Master of Science in Counselling Psychology
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Program Duration
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Location
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Credit Hours
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Cost Per Credit Hour
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4 Semesters (On Average)
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Abu Dhabi
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48
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AED 2,500
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Pursuing a Master of Science in Counselling Psychology focused on adult mental health aligns with the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) emphasis on improving healthcare and mental health services. The UAE government is investing in initiatives such as the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, which prioritizes mental health as a key aspect of overall well-being, and the National Policy for the Promotion of Mental Health, which aims to improve access to mental health services and reduce stigma. This creates a demand for highly trained professionals who can provide therapy, intervention, and support to adults facing psychological challenges. Graduates of this program are well positioned to contribute to the UAE’s healthcare system, working in clinical settings, and help shape mental health policy, making it a critical and rewarding field of study.
Six reasons why you should enrol in Zayed University’s Master of Science in Counselling Psychology:
1. Focus on Adult Mental Health Specialization: Acquire the expertise, specialized knowledge, and skills to apply psychological theories and models to effectively support adult populations with a range of psychological concerns.
2. Licensure Pathway: License-eligible graduates will have experience in psychological assessment, case conceptualization, research, and evidence-based intervention tailored to the unique needs of adult clients.
3. Promoting Adult Mental Health and Wellness: Acquire advanced skills in advocating for adult mental health needs, contributing to community awareness and de-stigmatization while promoting mental health wellness.
4. Comprehensive Research Opportunities: Engage in cutting-edge research on adult mental health issues, contributing to evidence-based practices and innovative interventions.
5. Distinguished Faculty: Learn from faculty who hold PhDs from some of the world’s most prestigious universities and have built a stellar reputation for their groundbreaking research, published works, and their insights into an exceptionally wide range of psychological issues at both a national and international level. As faculty members are also highly qualified and trained psychologists, you will gain valuable insights from their expertise and experiences and receive strong mentorships and guidance.
6. Strong Career Prospects: The growing demand for mental health professionals in the UAE opens career opportunities across both public and private sectors, including hospitals, mental health centers, policy-making bodies, NGOs, and private practice.
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Reach out to Dr Lance Kahn, Graduate Program Coordinator, Master of Science in Counselling Psychology to explore how this master's degee program can align with your academic and career aspirations in counselling psychology, particularly in addressing the growing demand for adult mental health services.
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The program will prepare you for a variety of careers in adult mental health settings in both public and private sectors such as business, healthcare and education. Specific job roles include:
Clinical Director in Mental Health Care Facilities
Counselling Therapist/Psychologist
Allied Healthcare Professional
Mental Health Worker/Specialist
Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner
Rehabilitation Counsellor/Psychology Therapist
Upon successful completion of the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology program, students will be able to:
Theoretical and Conceptual Knowledge
Identify and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of mental health issues, compare and summarize psychological theories, assessment and intervention techniques utilized in clinical/counselling psychology.
Critical and Analytical Thinking
Effectively analyze, assess, and apply appropriate and relevant prevention or intervention strategies related to the mental health and wellbeing of individuals, groups, or communities.
Research Capacity
Independently evaluate current research in psychology, design, develop and engage in research studies in psychology, and engage in academic writing.
Contextual Application of Knowledge
Critically analyze, summarize and discuss psychological concerns and interventions related to the diverse cultural context of the UAE and other communities.
Knowledge and Practice of Ethics
Demonstrate knowledge of, appraise and apply the major principles that govern professional and ethical standards in counselling and psychology.
Professional Development
Demonstrate a commitment to develop as a scientist-practitioner through engagement in academic courses and practical and applied training.
Program Required Courses (48 Credit Hours)
PSY600 Cultural Competency, Ethics and Professional Practice in Psychology
PSY610 Psychological Disorders
PSY620 Theories and Models of Psychotherapy
PSY630 Psychological Assessment: Tests and Measurement
PSY640 Foundations of Psychological Interventions: Interviewing, Counseling and Prevention Strategies
PSY655 Advanced Research Methods
PSY621 Professional Development and Competency to Practice
PSY641 Special Population Focus: Public Health
PSY681 Special Topics: Mindfulness and Cognitive-Based Approaches to Trauma and Grief
PSY675 Addiction Preventions and Interventions
PSY635 Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience
PSY671 Advances in Positive Psychology, Prevention, and Community Wellbeing
PSY660 Motivational Interviewing, Group and Family Counseling and Psychotherapy
PSY690 Counseling Internship I
PSY695 Counseling Internship II
PSY699 Master’s Thesis
Program Study Plan
View the program study plan here.
Program Duration
The Master of Science in Counselling Psychology program is delivered in English over 4 semesters at Zayed University located in Abu Dhabi.
Course Delivery Format
The program is taught face-to-face across four weekdays (Monday - Thursday from 17:00-20:00).
Internships
Students must complete two internships within an external organization and be closely supervised by a licensed psychologist. Students must complete the first internship in semester 3 of the program and the second internship placement in the final semester of the program. For each internship, students must complete a total of 300 hours which is equivalent to 8-9 weeks of full-time work. Therefore, if students are employed at the time of application, their employers must complete the Employer Internship Consent form thereby consenting the employees to release them from their regular employment setting to complete the two internship placements with an external organization.
Applicants are also required to submit an Applicant Consent form and a Police Clearance Certificate.
For more information on the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology application deadline and location for program delivery, please visit the Application Deadlines section of the website.
Courses in the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology program are taught by select professors from the College of Natural and Health Sciences who are experts in their fields and possess diverse international research experience.
A total of 48 credit hours at AED 2,500 per credit hour.
Tuition Fee Payment Plan
View the tuition fee payment plan here.
For more information on the Master of Science in Counselling Psychology program cost, payment procedure and financial support, please visit the Admissions and Fees section of the website.
Students must complete all required courses in the approved program curriculum and achieve a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0.
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Zayed University
Abu Dhabi & Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971-2-599-3605
Email: dgs.recuitment@zu.ac.ae
This course looks at cultural competency and ethics as integral elements of professional practice. The course covers the ethical issues inherent in the practice of psychological related professions (i.e., Counseling, Psychotherapy, Assessment, Research, consultation and Supervision and Training). It is designed to provide students with an understanding of ethical principles and standards concerning psychology related professions. Students will also learn about how their own values and attitudes and biases can impact their practice. Students will also learn about what constitutes ethical dilemmas that can arise in the practice of psychology, awareness of and understanding of the decision-making steps to take when addressing ethical issues. This course specifically addresses issues of ethics and cultural competence, including the development and provision of culturally competent services and ethical issues specific to the UAE society. Students will develop knowledge and skills to prepare them to practice ethically during their internship and beyond.
This course explores psychological disorders, their symptomatology, prevalence and course. It also examines the various ways that psychopathology is conceptualized, and the implications this has for the treatment and prevention of psychological disorders. The course will critically examine DSM5 categorization and classification of psychiatric phenomena, contrasting this traditional nosologically approach with newer symptom centric and transdiagnostic perspectives. The course will explore case conceptualization and biopsychosocial theories of aetiologia, maintenance and relapse in the domain of psychological disorders. Uniquely, the course will also consider religio-cultural factors pertinent to the conceptualization of mental health in the context of the United Arab Emirates and the broader Arabian Gulf region.
The course critically evaluates cognitive/metacognitive, psychodynamic, social and cultural models of disorder and the psychotherapeutic interventions each model engenders. Exploring the theoretical basis for techniques and modalities of psychotherapy this course exposes students to many of the most effective interventions used by contemporary clinical and counseling psychologists. Students will understand the similarities and differences between interventions and how those differences arise from differing underlying theoretical models. The course will trace the rise of psychodynamic models through to behavioral and cognitive approaches, with a final focus on the newer - third wave - approaches to prevention and intervention.
This course aims to develop the students’ understanding of the professional aspects of practicing psychological counseling. The students will be introduced to the theoretical, legal and ethical basis for qualifying for licensure to practice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The students will become familiar with the latest licensure guidelines, codes of conduct and ethics, regulations and procedures for practice and maintenance of licensure issued by the Department of Community Development (DCD, Abu Dhabi) and Community Development Authority (CDA, Dubai), as well as any other relevant federal guidelines. The students will become aware of the centrality of continuous learning and continuous professional development as necessary conditions not only for maintenance of licensure, but also to ensure optimal professional performance and client support. The students will also become aware of important ethical and practical issues that arise when providing counseling services to the culturally diverse population in the UAE. In addition, the students will also become familiar with the concept and practice of professional supervision (peer and line-manager), and how it forms a vital part of reflexive, aware, renewal- and development-oriented psychological practice. The course will prepare the students to launch their careers by solidifying and expanding their understanding that personal skill development, self-care, reflexiveness are inextricably linked to ethical successful practice of counseling psychology. .
This module will identify the specific issues in the assessment of psychological disorders, and emotional and mental health problems in adults. Students will understand basic approaches and principles of psychological assessment and develop skills in the use of different assessment modalities, such as clinical interview, observation and psychological testing. Students will be familiarized with the administration, scoring and interpretation of several commonly used instruments for the assessment of different aspects of disorders and functioning. At the end of the course, students will understand and be knowledgeable about the multi-method, multi-source, multi-setting approach to assessment of adults with common mental health problems also factoring in cultural context.
This course explores Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience with a focus on their intersection with Psychopathology as relevant to Counseling Psychology. It examines the neural mechanisms supporting a range of cognitive processes (e.g., attention, memory, reasoning and decision making) and explores the changes in cognition observed in adult populations experiencing specific mental health problems or symptoms. The course also introduces students to cognitive neuroscience methods (e.g., structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, transcranial electrical stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, positron emission tomography) utilized in clinical settings and research.
Building on the theoretical basics explored in PSY520 (cognitive, behavioral and person-centered approaches), this course covers topics related to several psychological intervention approaches in counseling psychology, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based practice. It aims to provide the academic, practical, and research skills needed to further professional development in counseling psychology, psychotherapy, and adult mental health-related contexts. The course also aims to deliver a range of therapeutic strategies and intervention skills using different approaches to counseling and psychotherapy and acquire the knowledge and skills required to examine diverse prevention and counseling strategies critically and interventions. Students will develop a clearer understanding of the implications and applications of underlying theoretical approaches, methods, and skills for these strategies and be given opportunities to experience and practice components of interventions within a cultural context. This course further aims to enable students to critically assess and undertake research relevant to interventions and prevention in mental health and psychological well-being. Knowledge and skills learned in this course will also help prepare students for the practicum/ internship.
Pre-requisite: PSY620
This course will deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of the contemporary public health issues and challenges, both in theory and practice. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of frameworks and models explaining a health behavior change on individual and interpersonal levels as well as in the broader community setting. Students will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge of major public health problems and the determinants of health and disease. Students will be trained to acquire and practice their skills of designing, implementing and evaluating a public health intervention program. With the help of the problem-based learning techniques, students will be encouraged to think critically and to work their way from problem to solutions while working systemically in small teams throughout the course.
This course will provide students instruction in various advanced quantitative and qualitative research methodologies used in psychology. The course will be conducted following two related and complementary themes, critical thinking and research methodology. Students will be involved in formulating relevant research questions, implementing appropriate research methodologies, and in becoming critical consumers of the existing research literature. The course will help students sharpen their critical thinking skills, enabling them to critically appraise and meaningfully contribute to the increasingly global evidence base. Students will learn how to choose the most suitable research design and statistical tests for a study considering the research question of a study. Students will also learn to use statistical software programs such as SPSS and R to analyze data and will learn how to interpret and report research findings. The course will support students to further develop skills which will be critical for their master’s project/thesis and for their professional work after graduation.
This course will introduce students to the theory, principles, and skills of Motivational Interviewing (MI) as an evidence-based counseling approach designed for behavior change, applied in the context of groups and families. Understanding the principles underlying group counseling and family counseling will provide students with the opportunity to explore a range of learning activities that contribute to developing the skills needed to design interventions in a variety of settings and from a life-span perspective. The students will have the opportunity to practice the counseling skills required to work with families and groups in counseling. This course will prepare students for internship as well as for their career.
Historically, psychology has placed great emphasis on the identification and treatment of psychological disorders. Recently, the field has broadened its perspective to include a focus on well-being, happiness and personal fulfillment. This course examines the scientific research and theory of psychological wellbeing and happiness. Topics include the nature of happiness, gratitude, the mind-body connection, the biological basis of positive emotions, emotional intelligence and the characteristics of successful relationships and healthy communities.
This course explores the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of substance use disorders and behavioral addictions. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based approaches to treatment and recovery, with students gaining hands-on experience of CBT for addiction as well as motivation enhancement therapy. This course will provide students with a deeper understanding of psychological and neurobiological models of addiction and considers the role of public policy in responding to addiction as well as future directions in addiction treatment and research.
This is a special topics course, where various areas of relevance to counselling psychologists will be given extra focus to enhance the student’s ability to practice and undertake research across a wide range of mental health problems and difficult life issues. This course will explore etiological-models, assessment techniques and treatment modalities for trauma and grief. The core practical focus is on second and third wave evidence-based approaches to helping people overcome/ process complicated grief and psychological trauma, leading to improved mental wellbeing.
This is the first period of supervised professional experience in the form of a clinical internship for all students. In total, the first clinical placement requires 300 hours of professional experience in the counselling field, or other suitable external placement setting. Students work under the supervision of experienced clinical/counseling/health psychologist supervisors. This internship provides an opportunity to develop counseling psychology competencies to a level consistent with expectations for this stage of training as a counseling psychologist.
This is the second period of supervised professional experience in the form of a counselling internship for all students. In total, the first clinical placement requires 300 hours of professional experience in the counseling field, or other suitable external placement setting. Students work under the supervision of experienced counselling clinical or health psychologists and academic supervisors. This placement provides an opportunity to develop some core counseling competencies to a level consistent with expectations for this stage of training as a counselling psychologist. In contrast to internship one, internship two provides a greater emphasis on client-facing experience in the form of assessment, evaluation, intervention and psychoeducation.
Pre-requisite: PSY690
The primary focus of this course is for students to conduct and produce an independent research-based thesis. Students will acquire and apply essential theoretical knowledge surrounding research design/methods, a range of psychometric assessments as well as problems with various measurements used in a counselling setting. The course has been specifically designed to allow students to individually demonstrate competence at Master’s level in selecting a relevant research topic, integrating knowledge from multiple courses, searching a variety of databases to identify relevant scholarly literature and demonstrating critically evaluation, handling data appropriately, practical activity planning and time management, as well as producing a high quality thesis which is publishable. Students will be assigned a range of readings to complete which are aimed at providing a summary of essential aspects and topics related to the development, evaluation as well as the conduct of counselling psychology research.
Moreover, students will understand the essential elements of proposing and publishing an empirical study including research question formulation, hypotheses generation and testing, study design, methods and procedures. Particular attention will be given to various types of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research designs which are common in the field of counseling psychology. Throughout this course, students will also acquire knowledge about research validity and methodological issues, they will acquire a deeper understanding of ethical considerations and adhere to these guidelines when conducting their research, and they will apply their extensive knowledge of data analysis strategies. Research topic selection will take place in consultation with an academic supervisor, and a suitably qualified field supervisor, if necessary. The research topic must be aligned with the program and, where possible, with the concentration the student is undertaking. Students will be encouraged to undertake novel research that, where applicable, is sensitive to the socio-cultural context of the United Arab Emirates and aligned with the national needs. These are expected to be of appropriate complexity level and should potentially serve as a basis of further research and practice specialization. The major milestones of this course include: 1) students will produce a thesis proposal, including a literature review section, a research question, a testable hypothesis as well as a detailed methods section; 2) students will present their proposal in a meeting to faculty and peers to gain feedback; 3) students will conduct their study following faculty approval of the procedures and methods described in the proposal and ethical approval from the research ethics committee; 4) students will independently analyze the data they have collected and complete their thesis draft which will be reviewed by the supervising faculty who will provide feedback for each section of the students report, allowing them to modify and improve it prior to submission; and 5) students will present their thesis to faculty and peers.