Why Study / Key Benefits

• Globally recognised for its distinctive emphasis on narrative therapy.
• Develops professional knowledge and counselling skills informed by social constructionist theory.
• Designed specifically for professional counsellors or supervisors who want to develop their careers and take on leadership roles within the counselling profession.
• Develops professional ethics, counselling competence, group leadership, mediation and practitioner-research capabilities.
• Provides substantial supervised professional practice through practicum placements.
• Gives students opportunities to develop an independent and well-theorised counselling practice position.
• Includes attention to M?ori perspectives, cultural contexts, Treaty of Waitangi responsibilities and the social and cultural dimensions of counselling.
• Provides opportunities for research through directed study, dissertation or master's thesis options.
• Graduates can potentially progress to doctoral study.
• The University has been teaching narrative therapy for around 30 years and has contributed to local and international scholarship in this field.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The MCouns is built around four compulsory counselling papers plus an approved combination of additional taught and research papers.

The four compulsory papers are:

• COUNS544 – Discourse and Counselling Psychologies
• COUNS541 – Counselling Skills
• COUNS542 – Counselling Practicum
• COUNS545 – Professional Practice of Counselling.

Additional counselling papers include:

• COUNS543 – Counselling Young People and Families
• COUNS540 – Working with Groups
• COUNS546 – Conflict Resolution: Restorative Approaches
• COUNS549 – Counselling and Contexts
• COUNS550 – Narrative Approaches to Addictions Counselling.

Research options include:

• COUNS590 – Directed Study, 30 points
• COUNS592 – Dissertation, 60 points
• COUNS593 – Counselling Thesis, 90 points
• COUNS594 – Counselling Thesis, 120 points.

The formal regulations allow the following broad structures:

1. 120 points compulsory papers, including practicum, plus a 120-point thesis.
2. 120 points compulsory papers, including practicum, plus a 90-point thesis and 30 additional prescribed points.
3. 120 points compulsory papers, including practicum, plus a 60-point dissertation and 60 additional prescribed points.
4. 240 points of prescribed papers, including at least 120 compulsory points and the practicum.

Disciplines / Specialisations

The MCouns is a specialist counselling qualification rather than a master's with conventional majors.

Key areas of study include:

• Narrative therapy
• Counselling practice
• Counselling psychology
• Social constructionist approaches
• Counselling children, young people and families
• Group work
• Conflict resolution and restorative approaches
• Addictions counselling
• Professional counselling practice
• Counselling research
• Practicum and professional supervision.

Programme Highlights

• 240-point Level 9 master's degree.
• Two-year normal duration.
• Hamilton-based programme.
• March/A Trimester intake.
• Strong narrative-therapy focus.
• Social constructionist theoretical foundation.
• Four compulsory professional counselling papers.
• Significant supervised practicum experience.
• Students arrange their own practicum placement.
• Professional supervision is required during practicum.
• Options for taught study, directed study, dissertation or thesis.
• Cultural learning incorporating M?ori knowledge, perspectives and experiences.
• Development of professional ethics and responsibility.
• Preparation for independent counselling practice.
• Recognised qualification for membership of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors.

Career Outcomes

The University lists potential career areas including:

• Hospice counselling
• Private practice
• Family and relationship counselling
• Corrections and probation
• Youth services
• Career support
• Pastoral care
• School counselling
• Social and community service management.

The broader counselling subject area reports graduates progressing into leadership positions as:

• Practitioners
• Practice leaders
• Researchers
• Counsellor educators.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• The current programme page states that 2026 applications have closed.
• The current qualification page lists March/A Trimester as the intake.
• The programme is subject to a selection process; applicants must be assessed as suitable for the counselling programme.
• A minimum of two years' prior counselling experience and/or professional preparation is required under the formal regulations.
• The programme has a significant practicum component. Students are responsible for arranging their own appropriate placement.
• In the first year of the full-time programme, students generally complete 200 hours in a professional counselling setting and 80 hours of counselling.
• In the second year, the practicum involves 450 hours in counselling settings, with up to three placements potentially arranged.
• Professional supervision is required, with at least 16 supervision sessions in each practicum paper.
• The University states that successful applicants are responsible for establishing an appropriate placement, and supervision may involve an additional cost.
• Places in key counselling papers are limited. For example, the 2026 limitations regulations list 25 students for COUNS541 and 20 for COUNS544, with an additional international-student allocation of one student for each of those papers.
• Because the qualification requires selection and practicum capacity, international applicants should not assume that satisfying the minimum academic criteria guarantees admission.

International Student Visa Requirements

An international student coming to New Zealand for the MCouns will generally require a Fee Paying Student Visa.

Immigration New Zealand currently states that applicants must:

• Have an offer of place from an approved education provider.
• Have sufficient money to pay tuition fees or an acceptable scholarship/funding arrangement.
• Have sufficient funds for living expenses or an acceptable sponsor.
• Have acceptable medical and travel insurance.
• Meet health and character requirements.
• Demonstrate a genuine intention to study.
• Demonstrate that they can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.