Entry Requirements
Satisfactorily completed Year 12, AQF 4 qualification or equivalent
Study Mode
Flexible
Pathway
Bachelor of Counselling, Bachelor of Ministry
Duration
1 year full-time
or part-time equivalent
Career Options
Chaplain, Youth Worker, Pastoral Counsellor, Church Ministry Worker, Social Welfare, Community-service
AQF level
Level 5
Course details
The Diploma of Counselling is a Christian counselling course designed to equip students with foundational knowledge and core counselling skills that can be applied to various professional and pastoral counselling contexts.
The course is underpinned by a Christian worldview that understands humans as created in the image of God. Thus, relational at the core of their being and intrinsically valuable. Students will learn a holistic counselling framework that reflects on the client’s history and current circumstances and on all core aspects of human functioning: relational, physical, emotional, volitional, rational, and spiritual.
|
OVERVIEW |
SUBJECTS |
|---|---|
|
Core Units |
Introduction to Counselling Theories, Introduction to Counselling Practicum, Legal & Ethical Practice, Counselling in Cultural Context, Human Development. |
|
Electives |
Study Ready, Personal and Professional Development, Crisis and Case Management, Pastoral Counselling Context, Process, and Practice, Critical Issues in Pastoral Counselling, Marriage and Family, Psychology for Counsellors, Self-Care, Counselling and Pastoral Care for the Ageing, Interpreting the Bible, Worldview and Witness, Overview of the New Testament, Overview of the Old Testament, Pastoral Ministry, Christian Discipleship, Introduction to Theology, Theological Orientation for Ministry |
All applicants who endeavour to apply must meet the general admission requirements.
Admission to the Bachelor of Ministry requires
- All domestic candidates must be 17 years old or older.
- Have completed Year 12 in the Australian school system, or its equivalent within the past 2 years; OR
- Have completed an AQF Level 4 qualification or higher in Australia (e.g. Cert IV or above in any field); OR
- Qualify for admission as a mature-age student by obtaining a satisfactory grade in both the Written English (at least 130) and Multiple Choice (at least 125) sections of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) conducted by the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre Inc. within the past 2 years.
Applicants must confess their faith in Christ under the PBC Statement of Faith, be involved regularly in a local church, demonstrate a desire to be involved in church ministry, demonstrate the physical and psychological capacity for studying in a tertiary institution, agree to abide by PBC policies and procedures and agree to abide by the Student Code of Conduct.
Before applying, please ensure you have:
- A Unique Student Identifier number (USI). If you don’t have one, you can apply here. To find your number, click here.
- ID documents: A colour PDF of a primary ID document (Australian birth certificate, Australian Citizenship Certificate, Australian passport, or International Passport) AND a colour PDF of a secondary ID document (ex. Australian driver’s licence)
- A digital passport-style image
- A colour PDF of previous academic transcripts and certificates of completion(or a certified copy)
- A page or two detailing your testimony, including how you became a Christian and why you believe the Lord would have you train for Christian life and service at PBC
- Contact information for two chosen referees (2 non-related Christian referees who have known you for at least 2 years).
- Contact information for your Pastor/Leader.
When you have all the required supporting information for your application, please apply online here.
Diploma of Counselling is not available for Overseas enrollment.
The course structure is based on 3 trimesters (each 11-week duration), with three units taught in each trimester. It comprises of
- 5 core units
- 3 elective units.
Each unit carries three credit points, and graduates require 24 credit points to complete the course successfully.
The Diploma of Counselling is a higher education award provided by Perth Bible College Inc (PBC).
The Diploma of Counselling has five compulsory core units and three elective units.
Core Units:
- Introduction to Counselling Theories
- Introduction to Counselling Practicum
- Legal & Ethical Practice
- Counselling in Cultural Context
- Human Development
Introduction to Counselling Theories
This unit Counselling Theories and Practice I aims to introduce students to the foundations of ethical counselling practice. Students will learn a range of theories, explore why particular skills are helpful and reflect on their integration in ethical ways.
Introduction to Counselling Practicum
The unit Counselling Practicum I aims to provide students with an initial opportunity to practice counselling skills in a closely supervised context. Students will evaluate their practice and skill development in counselling and grow in their understanding of the counselling task and the importance of managing connected relationships.
Human Development
This course unit provides an understanding of the physical, social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the human life cycle through all the stages from infancy to older age. As such, it provides knowledge of life experiences that can be addressed in pastoral care and counselling.
Counselling in Cultural Context
This unit aims to provide students with a knowledge of the need, a conceptual framework for and the necessary skills for cross-cultural counselling. Both cultural diversity within Australia and the implications of working with people with families overseas will be examined to outline the complexity of working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Within the study, students will be encouraged to identify their own cultural framework and understand their own cultural predispositions.
Elective Units:
- Personal and Professional Development
- Pastoral Counselling Context, Process, and Practice
- Critical Issues in Pastoral Counselling
- Marriage and Family
- Psychology for Counsellors
- Self-Care, Counselling and Pastoral Care for the Ageing
- Interpreting the Bible
- Worldview and Witness
- Overview of the New Testament
- Overview of the Old Testament
- Pastoral Ministry
- Christian Discipleship
- Introduction to Theology
- Theological Orientation for Ministry
Study Ready
This introductory course unit provides structured, practical instruction in the nature and skills of critical thinking, reading and writing in a theological context. It is designed as a generic introduction to the academic skills relevant to the various disciplines in theological studies.
Self Care
This unit offers prospective and current practitioners the educational elements required to develop and enhance healthy self-care practices, consider learned coping patterns and deepen awareness of the biblical and theological aspects of rest.
Christian Discipleship
Christ calls the believer to follow Him and to live a life of faith and obedience whilst we remain amid a broken reality.
We are called to participate in the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit to become more Christlike as we seek to glorify our Heavenly Father. All who decide to follow Christ commence the journey of Christian discipleship, which challenges and transforms our lives.
The Scripture provides specific direction to train, encourage and teach others to grow in deeper wisdom and maturity, bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, both individually and corporately. In a society seeking instant gratification, there remains an urgent need to consider Christian discipleship.
As we engage and identify with sinful, fallen, broken humanity, we need the deep wisdom and understanding gleaned through authentic discipleship. This course will establish a comprehensive trinitarian theology for Christian discipleship, explore historical precedence and engage in the transformational journey that will shape and equip us for Christian life and ministry.
Pastoral Counselling Context, Process and Practice
In this unit, students will develop and practise pastoral counselling models shaped by theological thinking, the social sciences, and ministry contexts.
Students will learn to work through several counselling models through practicum and role-play. After developing the skills to move through the models step by step, they will be encouraged to use them more flexibly and contextualise the models to specific case studies.
In the first instance, the Christian context being referred to is developing and practising counselling models informed by a Christian perspective and worldview. Secondly, it is referring to the vocational contexts a pastoral counsellor may be working in.
FAQ
Enrolment
Enrolment process
Before the beginning of each trimester, each student shall apply for enrolment by completing and lodging an enrolment form, obtainable from the Admin Office or via Moodle (PBC awards only).
The Dean of Students and the Dean of Studies will arrange enrolment appointment days for enrolling new and returning students. These meetings will allow each student to receive advice on which units to enrol in, ensuring they will meet the requirements of their course.
Enrolment forms must be completed before attending lectures for that trimester. All enrolments must be finalised by the census date. Students cannot add new units or transfer between units after the census date.
Students may apply to change their course enrolment at the beginning of a new trimester up until the census date.
Students must complete an Application for Change of Enrolment form to make such an application. Students must meet the requirements outlined in the Course Articulation and Change of Course Policy to qualify to change course enrolment.
Deferment
PBC may permit the deferral of a course enrolment of a student in some circumstances, as outlined in the Enrolment – Domestic Students Policy and Enrolment – Overseas Students Policy.
Fees and charges
PBC’s most current fee structure can be found on the Course Fees page.
Academic requirements
Please carefully read the academic requirements as listed on the award that you are interested in pursuing.
English Language Proficiency
The Australian Government requires incoming overseas students to demonstrate their proficiency in English before a student visa will be granted. You are required to complete an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) assessment unless you can provide evidence of studying in English from one of the following options:
- At least five years of study in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States, or
- Successful completion in Australia of a foundation course, Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or a substantial part of a Certificate IV or higher-level qualification from the Australian Qualifications Framework, within two years of your application date.
The applicant should ask the IELTS testing authority to mail the test results directly to The Dean of Students, PBC. The following standards are the English language requirements for PBC courses:
| Course | IELTS Band Score |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Diploma | 6.0 overall and in the reading and writing subsets. |
| Associate Degree | 6.0 overall and in the reading and writing subsets. |
| Bachelor Degree | 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each subset. |
| Graduate Diploma | 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each subset. |
| Master Degree | 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each subset. |
Student and Campus Services
Student support is an important aspect at PBC.
We take our students’ success in their studies seriously and understand that good student support requires a holistic approach. As a result of our commitment to our students, we have consistently been ranked above 90% for the student support aspect in the national Student Experience Survey facilitated by the QILT team.
Read more about Student and Campus Services.
Additional Information
Access and equity
PBC does not discriminate in the admission and access to its programs and activities based on disability, age, sex, race, colour of national or ethnic origin.