Course Description

Master of Science in Counselling Psychology aims to impart the macro and micro skills essential for establishing the foundations of counseling at the individual, couple, family, group and organizational level. The emphasis of the course is on training the students on the various approaches and techniques of counseling, thereby providing the grounding which is required for addressing the changing needs and issues of the contemporary society. The students will receive experiential training to use interventions, thereby equipping them to take on the role of counselors in schools, colleges and organizations.

The Master of Science programme in Counselling Psychology is designed so that the students who pass out are prepared for a wide variety of mental health positions in human service agencies and organizations in both the public and private sector. They are eligible to appear for M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs at any national or international universities/organizations.

Course Duration
The Master of Science in Counselling Psychology (M.Sc. Counselling Psychology) is spread across 2 years over four semesters. Each semester is for a period of about four months.

Eligibility

• Candidates with 50% marks in the aggregate of B.A./B.Sc./B.Ed./PG Diploma in counselling.
• Candidate should have studied at least one subject in Psychology or any paper/course related to Psychology.

Scope:
Students who successfully complete the requirements for Master of Science Degree in Counselling Psychology programme are eligible to pursue M.Phil., Ph.D. or any other equivalent programme in any university or organizations around the world. They are also eligible to assume the role of a counselor in any applied field. Further, they could teach in colleges and universities if they fulfill the criteria prescribed by Universities Grants Commission (UGC). The student would be eligible to work as a Research Scholar, and is trained and equipped with all the essential tools of Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences, including training in Data Analysis using SPSS and Academic Writing. Further, the degree qualifies them to reach out in the capacity of a professional counselor- In individual counselling setups giving one to one counselling;

• In group setups as in marital and family therapy ;
• To design and conduct psycho-educational workshops after doing training need deficit.
• To practice individual and group intervention techniques at both the micro and macro levels i.e. in both the private and organizational setups respectively.

Course Work
M.Sc. Counselling Psychology is a professional course with an emphasis on applied training using the theoretical principles of learning, personality, counselling and psychotherapy. The papers are detailed and enrich the students with a strong base in Psychology. The essential focus of the course is to enhance knowledge of macro and micro skills in counselling.

• The nature of the coursework is such that it demands compulsory fieldwork in varying durations every semester respectively wherein students are encouraged to explore the arena of counselling and apply the skills they learn in each semester. The final semester is a cumulative of all the different skills. Approaches and intervention techniques that the student has gathered and which are then tested during the stipulated internship period and Project report to be submitted thereof.
• The coursework entails organized educational trips to enrich the students' experience of the vast arena wherein psychological tools can be applied.
• The final year includes submission of Dissertation as part of the prescribed curriculum wherein the student receives supervised guidance to work on research topics and apply the skills that they have honed in the earlier semesters with emphasis on scientific writing and research publications.
• The students are encouraged to thrive in academia by participating in workshops, conferences and gaining exposure in Research paper presentation.
• Personal mentoring programmes are a part of the student teacher interface at IIPR. The faculty plays the role of mentors providing a platform for the students to share their concerns regarding academics or other personal issues in the secure knowledge that the same will be addressed.

Specialization:
Students opting for a Masters in Science Degree in Counselling Psychology will be studying compulsory areas of specialization like: Child & Adolescent Counselling, Marriage & Family Counselling, Educational Counselling and Workplace Counselling. The objective of the course is to provide students a comprehensive and balanced outlook in the different areas of work for Counselling Psychologists. Having studied and learnt in detail the different aspects of counselling, the students will be able to apply and make use of their vast knowledge and information in any area they choose to pursue for further studies or for practicing as a Counsellor.

Further, students will be made to undergo a minimum of 150 hours of supervised internship in the area of their interest. Students will be posted in different places in the field of mental health like counselling centres, education centers, schools, family welfare centres, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, clinics, industries / organizations, etc. These postings will enable the students to get a deeper understand of the gap between theory and practice. This is a supervised exercise monitored by an internal and external supervisor which is assessed and evaluated from time to time thereby providing students with regular feedback on their performance and progress.

As part of orienting and training students in the field of research, each student will be given personal training to pursue a compulsory research project in any area of their interest under the guidance of qualified and experienced faculty.

Syllabus: A brief overview
Semester 1
1. Theories of Counselling
2. Lifespan Psychology
3. Foundations of Professional Counselling
4. Quantitative Research Methods
5. Theoretical Perspectives of Psychology (Soft Core)
6. Practical: Assessment for Counselling
7. Practical on Computer and Statistics

Semester 2
1. Theories of Psychotherapy
2. Psychopathology
3. Theoretical foundation of group counselling
4. Qualitative Research Methods
5. Soft Core - Rehabilitation Psychology
6. Practical 1: Basic skills in Counselling
7. Practical 2: Project Work

Semester 3
1. Alternative Healing Practices
2. Child and Adolescent Counselling
3. Educational and Career Counselling - Theory and Assessment
4. Practical 1: Techniques of Individual Counselling
5. Practical 2: Process of Group Counselling
6. Open Elective: Foundation and Application of Psychology

Semester 4
1. Marriage and Family Counselling
2. Work Place Counselling
3. practical 1: Supervised Practicum
4. practical 2: Dissertation

Fee Structure:

Post Graduation (PG):
For students of Karnataka Rs. 1,10.000/- Per Year*
For students from outside Karnataka Rs. 1,20.000/- Per Year*

Fees for NRI/Foreign students (students studying in international schools from India) will be different.
*Per year 2 semesters