News

Senate decides to phase out postgraduate counselling courses

(21 May 2003)

The Senate of the University of Durham today endorsed a decision of the School of Education to concentrate on its core provision of professional Education and Teacher Training courses.

It will mean phasing out separate postgraduate programmes in counselling studies, but retaining counselling modules within the Education courses.

Courses are continuously developed, changed or discontinued by the individual Schools and Departments of the University, and routinely go for formal approval to Senate, which is the overall academic authority of the University and has representatives from all academic departments, colleges, staff and students.

In this case, the 200 students, including those on distance learning programmes outside the UK, who are already on the courses will not be affected. There will be no job losses among the University’s academic or support staff.

The plan was agreed by the Board of Studies in the School of Education in February and later by the University’s Graduate School Committee.

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 consulted widely among its own academic departments to see if there was an alternative provider for the courses. None was found, so there was further exploration among health and welfare organisations and service providers outside the University, but again none of them wished to take over the course.

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