide a health declaration that they are emotionally, mentally and physically capable of undertaking the demands of the counselling programme as required in the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) Code of Ethics (revised 2016 ) (see http://www.nzac.org.nz/code_of_ethics.cfm). Further reports may be requested with the consent of the Applicant.

Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission into the programme:

  • NCEA Level 3 University Entrance or equivalent:
    • Three subjects - at Level 3, made up of:
      • 14 credits each, from three approved subjects;
      • Literacy - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
        • 5 Credits in reading;
        • 5 credits in writing
      • Numeracy - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of;
        • Achievement standards - specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects; or
        • Unit standards - package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 - all three required)
    OR
    • Successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits at level 4 in the areas of Social Science, Health Sciences or Education e.g. New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing Level 4 (Strands in Social Services, Mental Health and Addiction Support, Community Health Work).

Applicants, 20 years of ages and over ideally will meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirement, but feel that they have the skills or experience to be successful in this.

English language entry requirements

Applicants must have sufficient competence in the English language to undertake this programme which is taught and assessed in English.

Any Applicant whose first language is not English may be required to provide evidence of their English language competency as follows:

Have English language competence to undertake this programme which is taught and assessed in English. Any applicant whose first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of an-overall IELTS (Academic) band score of 6.5 (with no score below 6.5) or equivalent achieved within the preceding 2 years.

This will be demonstrated by meeting the current NZQA requirements.  For the minimum English language requirements refer to the following website http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/legislation/nzqa-rules/nzqf-related-rules/programme-approval-and-accreditation/app-2/the-table/ and http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/legislation/nzqa-rules/nzqf-related-rules/programme-approval-and-accreditation/8/18/

Regulatory requirements

Not applicable.

Interviews

In accordance with NZAC's criteria for the selection of counselling personnel, all applicants will be interviewed to determine personal, academic and professional readiness to study professional counselling. (See Appendix 1).

Provisional entry

Students who have attained the age of 20 years and do not hold the minimum entry requirements for a programme will be eligible to be enrolled as a student where their previous educational, work or life experience indicates they have a reasonable likelihood of success. Students who have not attained the age of 20 years and do not hold the required minimum entry requirements for a programme may also be eligible to enrol in exceptional circumstances. Such decisions will be made by the Director/Head of School.

Pre-requisites

Some courses may have a pre-requisite, you may need to seek course advice before applying. Call 0800 62 62 52 or email enquiries@manukau.ac.nz.

This course is part of the Bachelor of Applied Counselling (Level 7).

If your intention is to complete a full programme, please enrol into the programme. Studying an individual Certificate of Proficiency (COP) is not a pathway towards a formal qualification.

Certificate of Proficiency (COP) may be cross credited to a programme however grades achieved through studying a COP are not transferable to a programme.

Course structure

Experiential group sessions dealing with:

  • Group process
  • Consent and confidentiality
  • Assertiveness
  • Conflict management
  • CV writing (Pathways to employment course on CANVAS)
  • Interviewing skills
  • Communication skills
  • NZAC standards/Code of ethics.
  • Giving and receiving feedback
  • Power relations in professional relationships
  • Setting and evaluating personal goals
  • Introduction to journaling
  • Consent and confidentiality
  • Counselling as a profession
  • Counselling in Aotearoa/New Zealand and
  • The interweaving of the personal and the professional.

For more information, phone 0800 62 62 52 or enquire below.

Need help?

We're here to support you to succeed.

If you need help with applying or advice on choosing a course, our Ask Me! Student Services Centre is here to give you guidance.

Send us a message, call us on 0800 62 62 52 or come in and see us.

Information is correct as at 13 January 2023. Programme fees are based on a full-time student and may vary depending on your final selection of courses that make up your programme. To provide you with an indication of costs, the approximate fees quoted in this publication are based on the indicative 2023 fee structure. The indicative programme fees for 2023 do not include the Compulsory Student Services Fee (CSSF). The CSSF is an additional levy to your 2023 programme or course fees. Further information about the CSSF can be found here www.manukau.ac.nz/cssf. Programmes stated as eligible for free study in 2023 are based on the 2022 fee structure and subject to funding confirmation for 2023. All fees are in New Zealand Dollars. You will be advised of the current fees at the time of enrolment. All courses and programmes will proceed subject to numbers and academic approval. Manukau Institute of Technology is part of Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. Te Pukenga is accredited under the provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020. International students must study in class and will not be able to enrol for online study options.