Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Counselling Psychology

Preamble

These regulations shall be read in conjunction with the Faculty Regulations for Postgraduate Degree Programmes and General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees which have precedence over Departmental Regulations.

Programme Description

 

The MSc Counselling Psychology is an advanced psychology programme which seeks to advance knowledge in counselling for students who have majored in psychology or counselling. The programme provides a practical and realistic approach to the field of counselling with a particular focus on internship. The modules offered include psychopathology and therapy, postmodern counselling approaches, ethical issues in counselling and community psychology.

Rationale
The Master of Science in Counselling Psychology is a dynamic and practical course based on the scientist – practitioner model. In an increasingly complex world, where the need for counselling has never been greater, Great Zimbabwe University has diverged to focus on the acquisition and synthesis of knowledge and skills relevant to the practitioner in this real world. The primary aim of the course is to provide postgraduate training that will enable the trainee to become a professionally qualified counsellor to work with specific and general mental health problems of individuals as well as communities’ social processes and systems. The program is designed to provide graduates with a strong possible innovative professional base from which to start or continue down the path as counselling psychologists with the broad field of applied psychology.

Objectives

• The central focus is the specialised applied training in counselling process and interventions relevant to individuals, couples, families, parent-infant relationships, children, and groups.
• Counselling psychologists also assist clients facing challenging or prolonged difficulties, such as bereavement, intimacy issues, relationship breakdown, transition to parenthood, attachment issues, sexual abuse, adjustment to step-parenting, sexual assault, or involuntary redundancy
• Counselling psychologists provide psychological assessment and diagnosis, counselling, and psychotherapeutic services to individuals, couples, families, children, and groups. Counselling psychologists are trained to work with a wide range of psychological difficulties and mental health disorders.
• To evaluate and monitor the quality of helping services provided by counsellors and counselling service units.
• To apply more specialized psychological skills and knowledge to normal and or clinical populations, and to reflect upon and use life experience, depth of self-understanding, and     therapeutic experience in the service of the client.

Career Prospects

• A Master of Science Degree in Counselling Psychology provides a stepping stone for a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology.
• Students may work in a variety of settings such as health institutions, social work, education and private practice. Whilst they do not work in isolation they also:
• Network with other governmental organisations such as The Ministry of Justice, police,  defence and non-governmental organisations

Consultations

University of Venda
Midlands State University
Allied Health Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.
Entry Requirements

 

To qualify for admission into the Master of Science Degree in Counselling Psychology, a candidate must normally have satisfied the minimum entry requirements to Masters degree studies for this University as prescribed in the General and Faculty Regulations:

Normal Entry

A candidate must have a relevant Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Psychology or its equivalent with at least a 2.2 degree classification.

Special Entry

A candidate who does not meet normal entry requirements may, subject to the approval of the senate, be admitted into a programme on special grounds. Such as those with a degree in Counselling and at least 2 years working experience.

Structure of the Degree Programme

 

Duration

 

The programme shall be one and half (1½) years full-time.

Degree Structure

 

• The programme shall be offered in accordance with Faculty regulations.
• A programme shall consist of a minimum of ten (10) modules and a dissertation equivalent     to two modules.
• Students shall be required to take five (5) modules in semester I, five (5) modules in     semester II and two (2) modules in the final semester.

Part I   Semester I

Core Modules

Code            Module Description     
MSA501        Culture and Heritage Studies
MCP501        Psychopathology

MCP502        Psychometrics
MCP503        Research Methods and Statistics
Optional Modules

A student may choose any one (1) modules from the following:

Code            Module Description        
MCP504        Ethical Issues     in Counselling
MCP513        Psychotherapy Skills
Part I Semester II

 

Core Modules

Code            Module Description  

MCP505        Cross- Cultural Counselling

MCP506        Systemic Counselling
MCP509        Internship I

Optional Modules

A student may choose any two (2) module from the following:

 

Code            Module Description  
MCP507         Community Psychology and Development
MCP508         Post Modern Counselling Approaches.
MCP514         Group Psychotherapy
Part II Semester I

Core Modules

Code            Module Description 

MCP512        Dissertation
MCP510                      Internship II

 Assessment

 

Each module in the programme other than internship I and II is assessed through written and a summative examination at the end of every period of study.

Internship 1 and 11 are assessed through a continuous practical assessment.

A dissertation shall be submitted to the department in accordance with the faculty regulations.
Weighting

The weighting of the coursework and summative examination shall be 30% and 70% respectively.

Determination of Results

 

• To successfully complete a programme, a candidate must pass all registered modules.
• A candidate who fails a minimum of two (2) modules within a supplementable range in Part I may be allowed to sit for supplementary examinations.
• A candidate who fails any module below a supplementable range shall be required to repeat.
• A module may be repeated when next on offer.

 

Notification of Results

 

The results for each examination shall be published in accordance with the provisions of the General Academic Regulations.

Degree Classification

The final classification for the degree shall be calculated by averaging all the module marks.