Studying BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling at Northumbria University will equip you with a variety of skills and knowledge needed to work within a broad range of helping professions. You will be encouraged to develop your critical faculties to be able to recognise the existence of inequalities and discriminatory practices encountered by people in everyday life and to consider strategies to influence and bring about change. You will engage with a range of learning experiences that include group work, case studies, problem-solving exercises,enquiry based, and experiential learning, as well as the more traditional lecture based approach. Application of theory into practice is a central theme of the course. For example, you will be encouraged to participate in our student peer mentoring programme with the opportunity to act as a mentor for other students. This course is a valuable foundation for those who wish to use guidance and counselling strategies as part of a job role in working with young people and adults in health, education or community settings, or as the basis for further postgraduate research or professional training. BA Guidance and Counselling offers a challenging and innovative study experience which draws on theoretical perspectives and is enhanced byopportunities to put that theory into practice in a range of settings. Guidance and Counselling is a subject that is only offered by a select group of universities at undergraduate level. BA (Hons) Guidance and Counselling at Northumbria University is unique in being the only undergraduate programme that meets the qualification requirements for the UK register of the Career Development Professionals of the Career Development Institute, which is the UK-wide professional body for career guidance. Work placements and study abroad options are available for a full year between your second and final years, with the additional option of a placement module during your second year.The content of the course is relevant to all the ‘helping professions’ and you’ll have a great deal of flexibility when it comes to careers. Further specialist training will be required for some careers, such as teaching, social work and nursing. For other roles you might go straight into employment and undertake on the job training. Examples of roles include career guidance practitioner, drugs worker, training and development officer, learning mentor, behaviour specialist, progression coach, counselling and support manager. If you decide to start your own business, it’s good to know that the combined turnover of our graduates’ start-up companies is higher than that of any other UK university. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll have strong employability as a result of having acquired the characteristics of a Northumbria graduate. These include critical reflection and self-learning, collaboration and curiosity, and the ability to apply your knowledge to solve problems in ways that are sustainable and ethical.