News

Plan to phase out postgraduate counselling courses

(16 May 2003)

The University of Durham is preparing to sharpen its focus on mainstream professional Education and Teacher Training courses by phasing out postgraduate programmes in counselling studies.

The 200 students already on the courses will not be affected and there will be no job losses among the University’s academic or support staff.

The plan, which was agreed by the Board of Studies in the School of Education in February and the University’s Graduate School Committee, goes to the Senate of the University on 20 May.

The School of Education, which currently provides the certificate, diploma and MA programmes through its Centre for Studies in Counselling (CESCO), has decided to concentrate on courses in Education and Teacher Training, in line with University policy to review the overall strategic fit of its activities.

Counselling modules will continue to be part of Education programmes, but the School will recruit no more students for separate qualifications in counselling. The current students will continue to study for the courses on which they are registered, and those who achieve the necessary results on the certificate courses will be able to proceed to an MA if they wish.

The University has consulted widely among its own academic departments and with outside organisations to see if there was an alternative provider for the courses, but none was available.

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