Overview
In 1999 the Department of Psychology developed the Bachelor of Psychology (Counselling) degree programme in response to a growing need and demand for counselling psychologists. However, there has been a growing demand from our graduates to further their studies and sharpen their skills in counselling. In response to this need, the Department has developed a Master of Counselling Psychology degree program. The Master of Counselling Psychology provides students with advanced knowledge in counselling. It is intended for students who desire to advance knowledge, skills and competencies in counselling and who desire to competently serve individuals, couples, families, and groups in the community.
1.2. Programme Philosophy
Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. The goals of psychology are to describe, explain, control and predict behaviour. While other branches of psychology describe, explain and predict behaviour, counselling psychology is one of the branches of psychology that helps to control behaviour. Behaviour is controlled through guidance where professional information is offered by a counsellor to prevent the occurrence of a problem, or through counselling which is a face to face relationship through which the counsellor uses his or her professional skills to help a client to solve his or her problem. In a world full of diverse challenges, counselling psychology helps clients who are facing diverse challenges not to give up on life but to face and solve the problem.
1.3. Rationale
The Kenyan society is experiencing social, economic, political and cultural transformations. This is posing a serious challenge on individual and communal coping strategies to the extent that they require professional help in understanding, predicting and possibly controlling challenges in their lives. The program focuses on Counselling and applied Psychotherapy strategies to enhance outcomes for clients struggling with a wide range of challenges which may vary from intra-personal to inter-personal issues and systemic problems. A wide variety of theoretical models are taught with an emphasis on eclectic approaches offering integrative themes including neurobiological understandings relevant to counselling.
1.4. Programme Objectives
1. Explain the therapeutic approaches in counselling.
2. Apply the theories and techniques of counselling in various contexts.
3. Demonstrate practical counselling skills and techniques in real-life situations.
4. Acquire ethical principles and values of counselling.
5. Conduct research in counselling psychology
1.5. Programme Learning Outcomes
1. Understand counselling theories and techniques.
2. Utilise therapeutic approaches in counselling.
3. Evaluate various theoretical practices in various contexts.
4. Undertake a clinical assessment of clients.
5. Conduct counselling in a professionally and ethically.
6. Develop therapeutic models to address various clients’ counselling needs.
Exams Regulations
7.0 EXAMINATION REGULATIONS
7.1 Written Examination
7.1.1. Each taught course shall be examined by a written paper lasting three hours at the end of each semester in which the course is given.
7.1.2. Each taught course shall be graded out 100% as follows: the coursework assessment shall account for 40% and the written examination for 60%.
7.1.3. The project will all be scored out of 100%.
7.1.4. At the end of the practicum, the candidate will be required to write a practicum journal which will be scored out of 100%. 7.1.5. The pass mark for each course shall be 50%.
7.1.6. For taught courses, this shall be arrived at by adding the overall continuous coursework grade obtained together with the score in the end of semester examinations
. 7.1.7. The grading of the courses shall be as follows: 6 A = 70% - 100% B = 60% - 69% C = 50% - 59% F = 49% and below
7.1.8. A candidate who fails to attain the pass mark in any unit at the end of the semester shall be required to take a supplementary examination when scheduled.
7.1.9. A candidate shall on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by the Senate be discontinued if she/he fails in four (4) or more units offered in a semester or fails the supplementary on the second attempt in the same unit.
7.1.10. A candidate who fails to obtain a pass mark in the project may on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by the Senate be allowed to resubmit the project for a maximum of two times.
7.1.11 A pass obtained by resubmission will be recorded as fifty per cent (50%) only.
7.1.12 A candidate who fails to obtain the pass mark on second re-submission of the project or fails to complete the course within the prescribed period shall on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by the Senate be discontinued. 7.2 Project Examination
7.2.1. Candidates shall be required to submit a written project to the Department of Psychology for examination two weeks before the end of the final semester of study.
7.2.2. The project shall be examined out of 100% and marks distributed as 60% for written dissertation and 40 % for the oral examination.
7.2.3. The pass mark shall be 50%.
7.2.4. A candidate who fails the project examination may be on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by the Senate, be allowed to resubmit the project work after three months for a maximum of two times.
7.2.5. The pass mark obtained by resubmission of the project shall be recorded as 50 %.
7.2.6. A candidate who fails in the second resubmission of the project, shall on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be discontinued.
7.3. Practicum Examination
7.3.1. During the practicum, the student shall be placed in a relevant institution. He/she will be supervised on daily basis by a site supervisor employed by the respective institution and approved by the Department.
7.3.2. The site supervisor will be required to give a report regarding professional competence of the candidate.
7.3.3. The Chair of Department will appoint a member of staff to supervise the candidate on three different occasions while in the field.
7.3.4. The visits by the supervisor from the Department will be spaced at least two weeks apart.
7.3.5. To be awarded a grade for the practicum the student will be required to write a professional practicum journal for submission for examination in the Department at the end of the practicum.
7.3.6. The site supervisor shall provide a confidential report on the student’s work and behaviour during the practical training.
7 7.3.7. On completion of the practical training, the student shall write a report and submit it to the departmental supervisor at the end of the first week of the following semester.
7.3.8. The practical training is marked out of 100% and the grade is included as part of the final degree classification. Assessment is by the report of the Department and site supervisor (50%) and by the written report of the student (50%).
Structure
5.1. The Masters of Counselling Psychology shall be by coursework, seminars, continuous assessments, examinations, practicum and project.
5.2. Each candidate shall be required to take a minimum of 16 course units to graduate in a given specialization offered as follows:
5.3. Each candidate shall be required to successfully take a minimum of 16 course units comprising six (6) core units; four (4) elective course units; two (2) Practicum units and a Project which is equivalent to four (4) course units of 45 hours each.
5.4. There shall be Practicum in which a candidate shall be placed in a relevant field station to work under supervision by qualified practitioners and departmental academic member of staff. The practicum course shall be equivalent to two (2) taught course units of 45 hours each. Each taught lecture hour will be equivalent to 3-client-contact hours of practice. The candidate will, therefore, be expected to cover a minimum of 270 hours of practice making it equivalent to 90 taught lecture hours.
5.5. The candidate will be required to conduct and write a research project report equivalent to four (4) taught courses.
5.6. The candidate shall be allowed to take a minimum of two (2) course units and a maximum of six (6) course units per semester.
5.7. Each course unit shall cover forty-five (45) contact hours.
5.8. The candidate shall be required to submit their project proposal for approval by the department by the end of the first semester of the second year.
6.0 COURSE OUTLINE
First year, semester 1
Core courses
Code Course title Hours
CPY 501* Research Methods in Psychology 45
CPY 502* Advanced Statistics in Psychology 45
CPY 550 Theories and Techniques of Counselling 45 First year, semester 1 Elective courses Code Course title Hours
CPY 551 School Counselling 45
CPY 552 Rehabilitation Counselling 45
CPY 553 Marriage and Family Counselling 45 First year, semester 2 5 Core courses Code Course title Hours
CPY 503 Psychological Assessment 45
CPY 505 Psychopathology 45
CPY 561 Counselling Process, Skills and Professional Ethics 45 First year, semester 2 Elective courses Code Course title Hours
CPY 554 Community Counselling 45
CPY 555 Substance and Addiction Counselling 45
CPY 556 Career Counselling 45 Second year, semester 1 Core courses Code Course title Hours
CPY 548* Practicum 90
CPY 559 Neuro-Psychopharmacological Interventions 45 Second year, semester 1 Elective courses Code Course title Hours
CPY 517* Cross-Cultural Psychology 45
CPY 520* Psychotraumatic Stress Pathology 45
CPY 549* Illness and Coping Mechanisms 45
CPY 557 Trauma Crisis and Grief Counselling 45
CPY 558 CPY 560 Child and Adolescence Counselling Life Span Development 45 45 Second year, semester 2 Core course Code Course title Hours
CPY 598* Project 180
Admission Requirements
1 The common regulations for the Masters’ degrees of the University of Nairobi and the Faculty of Arts shall apply.
2. The following shall be eligible for admission into the Master of Counselling Psychology:
3. A holder of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with an Upper Second Class Honours in psychology, counselling, sociology or related field from the University of Nairobi or from any other University recognized by the Senate.
4. A holder of a degree with at least Lower Second Class Honours in any field from the University of Nairobi or any other University recognized by the Senate with two years of relevant working experience.
5. A holder of a Pass degree from the University of Nairobi or any other university recognized by the Senate may be considered for admission if he/she has at least five years relevant experience or has a postgraduate diploma in a relevant field from a University recognized by the Senate.
CREDIT TRANSFER AND EXEMPTIONS
A candidate on the recommendation of the Board of Postgraduate Studies and approved by the Senate may be allowed to transfer up to a maximum of one-third of the course units offered in the program that a candidate will have passed in the prior institution.
Applicants seeking transfer of credits shall:
3.1 Send a formal application to the Director, Board of Postgraduate Studies, through the Dean, Faculty of Arts, seeking transfer of credits; justification of the request and evidence of credentials which would support such request shall be attached to the application.
3.2 Pay the prescribed fees for the transfer of credits before the application is processed.
3.3 Be allowed to transfer units which are equivalent to the same level offered at the University of Nairobi.