Graduate Diploma in Counselling

Program overview

Athabasca University’s online Graduate Diploma in Counselling (GDC) program is designed for students who either do not want to complete a full master's degree or who do not meet the admissions criteria for the Master of Counselling program.

The GDC focuses on the fundamentals of counselling psychology, theory and practice. There are no specialized streams in this program.

Why take the Graduate Diploma in Counselling?

If you don’t meet the admissions requirements for AU’s Master of Counselling, you will be considered to ladder your credits into the Master of Counselling program after you complete 5 courses in the GDC.

Program details

The Graduate Diploma in Counselling is an 18-credit online graduate program. You must complete at least 12 credits through Athabasca University.

There is only one GDC intake each year. The application deadline is in February and classes start in September. All courses are online grouped study, with defined start and end dates. The program includes a 3-week face-to-face summer institute.

Routes and options

Ladder to a degree

After completing 5 courses in the GDC, you can apply to ladder your credits into AU’s Master of Counselling program.

Completion times

Finish this program in as little as 1.5 years of full-time study. You can take up to 3 years to complete all requirements.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements include an undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average (GPA), and a minimum number of credits in psychology or educational psychology.

• See full GDC admission requirements

Required courses

Detailed information about courses in this program can be accessed using the following link:

Tuition and fees

The GDC has:

• an application fee
• a program admission fee
• a per-semester program fee

Tuition is then paid on a course-by-course basis.

• See all GDC fees