Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling

Charles Sturt University’s Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling enables you to make a difference in people’s lives by providing spiritual and psychological support to those who need it most.

Our course develops your knowledge and skills to minister in areas of specific relevance, including pastoral counselling in crisis situations or in circumstances involving relationship difficulties. Our training covers a wide range of counselling theories and models, integrated into a Christian framework. Those working in chaplaincy settings or other work areas where embedded counselling is an integral part of the job role will benefit from the detailed skills and knowledge about counselling they will acquire in this program.

This degree will equip you for – or enhance your performance in – a wide range of people-centered professions, faith-based or otherwise. These include counselling, pastoral care, aged care, school welfare, grief counselling, care coordination and institutional or congregational chaplaincy. The course also provides a solid foundation for further study in the discipline (for example the Master of Pastoral Counselling), or you could use your pastoral counselling studies to articulate into further study for ministry.

This award has professional accreditation by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as an approved postgraduate counselling training program.

INTERESTED IN THIS COURSE?

Our course advisors are well placed to match your background and educational objectives to the course that would best suit your needs.

Just fill out our online form and one of our course advisors will get in touch with you.

Course Duration

2 years part-time

Study Mode

Online (Distance Education) with compulsory Intensives in Canberra.

View our Intensives calendar. (Includes Residential or Intensive dates for subjects across our courses.)

CSU students may be eligible for financial support to attend compulsory Intensives in person.

Admission

Applicants should be able to demonstrate personal suitability to undertake professional practice as a pastoral counsellor, including self-awareness, relational capacity, personal ethical practice, being able to reflect on and learn from experience, and being open to positive and challenging feedback; and

Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in theology, psycholofy or equivalent. Applicants with degrees in other disciplines are encouraged to apply; or
Applicants without an undergraduate degree will be considered, with evidence that they are able to undertake tertiary studies in this area (such as a letter of motivation and two professional or academic references), as assessed by the Course Coordinator.

Subjects

Core Subjects

The first two courses are prerequisite subjects and should be completed first. These eight subjects are also part of the Masters of Pastoral Counselling Course.

Practical Experience

This counselling graduate diploma emphasises face-to-face practical sessions for role play and hands-on learning. This course includes emphasis on applying course learning to the student’s background context for all assessment tasks.

Professional Recognition

The Graduate Diploma has professional accreditation by the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as an approved postgraduate counselling training program.

Career Opportunities

The Graduate Diploma of Pastoral Counselling enables you to make a difference to people’s lives by providing spiritual and psychological support to those who need it most.

You will develop the skills and experience to offer counselling across a wide range of settings – from pastoral and clinical practice, church and community work, to lay and ordained ministry – to help them with any issue, be it personal, family, marital or faith.

Early Exit Point or Further Study

Students can graduate with a Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Counselling with the successful completion of FOUR subjects:

You could also further your studies through our Master in Pastoral Counselling course after gaining this Graduate Diploma.