Doctor of Counselling

The standard time for completion (not including periods of approved leave of absence) will normally be three years for a full-time student and six years for a part-time student.

The Doctor of Counselling leads to a thesis of approximately 80,000 words in length. Your thesis should bridge the theory-practice gap, make a practical contribution to a specific area of counselling and professional knowledge, and contribute to current scholarship understanding.

As a doctoral candidate, you are required to have a minimum of two supervisors who will provide support and academic guidance throughout your degree. Your academic supervisors will be complemented by a professional mentor, who has expertise in the industry or profession relevant to your research area. Your supervisors and professional mentors will assist you with the preparation of your research proposal, continuing to mentor and direct you throughout the research phase and through the process of examination.

Most domestic research students are eligible to have all Higher Degree by Research (HDR) course fees paid for by the Commonwealth Government through a Research Training Program (RTP) Fees Offset Scholarship. Domestic students are also encouraged to apply for stipend scholarships. International students may be supported through the Commonwealth Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships or the University International Fee Remission Research Scholarship (IFRRS), which are very competitive and awarded to students of exceptional research potential.

The assessment of the coursework component consists of written assignments, while the research component is assessed by examination of the thesis by three external reviewers.