University of Edinburgh
School of Health in Social Science
MASTER OF COUNSELLING / POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
This application pack should be read in conjunction with the Programme Information
Booklet for the MCouns / Pg Dip (2015-17) in Counselling and also the Counselling
and Psychotherapy Statement of Core Orientation.
Your application for entry to Year 2 of the MCouns/Pg Diploma in Counselling should
contain two copies of each of the following:




A completed application form, which may be typed or handwritten.
A personal statement, which should be typed.
One professional reference which should be typed.
One completed feedback form from your Postgraduate Certificate tutor
All documents should be submitted together with your name clearly marked on each
page.
Instructions for Application Form
Please complete each section of the enclosed Application Form.
Instructions for Personal Statement
Please write a personal statement addressing each of the themes and questions on
the enclosed sheet Guidelines for the Personal Statement.
Instructions for Reference
You are required to supply one reference. Please give your referee a copy of the
reference instructions (at the back of this pack). Your referee should be familiar with
your professional or voluntary work or your capacity in a helping relationship. Your
referee should return their completed reference to you.
Instructions for Submission
Your reference, Personal Statement and Postgraduate Certificate Feedback
form must be included with your application form. Incomplete applications will
result in interview arrangements being delayed or postponed.
Applications should be submitted to Sue Larsen, either in hard copy by post or in
person to the General Office, (Room 1.7), 1st floor, School of Health (Doorway 6),
Medical School between 9.00am and 5.00pm. They can also be emailed to her at
sue.larsen:ed.ac.uk
You will be sent an acknowledgement email following receipt of your application. You
will also be contacted, in due course, with an interview time and date.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS IS
4.00pm on FRIDAY 27th MARCH 2015
Any application which is late or which is not complete on this deadline may not
be considered for the September 2015 entry of the Pg Diploma. In these
circumstances, applicants will be asked to apply again for the next delivery of
the Pg Diploma.
Please do not complete an on-line application at this
stage - you will be advised when and if this is required.
Further information about Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of
Edinburgh may be obtained at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/health/counselling/
University of Edinburgh
School of Health in Social Science
MASTER OF COUNSELLING / POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING
APPLICATION FORM FOR ENTRY TO YEAR 2
Confidential
1. PERSONAL DETAILS
Name:
Address:
Telephone Nos:
(home)
(work)
(mobile)
Email:
2. PRESENT OCCUPATION
Please give details of your present occupation / work / voluntary work
3. ENTRY ROUTE
In order to qualify for direct entry to Year 2 of the MCouns/Pg Diploma in Counselling,
applicants who have already completed and exited with a Postgraduate Certificate in
Counselling or Psychotherapy, either at the University of Edinburgh or at another
Institute of Higher Education are required to complete the Pg Diploma in Counselling
Entry with Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) Application Form.
If the above applies to you please state which year you completed this
qualification
Applicants who originally applied for, and are currently enrolled on, the one year
Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Studies 2014-2015 at the University of
Edinburgh are only required to complete and sign the application page marked *
which is contained in the RPL Application pack.
Applicants who are coming to the end of the Pg Certificate in Counselling Studies
year and who originally applied for, and are currently enrolled on, either the Pg
Diploma 3 years or the Master of Counselling (MCouns) 4 years are not required to
complete an RPL application.
More information about Entry with RPL, along with the application form, may be
obtained via the web link:
http://www.health.ed.ac.uk/counsellingstudies/applicants/MScPgDip-EAS.htm
4. REFERENCE
Please state the name and address of your referee and the capacity in which they
know you.
Referee
Name:
Address:
Phone Number:
Capacity in which referee knows applicant:
5. DISCLOSURE INFORMATION
Students on the MCouns/Pg Diploma in Counselling undertake one or more practice
placements as a trainee counsellor. In order to ensure that counsellors are suitable to
work with children, young people and vulnerable adults, Pg Diploma students require
PVG clearance (The Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme which is run by
Disclosure Scotland). If you are offered and accept a place on the Pg Diploma our
College office will carry this out on your behalf. As an applicant for this programme,
you need to be aware that if you are or have been subject to criminal or disciplinary
proceedings which have a bearing on your suitability to work with children, young
people or vulnerable adults, you may be disqualified from undertaking the practice
placement and therefore the programme.
More information about Disclosure Scotland is available via the web link:
http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/ or from: Disclosure Scotland, PO Box 250, Glasgow, G51 1YU.
Tel: 0870 609 6006, email: info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
University of Edinburgh
School of Health in Social Science
MASTER OF COUNSELLING / POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING
GUIDELINES FOR THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
Below are a list of themes and questions relating to your application. Please
write about yourself in relation to each one.
1
The following criteria will be used in selecting applicants for entry to Year 2 of
the MCouns/Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling:
Please respond to each of these with regard to yourself:

self awareness, maturity and stability

ability to make use of and reflect on life experience, including difficult or
challenging experiences

capacity to cope with the emotional demands of the training

openness to learning including ability to be self critical and use both positive
and developmental feedback

ability to cope with the intellectual and academic requirements

ability to form and sustain helping relationships

awareness of difference, diversity and equality in your experience of
yourself and others

capacity for psychological thinking and engagement
2
Please comment on your past and present opportunities for practising in a
helping relationship
3
Please reflect upon how you see yourself as a practitioner, either in
counselling or in another helping relationship. Refer to your qualities and
competencies as well as your limitations and areas for development.
4
Please say something about where you are in your life now, and the reasons
for wanting to embark on this programme at this time.
5
Please read the enclosed statement of the core orientation of this programme.
Write your response to it, along with an account of your current perspective on
it.
6
The programme is very time-consuming, emotionally demanding and costly. It
will take at least 20 hours per week of your time once you are in placement,
attending the courses, reading and working on your assignments. Please give
your reflections on these demands and how these might interact with work and
personal aspects of your life. The fees are given in the programme information
booklet.
7
Please let us know if there is anything else you want us to know about
yourself.
University of Edinburgh
School of Health in Social Science
MASTER OF COUNSELLING / POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING
GUIDELINES FOR REFEREE
The applicant for entry to Year 2 of the MCouns/Pg Diploma in Counselling at the University
of Edinburgh has asked you to supply a confidential reference supporting her/his application.
Please ensure you sign the reference and, where applicable, produce it on headed paper.
Following completion, your reference should be returned to the applicant who is required to
submit it along with her/his completed application form. Please do not return your reference
separately to the University of Edinburgh.
We would be grateful if you could give us your assessment of the following areas:
1
The applicant’s previous counselling or helping experience
2
The applicant’s ability to cope with the emotional pressure of a personally
demanding training in counselling
3
The applicant’s ability to cope with the academic aspects of a postgraduate
level programme
4
The applicant’s readiness at this time in her/his life to undertake a programme
of this nature
5
The applicant’s reasons and motivation for coming on this particular
programme
6
Below is the list of other criteria we use to help us select participants for this
programme. Please comment on these in relation to the applicant:
a) Ability to make use of and reflect on life experience
b) Ability to form and sustain helping relationships
c) Openness to learning, including ability to be self-critical and use both
positive and negative feedback
d) Awareness of difference, diversity and equality
Further information about Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Edinburgh may
be obtained at:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/health/counselling/