Why study this qualification?
The Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling (PGDip Psychological Counselling) is an NQF Level 8 professional and vocational offering. It places an emphasis on practical application and equips you with the in-demand skills needed to meet South Africa’s growing need for mental health services.
Over the course of the programme, you will learn how to provide Registered Counsellor expertise that promote personal well-being and improved mental health through psychological and preventative strategies for individuals, families, groups and communities.
The diploma is ideal for graduates who want to build on their undergraduate degree, mid-career professionals looking to move into community-based psychological services, analytically minded people motivated by real-world applications of psychological screening, and anyone drawn to making psychology accessible in real-world community settings.
The PGDip (Psychological Counselling) was developed in response to changes made by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) regarding the training pathways for Registered Counsellors. The programme provides a structured professional training route that prepares graduates for the next steps towards registration as a Registered Counsellor with the HPCSA, subject to meeting all HPCSA requirements.
The PGDip (Psychological Counselling) programme has been developed in alignment with the HPCSA framework for the education and training of Registered Counsellors. On successfully completing the qualification – including practicum requirements – graduates become eligible to write the HPCSA Board Examination. Once they have passed the Board Examination and met all HPCSA registration requirements, graduates may apply to register as Registered Counsellors with the HPCSA.
Graduates may also pursue further postgraduate study, subject to the admission requirements of the higher education institutions.
Please note: this programme requires that applicants have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification to be eligible to apply. Admission into the programme is subject to successfully completing a selections process.
What This Qualification Leads To
Registered Counsellor Registration Pathway
The PGDip (Psychological Counselling) is a professional qualification designed to prepare graduates for work in primary mental health care and community-based psychological services.
The pathway towards registration as a Registered Counsellor is as follows:
- Successfully complete the PGDip in Psychological Counselling programme, which includes a 720-hour full-time practicum component.
- Write and pass the HPCSA Board Examination.
- Apply to register with the HPCSA as a Registered Counsellor, subject to meeting all registration requirements.
Registered Counsellors play an important role in making psychological services more accessible across South Africa through prevention focused, developmental and community based mental health interventions.
Career Opportunities
Following successful completion of the qualification, HPCSA Board Examination and registration with the HPCSA as a Registered Counsellor, graduates can pursue opportunities across a range of community, educational, healthcare, corporate and public sector settings.
Registered Counsellors are trained to provide preventative, developmental and short-term psychological support services within community-based contexts.
- Registered Counsellor
- School Counsellor
- Student Wellness Practitioner
- Community Mental Health Practitioner
- NGO Counsellor
- Employee Wellness Practitioner
- Correctional Services Counsellor
- Hospice Counsellor
- Community Support Practitioner
Further Study Opportunities
As an NQF Level 8 qualification, the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling may provide access to further postgraduate study opportunities. Admission into master’s programmes remains subject to the entrance requirements and selection processes of higher education institutions.
Within SACAP:
- Master of Social Sciences in Community Mental Health Promotion
External pathway:
- Master of Social Science in Psychology (Counselling, Clinical, Research, Educational)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Qualification highlights
Build on your undergraduate qualification.
Positively impact SA’s community-based mental health services.
An HPCSA accredited professional training pathway for Registered Counsellors
Provides professional preparation for the HPCSA Board Exam.
What you can expect
The programme’s focus is on psychological screening, assessment, interventions and short-term psychological counselling, as well as developing and conducting psychoeducational workshops aimed at enhancing mental health.
Assessment and Screening
- Gain knowledge, insight and skills into the nature of abnormal behaviour.
- Develop interviewing techniques and client observation skills, as well as basic counselling skills.
- Form an understanding of psychopathology for the purposes of screening and identification of psychological challenges and accurate referral skills.
- Demonstrate competence in referral and management strategies based on best practice guidelines, report writing and providing clients with feedback.
- Learn to ethically conduct psychological screening and selected psychometric assessments that fall within the Registered Counsellor scope of practice, while recognising when referral to other mental health professionals is required.
Counselling Interventions
- Gain trauma counselling and debriefing skills.
- Work within a multidisciplinary team to provide developmental and preventive counselling services.
- Build sensitivity regarding cultural beliefs and diversity.
- Demonstrate specialist knowledge, insight, and skills of the discipline of Psychology at a preventative and promotional level.
- Conduct supportive counselling interventions in a primary healthcare setting within diverse and multicultural settings to improve mental health and general well-being, as well as the prevention and promotion of psychosocial health and community-based care.
- Community understanding and intervention skills.
Community Mental Health
- Provide community-based psychological support to groups, families and individuals within the community.
- Develop psychoeducation and mental health promotion skills.
- Learn conceptualisation skills, biopsychosocial and systems theory as appropriate for community interventions
Professional Practice
- Gain a thorough grounding in the Ethical Code of Conduct and other relevant legislation.
Research Skills
- Build psychometric competencies (aligned to the Registered Counsellor minimum standards).
- Design, conduct, monitor, and manage appropriate counselling and psychoeducational interventions within a primary setting.
- Conduct valid and reliable research in community settings.
Practical Training and 720-Hour Practicum
The qualification includes a strong practical training component and incorporates a full-time, face to face 720-hour practicum completed over 6 months in a community-based setting, aligned with HPCSA requirements. During the practicum, students gain supervised experience in psychological screening, short term supportive counselling, psychoeducation, mental health promotion, community interventions and referral processes within the Registered Counsellor scope of practice.
Who is this qualification for?
Do you:
- Want to complement your academic undergraduate qualification such as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Social Sciences degree.
- Have an interest in social transformation and a concern for the mental health care needs of people in South Africa.
- Want to conduct community-based research, under the supervision of a professional, in your area of interest.
- Want a qualification that prepares you for the competencies, responsibilities and scope of practice associated with the Registered Counsellor profession.
- Want to pursue the professional pathway towards becoming a Registered Counsellor and working within community based mental health settings.
- Want to prepare for an academic or professional master’s degree in clinical, counselling, educational or research psychology as additional career paths.
What happened to the Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology (BPsych Equivalent programme)?
In response to the required changes in HPCSA education and training for Registered Counsellors, SACAP developed the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling as its future professional training route in this category. The PGDip has been designed in alignment with current HPCSA education and training requirements for Registered Counsellors.
The shift away from the BPsych Equivalent is primarily driven by the following factors:
Standardising the Registered Counsellor Pathway
Structured supervision requirements: The previous equivalent pathways required students to complete heavily supervised 720-hour practical. The transition to a formal PGDip integrates this supervised clinical or psychometric training more cohesively into the curriculum.
Structured supervision requirements:
The previous equivalent pathways required students to complete heavily supervised 720-hour practical. The transition to a formal PGDip integrates this supervised clinical or psychometric training more cohesively into the curriculum.
Honours vs Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling
Honours
- Research focused.
- Academic progression focus.
- Does not provide the same professional registration pathway.
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling
- Professional qualification.
- Practice focused.
- Includes practicum.
- Supports Registered Counsellor registration pathway.
Professional Practice Settings
Where Can This Qualification Take You?
Professional Practice Settings
This section explores the environments and sectors in which Registered Counsellors may work following successful completion of the programme, practicum and HPCSA registration.
Direct practice
- Step into counselling roles in
- schools
- student wellness centres
- primary health care facilities
- district hospitals
- hospices
- correctional facilities
- Work within South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) wellness units.
- Deliver Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) in corporate environments, anywhere that communities need a first line of psychological support.
Public sector and government
- Contribute to national mental health priorities through roles in:
- The Departments of Health, Social Development and Justice.
- Community-based public mental health programmes aligned to South Africa’s National Mental Health Policy Framework.
Private sector and employee wellness
A growing number of organisations value practitioners who have both counselling competence and professional registration. This need creates opportunities well beyond traditional clinical settings, such as:
- Private companies
- EAP providers
- HR consultancies
- Medical aid case management teams
Social justice and community impact
Community based organisations actively seek registered practitioners to guide:
- Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention initiatives
- Trauma support services
- Restorative justice programmes
- Community safety projects
Many of these roles attract government and NGO funding, offering meaningful work at the intersection of psychology and social change.
A foundation for further study
This qualification may support progression into relevant postgraduate qualifications. Admission into relevant professional master’s programmes is subject to the admission requirements and selection processes of the higher education institutions.
Research and academia
With additional postgraduate study, graduates can pursue roles in community psychology research, policy development, or higher education, allowing for contribution to the evidence base that shapes mental health service delivery in South Africa and beyond.
Modules
Year 1 Modules
Term 1
Research Methodology (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Theory of Developmental Psychology and Abnormal Behaviour (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Research Project (Part 1 – Conceptualisation & Proposal) (NQF 8, 10 credits)
Term 2
Applied Counselling Modalities A (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Applied Community Counselling Interventions (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Research Project (Part 2 – Data Collection, Results & Discussion Draft) (NQF 8, 10 credits)
Term 3
Applied Psychometric Methods and Assessment (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Applied Counselling Modalities B (NQF 8, 16 credits)
Research Project (Part 3 – Report) (NQF 8, 10 credits)
Year 2 Modules
Term 1-2
Practicum Placement, 6-months full-time
Additional information
British Accreditation Council (BAC)
SACAP is fully accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC) as an Independent Higher Education Institution
The BAC accreditation is a globally recognised hallmark of quality assurance, and achieving this accreditation demonstrates that we have met the high standards set by the BAC. This accreditation is validation of our commitment to excellence and our mission to provide our students with a world-class education that prepares them for success in their future careers.
Our students can be assured that their education provider has met a gold standard. To maintain BAC accreditation SACAP needs to continue to meet BAC’s standards. BAC ensure that colleges, universities and training providers provide high-quality education and a great learning experience for students.
Admission requirements
A minimum of an appropriate bachelor’s degree (NQF level 7) or appropriate Advanced Diploma with a Psychology major, having achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 65% and above in all Psychology subjects undertaken in the exit level/final year of study
OR
Applicants who do not meet the above requirements should provide a portfolio of evidence demonstrating information, and non-formal knowledge and/or work experience in a cognate field of study equivalent to an NQF level 7 qualification to support admission to the programme on the basis of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Applicants who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements for the PGDip programme may apply for admission through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.
These applicants must submit a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their formal, informal, and non-formal knowledge, training, work experience, and/or learning that is equivalent to the programme’s minimum entrance requirements.
The portfolio of evidence will support the applicant’s request for admission based on RPL.
The application of SACAP’s RPL processes is detailed in SACAP’s Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy.
Course details
Study Options: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria
Duration: 18 months full-time (including a 720-hour practicum, 6 months fulltime)
Accreditation: NQF 8, CHE Accredited, Registered with DHET
SAQA ID: 123611
Intake/selection process
There is a formal selection process required for admission into the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling
- Screening is based on meeting the minimum academic requirements or eligibility via RPL
- All applicants must meet SACAP’s English language proficiency expectations
- International applicants must meet SAQA and permit requirements as per SACAP policy
- The top screened candidates will be invited to a formal selection process
FAQs
Is a Postgraduate Diploma the same as honours?
Yes and no. The PGDip and Hons sit at the same level (NQF Level 8), which means they both allow progression into a master’s programme, subject to the admission and selection processes of the higher education institutions. However, the PGDip is a professional qualification which focuses on strengthening and deepening a student’s knowledge in a specific discipline or profession, whereas an honours programme is more focused on preparing students for research-based postgraduate study and is more theoretically grounded.
Why is it called a diploma?
A diploma indicates that there is vocational orientation to the qualification, which includes professional, vocational or industry-specific knowledge. The purpose of a diploma is to develop graduates who can demonstrate focused knowledge and skills in specific field and typically include a work-integrated learning (WIL) component.
Can I still register professionally?
Yes. Graduates who successfully complete the PGDip (Psychological Counselling), complete the required practicum, pass the HPCSA Board Examination and meet all HPCSA registration requirements may apply to register with the HPCSA as Registered Counsellors.
Is this diploma recognised?
Yes. The qualification is accredited by the HPCSA and aligns with the HPCSA regulatory requirements for the education and training of Registered Counsellors.
Can I continue to masters?
Yes, as an NQF Level 8 qualification, the PGDip (Psychological Counselling) may provide access to master’s level study, subject to the admission requirements and selection criteria of higher education institutions.
Is this equivalent to the old BPsych route?
Yes, the PGDip (Psychological Counselling) and the former BPsych Equivalent qualification both prepare students for the Registered Counsellor profession and operate at NQF Level 8.
As a BPsych Equivalent graduate, is my qualification still relevant?
Yes. Qualifications already awarded through accredited BPsych Equivalent pathways remain valid qualifications.