Master of Counselling

Regulations effective Sep. 1, 2025, unless otherwise noted.

The Faculty of Health Disciplines offers a 36-credit Master of Counselling (MC) program. The MC is a mixed online delivery master's program designed to meet the graduate academic requirements for the career paths of counselling therapist, psychotherapist, or counselling psychologist. The program incorporates core and specialization courses to ensure that all learners attain entry-level competence.

 


Counselling Psychology

The Counselling Psychology specialization was designated as an approved program of the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) in 2021. Graduates with sufficient additional psychology coursework meet the academic requirements for licensing as a Registered Psychologist in Alberta.

Graduates from the Master of Counselling course-based route require an additional 36-credits in psychology. Graduates from the thesis-route require an additional 30-credits in psychology. To meet the academic requirements to be a Registered Psychologist, CAP requires that this additional coursework include 3 credits at the senior undergraduate (i.e., typically 300 or 400 level) or graduate level in each of these foundational knowledge areas:

  • Social bases of behaviour
  • Biological bases of behaviour
  • Cognitive/affective bases of behaviour
  • Psychology of the individual

Learners from other provinces are responsible for checking their provincial regulatory body for licensure requirements.

Psychotherapy

The College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario approved the Master of Counselling (MC) degree in Counselling Psychology in 2022 for a 5-year term.

MC students in the course-based exit route are eligible to become Registered Psychotherapists – Qualifying (RP-Q) after completing 10 courses. Students in the thesis route are eligible to become RP-Qs when they have completed other coursework and have not yet defended their thesis.

Given our status as an approved program, our students are eligible to apply via an expedited and streamlined application route.


 

This program is offered under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education effective February 24, 2014, having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs (for example, acceptable to potential employers, professional licensing bodies, or other educational institutions). Reconfirmed Aug. 12, 2019.

Information effective Sep. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026.

Updated June 27, 2025 by Office of the Registrar