Postgraduate study
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Counselling Studies MScR

Awards: MScR

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Counselling Studies

The MSc by Research in Counselling Studies provides students with a comprehensive understanding of research design, data collection and data analysis for research in the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

It offers an advanced education to students interested in developing research skills, including qualified counselling and psychotherapy practitioners and social science researchers.

Counselling and psychotherapy specialise in qualitative, reflexive and critical approaches to research, and have particular expertise in practice-based research that draws directly on practitioners' own therapeutic work, on the client's experience of therapy, and in narrative, reflexive and auto-ethnographic methods.

We are especially keen to encourage research concerned with the interface between counselling, psychotherapy and social, cultural and political life.

Our research portfolio is highly interdisciplinary, integrating concepts, practices and scholarship from:

  • counselling and psychotherapy
  • psychology
  • sociology
  • philosophy
  • education
  • cultural studies
  • health and social care
  • other social sciences.

Our interests include:

  • disability
  • gender
  • trauma
  • abuse
  • counselling children and young people
  • sexualities

You can read more about our research interests and publications on our website:

The programme aims to provide students with advanced understandings of research design, data collection and data analysis issues in counselling research.

The programme enables students to develop their understandings of debates about research, evidence and practice in relation to counselling and related practices.

Distinctive features of this degree include:

  • integration of generic social science and discipline-specific counselling research training
  • social science approaches to research training in counselling
  • close links with social science research concerned with counselling and society
  • close links with social science research concerned with health, illness and health services

The degree may be taken as a stand-alone MSc or as a foundation for PhD study. Candidates must complete a programme of research training courses and submit a dissertation on an approved topic.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, theory seminars, discussion groups and independent study.

Assessment is through coursework and the dissertation.

Individual courses may have other learning and assessment methods such as student presentations, research projects and web-based learning.

Learning outcomes

The programme provides research training in counselling, opportunities to design research, a research-based appreciation of key elements of counselling practice, a critical appreciation of approaches to research in counselling and psychotherapy, and the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScRCounselling Studies1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2024/25
MScRCounselling Studies2 YearsPart-timeProgramme structure 2024/25

You will complete a programme of research training courses and submit a dissertation on an approved topic. The MSc by Research can be taken as a stand-alone qualification or as a foundation for PhD study.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in social science, psychology or a health-related discipline.

We will also consider your application if your degree is in another subject but you have a professional qualification in counselling or psychotherapy.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
  • Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScRCounselling Studies1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScRCounselling Studies2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money

    • taking out a loan

    • family support

  • personal savings

  • income from work

  • employer sponsorship

  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK's governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • School of Health in Social Science
  • Medical School
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG

The School of Health in Social Science operates a gathered field approach to PGR applications - this means that all complete applications which satisfy our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline and an admissions panel will meet to consider all applications received together after that date.

The application deadlines and dates for decision are listed. In order to ensure full consideration of your application, we ask that you submit your complete application including all supporting documentation by these dates. More information about what will be considered a complete application and how to apply can be found on our School website:

Applicants planning to apply for the University of Edinburgh's funding opportunities must apply by the first deadline.

Round Application deadline Places awarded
1 11 November 2024 mid-January
2 21 April 2025 mid-June

You must submit two references with your application.

To apply for this programme you must submit the following:

  • a completed research proposal form
  • 2 references
  • the online application form, completed via the ‘Apply’ section above

For guidance on completing the research proposal form, please see the research proposal guidance document provided by the School of Health in Social Science:

Before submitting the application, we strongly recommend that you discuss a draft version of your research proposal form with your proposed supervisor and/or with the Programme Director. Please indicate your proposed supervisor when submitting your application. Please read the ‘Discuss and develop your idea’ section in the research proposal guidance document for more information.

Your reference must be specific to your application, on headed paper, signed by the referee, and dated within the last 6 months. Your reference can be uploaded directly by your referee, or you can upload it yourself.

We must receive all the information before the deadline for your application to be considered.

If your online application is not ‘complete’ by the application deadline it will be rejected. If this happens, you can submit another application for a later application deadline.

After you apply, we will evaluate your application. If we are able to progress your application beyond the online stage, you will be invited to participate in an interview with your prospective first supervisor.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • School of Health in Social Science
  • Medical School
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG