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BSc (Hons) Counselling Skills and Therapeutic Communication (Top-Up)

Start Date: 7th September 2026

Length 1 year
Study Full-Time
Location Rye Hill Campus

Qualification Gained

BSc (Hons) Counselling Skills and Therapeutic Communication (Top-Up) (awarded by NCG)

Levels Explained

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More about the course

This BSc (Hons) Counselling Skills and Therapeutic Communication (Top-Up) degree will help you to develop an understanding of the principles and practices of communication and counselling approaches. This Health and Social Care course will allow you to consolidate learning in practical counselling techniques, informed by the theory of counselling practice.

This Top-Up degree will prepare you to help others to cope with their problems, such as mental health issues and family or relationship concerns, and the modules you will study will focus on person-centred counselling, current issues and best practice within the sector.

Throughout this course, you will benefit from current industry expertise through our extensive range of guest speakers and lectures.

Entry requirements

A pass or higher in a Level 5 Foundation Degree, Diploma in Higher Education or HND (in Counselling- related subjects).

You may be invited to a discretionary interview.

If you are a current Newcastle College student and you successfully meet the published Level 5 entry criteria in an appropriate subject(s), you will be guaranteed a place on this course.

Applicants are normally expected to have achieved grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and maths or the Level 2 equivalent (i.e. Functional Skills or Adult Literacy/Numeracy).

At Newcastle College University Centre, we welcome applications from students studying new T-Level qualifications.

Further details on our entry requirements can be found here.

What will I learn?

Theory and Practice of Research
Understanding Trauma
Sex and Sexuality
Working with Grief and Loss
Contemporary Issues in Mental Health and Illness for Counselling Practitioners
Professional Viva
Reflective Professional Practices.

How is the course taught?

Work-based sessions and e-Learning
Practical sessions
Lectures
Group work.

How am I assessed?

Reports
Essays
Observations
Portfolios
Reflection
Presentations
Vivas
Case studies
Peer assessments
Work based projects.

Work Experience

As part of this Top-Up degree, you will participate in voluntary external placements within the field of counselling. Key staff holding active memberships of professional bodies or associations will be available to support you with their membership and networking.

Where can I progress?

On successful completion of this Top-Up degree, you could progress onto a Master's qualification in the healthcare sector.

Alternatively, you could work in a variety of counselling roles, such as in the voluntary sector or in charitable organisations, NHS and educational institutions, or in specialist fields such as substance misuse, sexual abuse, bereavement and self-employment (private practice). For other roles, such as a drugs worker, training and development officer, learning mentor or behavioural specialist, you could go straight into employment and undertake further on-the-job training.

Course costs and information

Tuition fees vary depending on the course and mode of study. Read more about tuition fees and financial support.

Fees for international students vary depending on the course. Find out more about international fees and payments.

It's important that you know what your tuition fee includes and what other costs you'll need to plan for. Read what your fee includes here.

Xania Prentice

BSc (Hons) Counselling Skills and Therapeutic Communication (Top-Up)

"As an older student, learning as a beginner meant I was able to bring all my life experience onto this course. I've studied modules ranging from trauma to gender to bereavement, and all of it fascinated me. But to me, this course wasn't just about qualifying in psychology - I've found my calling here, by discovering how people work and figuring out how I could help them."

Richard Cave

Lecturer | Counselling

"The great thing about this course that I’m teaching is that it’s a professional course, so by the end of the two years, my students have a professional qualification to go out and be a counsellor and speak to real people with real issues."