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ABOUT

The IMU Master of Counselling focuses on developing counsellors with professional attitude, knowledge, skills and competencies in the areas of counselling practice and research.

Master of Counselling

This programme provides practical skills training on par with local and international standards for graduates of the programme to take up leadership positions in the fields of counselling, teaching, research and management.

The programme is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and fulfils the requirement standards established by the Malaysian professional counselling body; the Malaysian Board of Counsellors (Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia).

Hence, the graduates of the programme will be eligible to apply for registration with the Malaysian Board of Counsellors.

Key Facts

DEGREE

  • Master of Counselling

Commencement

  • September

total duration

  • Full-time: 2 years
  • Part-time: 4 years

Tuition Fees

  • All IMU alumni who are self-funding their postgraduate studies and meet the eligibility criteria will be eligible for a 15% bursary.

Why Study Master of Counselling at IMU?

An Established Private Healthcare University

IMU is Malaysia’s first and most established private medical and healthcare university with over 30 years of dedicated focus in healthcare education.

IMU achieved the SETARA-2018/2019 Tier 6 status (Outstanding) under the Mature University category.

Specialty Training

To cater to the diverse population with specific needs, students will be offered areas of specialised training to focus on, which includes Marriage and Family Counselling, Crisis, Trauma and Grief Counselling, or Expressive Art Therapy.

Serving the Community

To enhance the learning experience, students will be participating in IMU Cares Community projects related to mental health activities such as counselling, psychoeducation, assessments and other activities to promote mental wellness.

Multidisciplinary Learning

To increase the ability to support clients, students will work closely with different healthcare professionals to co-construct an intervention plan with clients’ best interests.

Platform to Practise

To enhance the practical learning experience, students will have the opportunity to practise in the IMU Healthcare Clinic and established centres with close supervision of qualified counsellors and psychologists. This will provide students with an up-close experience to help clients in an integrated healthcare setting.

Programme Structure

To strengthen students’ learning, the programme incorporates role-play, group discussion, case-based scenario and reflective practice as part of the curriculum. The following is the list of modules offered

  • Human Development across the Lifespan
  • Theories of Psychotherapy
  • Theories of Career Counselling
  • Ethical and Professional Issues in the Helping Professions
  • Multi-cultural Counselling
  • Information, Personnel and Career Development
  • Psychological Testing and Assessment
  • Abnormal Psychology and Clinical Assessment
  • Counselling Skills
  • Research Methods
  • Group Counselling
  • Counselling Practicum
  • Research Project
  • Counselling Internship
  • Elective option 1 – Focused on Marriage and Family Counselling
  • Elective option 2 – Focused on Crisis, Trauma and Grief Counselling
  • Elective option 3 – Focused on Expressive Art Therapy

 

Note: Electives courses are offered based on availability.

ASSESSMENT

The IMU Master of Counselling programme uses both continuous and final assessments in assessing students. Most of the modules employ continuous assessment with a variety of assessment methods including practical skills evaluation, reflective writing, self-evaluation, critique report etc. As for the final assessment, students will go through tests which focus on evaluating students’ critical thinking as well as competency in theory application.

Entry Requirement

A. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS B. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants are required to have obtained:

  • A Bachelor’s Degree in the field or related fields with a minimum CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent, as accepted by the University’s Senate; or
  • A Bachelor’s Degree in the field or related fields or equivalent with a minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not meeting CGPA of 2.75, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment; or
  • A Bachelor’s Degree in the field or related fields or equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.00 and not meeting CGPA of 2.50, can be accepted subject to a minimum of 5 years working experience in the relevant field and rigorous internal assessment.
  • Candidates need to undergo an interview assessment upon request by the school.
For Malaysian Students
Not applicable

For International Students

  • IELTS : Band score 5.0; or
  • TOEFL (iBT) : Overall score of 42; or
  • Cambridge English : Advanced (CAE) : Overall score of 154; or
  • Cambridge English : Proficiency (CPE) : Overall score of 154; or
  • Cambridge Linguaskill : Overall score of 160; or
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) : Overall score of 47;

 

The following categories of students are exempted from the above requirements:

  • International students from countries in which English is the first language.
  • International students who graduated from any Malaysian or other institutions where the curriculum is delivered in English.
Note

Please note that achieving the minimum Entry and English requirements as stated does not guarantee you admission into any of IMU’s programmes.

Please refer to our Student Admissions Policy for more information

Application and Registration Fees

Fee Malaysian Student (RM) International Student (RM)
Application Fee 150 500
Registration Fee 1,100 3,400
Refundable Caution Deposit 2,000 2,000
Student Association Fee per Semester 40 40
  • All IMU alumni who are self-funding their postgraduate studies and meet the eligibility criteria will be eligible for a 15% bursary.
  • Application fee is payable upon submission of application.
  • Registration fee and refundable caution deposit is payable upon acceptance of the offer letter issued by the IMU Admissions Office.
  • Students must adhere to the Policy on Payment of Fees

Fee Structure

Malaysian Student

Study Mode No. of Credit Hour Fee per Credit Hour (RM) Total Fee (RM)
Conventional 54 1,100 59,400

International Student

Study Mode No. of Credit Hour Fee per Credit Hour (RM) Total Fee (RM)
Conventional 54 1,200 64,800

Views from Our Community

Priscilla Edna Moreira

Student, Master of Counselling

The learning I have experienced has been very rich and meaningful as I continuously gain more insight into the human experience. This experience has allowed me to go through the process of a deeper sense of awareness as I learn more about myself and my family of origin. I feel more ready to embrace myself and others gently and authentically.

Derrick Ching Wei Chean

Student, Master of Counselling

Upon completing two semesters in Master of Counselling, I am surprised with the number of skills and knowledge I have gained throughout my journey, not just towards becoming a professional counsellor but also as a person. Knowing there will be more challenges ahead, I am prepared to give my best in order to serve the public in the near future.

Tan Su Wen

Student, Master of Counselling

I have witnessed my tremendous growth, which comes linearly in both personal and professional aspects. My awareness of introspection and ability to build connections with people has improved vastly and were reflected during my practice in counselling skills. While the journey has been bumpy at times, the support gained from my beloved classmates and lecturers have become my primary strength to proceed further. Although my journey in becoming a professional counsellor still has a long way to go, I hope my continuous practice and learning allows me to provide better services to the community in the near future.

Lim Shuang Ao

Student, Master of Counselling

For me, the Master of Counselling is a journey sailing in the uncharted sea. I am humbled and amazed by all the things I am learning and yet to be learned. This programme is more than just getting me equipped with knowledge and skills to be a professional counsellor; it also allows me to learn more about myself, human and life. Although there are no standard answers to many of the topics I am learning, in my opinion, knowing what I do not know is already a great step, and we can only progress by acknowledging our ignorance; as Socrates said, “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing".

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When is the intake for the Master of Counselling Programme at IMU?

September.

How long does it take to complete the course?

Full time is 2 years;
Part-time is 4 years.

Note: Students may not be able to graduate on time if they choose to defer or are required to retake modules or other conditions that might delay their course of study.

Is the IMU Master of Counselling programme recognised by the Malaysian Government?

The IMU Master of Counselling programme is accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). This programme also fulfils the standards of the requirement established by the professional counselling body of Malaysia. Therefore, the graduates of the IMU Master of Counselling programme will be eligible to apply for registration with the Malaysian Board of Counsellors (Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia) upon graduation.

What is the difference between a Master of Counselling and a Master of Clinical Psychology?

Master of Counselling, is a professional training programme producing counsellors to serve clients who are having relationship issues (couple, family, children and work), difficulty in adapting to life changes, career guidance, and other related issues.

Master of Clinical Psychology is a professional training programme that focuses on producing psychologists who manage a patient’s mental health related issues such as diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders as well as learning disabilities.

There may be an overlap of roles between a Counsellor and a Clinical Psychologist. However, the distinctive feature between a Counsellor and a Clinical Psychologist is that a Counsellor provides support for life transitions; self-development and relationship issues, whereas a Clinical Psychologist diagnoses and treats disorders.

If I have a full-time job from 8 am to 5 pm, can I fulfil the course requirement?

As required by the Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia, all lectures and practical classes are conducted in face to face mode. In order to cater for working adults, the classes are conducted in the evening hours such as – 6:15pm-715pm (lectures); 730pm-930pm (practical classes). For full time students, you will attend classes every evening, from Monday to Friday; while for part-time students, you will attend classes on two of the evenings from Monday to Friday. When the classes fall on public holidays, students will be required to replace the classes in the weekends. Since group work is emphasied in the programme, students might have to make arrangements to come back to campus for discussion or practices during the weekends. In terms of fulfilling the course requirement, we encourage students to gauge your working and other life commitments while you are choosing the part-time or the full time mode of study.

 

Something to take note – during the practicum and internship, students are required to collect hours to sharpen their application of knowledge and skills. In order to do so, students will need to get involved in reaching out to various communities. Thus, we encourage working students to plan ahead of time to ascertain there is room for engagement with clients during the practicum and internship.

Is there an English language requirement?

There is no English requirement for Malaysian applicants.

For international applicants, the following are the minimum requirements

  • IELTS: Band score 5.0; or
  • TOEFL (PBT): Overall score of 410-413; or
  • TOEFL (iBT): Overall score of 34; or
  • Cambridge English : Advanced (CAE): Overall score of 160; or v
  • Cambridge English : Proficiency (CPE): Overall score of 180; or
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE): Overall score of 36;

However, the following categories of students are exempted from the above requirements

  • International students from countries in which English is the first language.
  • International students who graduated from any Malaysian or other institutions where the curriculum is delivered in English.

Can international students from the IMU Master of Counselling Programme apply for a license to practise in Malaysia?

Yes, international students are eligible to apply for registration and a license to practise in Malaysia upon graduating from the programme. However, the licensing renewal requirement will be different from Malaysian. They are required to renew their licensing annually.

What is unique about the IMU Master of Counselling Programme?

  • Our lecturers – They have years of working experience in education, counselling, and they are actively involved in conducting research and providing counselling supervision.
  • Speciality Training – To cater to the diverse population with specific needs, students will be offered areas of speciality training to focus on, which includes Marriage and Family Counselling, Crisis, Trauma and Grief Counselling, or Expressive Art Therapy.
  • Community Exposure – To enhance the learning experience, students will be participating in IMU Cares community projects related to mental health activities such as counselling, psychoeducation, assessments and other activities to promote mental wellness.
  • Ready Platform to Practice – To enhance their practical learning experience, students will have the opportunity to practise in the IMU Healthcare Clinic and established centres with close supervision of qualified counsellors and psychologists. This will provide students with an immersive experience to help clients in an integrated healthcare setting.

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INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR ONE OF OUR PROGRAMMES?

You will need to prepare the following documents for your application:

  • Verified copies of your academic qualifications
  • Evidence of English language proficiency
  • A copy of your MyKad or the identification page of your passport

These supporting documents needs to be attached electronically to your application. Please note that all of our programmes require payment of a non-refundable application fee after the application has been submitted. Application will only be processed once the payment for application fee has been made.

We wish you all the best with your application, and hope we will be welcoming you into one of our programmes soon!

A Word from the Programme Director

Dr Teoh Gaik Kin

DR TEOH GAIK KIN

Programme Director
BCouns (UM), MCouns (UM), PhD Couns (UM), KB, PA

“The main aims of the IMU Master of Counselling are two folds – laying the foundations of professional and personal development, which are essential to become the licensed counsellors who value continuous learning and growth. Apart from the core courses, our programme also offers speciality courses, such as Family and Marriage Counselling; Crisis, Trauma and Grief Counselling and Expressive Art Therapy. We wish the exposure will allow our students to be adept in serving our community. In terms of teaching and learning, we uphold the value of acquiring knowledge and skills through active engagement between the lecturers and students.”

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