Doctor of Counselling

Doctorate (PhD)

The University of Notre Dame Australia is dedicated to building a solid and innovative research culture. The Doctor of Counselling offers an applied three-year or equivalent program leading to a thesis of approximately 80,000 words in length.

Key details

Degree Type

Doctorate (PhD)

Duration

3 years full-time

Study Mode

In person

About this course

School of Arts & Sciences

The University of Notre Dame Australia is dedicated to building a solid and innovative research culture. The Doctor of Counselling offers an applied three-year or equivalent program leading 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. Contact us today to find out more.

Entry requirements

The following criteria apply to students seeking admission to the Professional Doctorate program:

The Pro Vice Chancellor-Research, on the advice of the Dean of the School, determines admission to the Doctor of Counselling Award.
Applicants to the Doctor of Counselling Award are expected to satisfy the following criteria:
- Possession of a research Masters degree by thesis or dissertation appropriate to the professional field of the applicant; or
- Possession of a Masters degree by coursework appropriate to the professional field of the applicant completed at a superior standard; or
- Possession of a Bachelor's degree with Honours (typically 1st Class or Class 2A Honours level or equivalent); or
- Possession of a Master of Philosophy; or
- In exceptional circumstances, an equivalent academic or professional background that is considered by the Dean of the School to be an appropriate preparation for independent study and research work at Doctoral level.
In addition to the academic criteria listed above, applicants are normally expected to satisfy the following:
- have a minimum of 3 years of relevant professional practice;
- have the support of an industry or professional mentor.
You may be required to demonstrate an ability to understand and communicate in both written and spoken English at a level adequate for the purpose of pursuing the program of study.

Study locations

Fremantle

What you will learn

The Professional Doctorate is a research degree designed to meet the needs of professionals who aspire to achieve academic excellence and lead the development of knowledge within their profession. The program seeks to examine crucial topics and integrate professional experience with scholarly inquiry.

In particular, it aims to generate a research-based approach, providing answers to questions relevant to the professions or industry and encouraging a systematic approach to collecting, analysing and interpreting data. For this reason, we recommend you seek the support of a relevant professional body, employer or industry group in defining your research area.

Career pathways

A doctorate in Counselling will allow you to achieve academic excellence through exploration and research while preparing you for a leadership role in your chosen field.

Course structure

RSCH7000 Quantitative Research Methods
RSCH7001 Qualitative Research Methods
RSCH7002 Scholarly Reading and Writing
RSCH7003 Developing a Research Proposal
RSCH7059 Supervised Research - Counselling

The Professional Doctorate comprises coursework and a substantial research component leading to the submission of a thesis. The coursework component includes four compulsory research training courses to be completed as a prerequisite to your individual research project. The coursework will provide opportunities for you to formulate substantial elements of your planned research (e.g. topic refinement, identification and justification of the preferred research method(s), preparation of a draft proposal), and to develop personal competencies in critical analysis and scholarly writing relevant to your profession.

The completion of the coursework is facilitated by a course delivery schedule which takes into consideration that you may also be in employment during your candidature.

Full details of the program are contained in the Program Requirements.

More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions page.

Please note: The availability of these courses is indicative only and may be subject to change.