南洋理工大学

Counselling and guidance are evolving to meet the needs of individuals in schools and communities to improve their understanding, adjustment, and daily functioning across the lifespan. The roles of counsellors are notably complex and multifaceted. The challenges and demands in the quality of the counselling and guidance services offered in the educational and community settings are also increasing. Hence, counsellors need to be reflective about their own practices and ways to enhance their competencies in these areas.

The Master of Arts (Counselling and Guidance) programme is fully certified by the Singapore Association for Counselling as a training programme for Registered Counsellors. Upon completing the programme, students are expected to be competent in various areas including major counselling theories, evidence-based practices, case documentation, ethical and legal issues, and research and programme evaluation skills in counselling. Students are trained to adopt an integrated approach to counselling, which draws on knowledge from various counselling theories, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, and multicultural therapeutic perspectives.

The programme emphasises a developmental perspective, focusing on issues pertinent to providing counselling and guidance services and programme development. The counsellors' personal and professional growth and development; appreciation of diversity and demonstration of understanding ethical and legal issues are also emphasised. The practicum allows application of theories and techniques leading to effective individual and group counselling.

This rigorous, informative and structured training programme is a course-work oriented professional degree that is designed to prepare new entrants into the fields of counselling and guidance as highly competent and caring counsellors. It is also designed to enhance and upgrade the knowledge and skills of counsellors at a master's level and to prepare those who may wish to pursue a doctoral education later.

STRUCTURE

The MACG programme is a professional degree that comprises 42 Academic Units (AUs). Students may opt to complete the programme under the Practice Track or Practice-Research Track. The Practice Track consists of 12 courses of 3 AUs each (including 10 core courses and 2 elective courses) and clinical placements (2 blocks of practicum of 3 AUs each). Students who wish to strengthen their skills and knowledge in research may opt to do a Research Project elective (3 AUs) in place of a general elective, subject to approval. The core areas have been identified as essential competency areas for counsellors by the Council for the Accreditation of Counselling and other Related Educational Programmes (CACREP) in USA, and the Singapore Association for Counselling. For clinical placements, a total of 400 hours (100 hours of face to face counselling and 100 hours of associated activities for each practicum) is required.

The core areas have been identified as the essential competency areas for counsellors by the Council for the Accreditation of Counselling and other Related Educational Programmes (CACREP) in USA, and the Singapore Association for Counselling. For clinical instruction, a total of 400 hours (100 hours of face to face counselling and 100 hours of associated activities for each practicum) is required.