MA
Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy
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Why study MA Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths
This programme is ideal if you wish to qualify and pursue a career as a professional counsellor. It's designed to enable you to develop as a reflective counselling practitioner.
- This is a psychodynamic course that gives you solid theoretical foundations, as well as basic counselling skills in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy.
- It combines classical with contemporary psychodynamic theory and has a strong emphasis on issues relating to diversity and multiculturalism in theory and practice.
- The curriculum focuses on psychodynamic, psychoanalytic and relational psychoanalytic perspectives. Through engagement in a range of learning contexts, including lectures, group seminars, therapeutic skills practice workshops, creative workshops, experiential group work, counselling placements, tutorials, independent study and dissertation supervision, students are supported in developing links between personal, clinical and theoretical knowledge.
- You will be required to be in personal therapy until you complete your second year, and your clinical placement hours – please note this is at your own cost.
- The programme offers a full-time mode of study extending over a minimum of two years and a part-time mode of study extending over a minimum of three years. Both modes of study carry a total of 240 credits on completion, as opposed to the usual 180 for an MA programme.
- On completion of this programme, you will have achieved all the educational requirements to be eligible to apply for personal accreditation with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Contact the department
If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Eric Harper.
Length
2 years full-time, 3 years part-time
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant subject and a certificate in Counselling, as well as experience of working in a related field or where interpersonal communication skills are central. See below for full details.
Fees
Home - full-time: £11250
Home - part-time: £7500
International - full-time: £24350
Department
What you'll study
In your first year, you will take five compulsory modules:
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| Counsellor Competencies and Attitudes | 30 credits |
| Psychodynamic Theories | 30 credits |
| Reflective Practitioner | 30 credits |
| Applied Psychoanalysis | 15 credits |
| Multidisciplinary Research Methods | 15 credits |
Assessment
Assessment for this MA will be conducted through essays, practicum and viva, presentation, dissertation, portfolio, report(s) and log of hours.
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject and a certificate in Counselling/Counselling Skills as well as experience of working in a counselling-related field or where interpersonal communication skills are central to your role.
We also welcome applications from individuals with relevant work experience. All applicants must have knowledge and/or experience in psychodynamic theory and practice, and provide evidence of this with an up to date CV, references, and personal statement.
You must also be able to demonstrate evidence of the capacity to develop the competencies for professional counselling practice:
- Emotional insight
- Robustness
- Ability to provide a reliable, honest, containing and reflexive relationship to clients
These will be evaluated through the application and interview process. The Admissions Tutor will seek to understand your qualities as a person and assess your suitability to practice with vulnerable clients.
Please note: You must also fulfil our Fitness to Train requirements.
International qualifications
We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.
If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.
How to apply
Apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system
You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.
Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:
- Details of your academic qualifications
- The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively a copy of your academic reference
- Copies of your educational transcripts or certificates
- A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement and ensure you detail the following:
- Experience of work where use of interpersonal communication/counselling skills is core to your professional role (eg nursing, teaching, voluntary work)
- Evidence of your capacity to develop the competencies that are required for professional counselling practice (ie emotional insight, robustness, and the ability to prove a reliable, honest, containing and reflexive relationship to vulnerable clients)
You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.
When to apply
We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.
If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an earlier application deadline.
Selection process
Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.
Fitness to train
Applicants to therapeutic studies programmes are asked to disclose any criminal record, disciplinary record, significant periods of time off work and significant health problems in writing after interview.
If we wish to make an applicant an offer of a place on the course, an anonymised version of the applicant’s written disclosure will be reviewed by a panel that considers the applicant’s suitability for therapeutic studies training. This process is additional to normal ‘fitness to train’ processes.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees
These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.
- Home - full-time: £11250
- Home - part-time: £7500
- International - full-time: £24350
If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.
It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.
If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.
Funding opportunities
Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder to find out what funding you may be eligible for.
Paying your fees
Find out about paying your tuition fees.
If you are a UK student you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan.
Meanwhile our Careers Service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies.
Additional costs
In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.
There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.
Careers
Where this degree can take you
Suitable careers for graduates of this programme include:
- Counselling
- Teaching
- Support and welfare work
- Advocacy and mentoring
Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.
Skills you'll gain
The programme will enable you to develop:
- Critical thinking, evaluation and interpretation
- Interpersonal and therapeutic skills
- Communication in a range of modes (written, spoken, interpersonal)
- Research skills
