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To be admitted to the PMCC program, applicants must have:

• a completed master's degree in counselling psychology, applied psychology, educational psychology, or equivalent.
• a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in that master's degree
• a graduate or undergraduate course in the following areas:
  • developmental psychology (3 credits)
  • learning psychology (3 credits)
• equivalent graduate courses to the following core courses from the Master of Counselling program:
  • GCAP 631 - Models of Counselling and Client Change
  • GCAP 632 - Professional Ethics
  • GCAP 633 - Counselling Psychology: Sociocultural and Systemic Influences
  • GCAP 635 - Responsive Care Conceptualization and Counselling Interventions
  • GCAP 671 - Responsive Counselling Relationships & Interpersonal Communication
  
  Note: Learners who are missing 1 of these graduate courses may be permitted to complete it as part of the post-master's certificate program. To take certain elective courses as part of the PMCC, learners may be required to have additional prerequisites before taking those courses.

To calculate your program admission GPA (the GPA ÐÇ¿ÕÓ°ÊÓwill use for your entry into the program), please visit the Graduate Admission GPA page on the Faculty of Health Disciplines website.

Preference is given in the admissions process to applicants who have 2 years or more of full-time experience in counselling or a related field.

Advanced standing

Some learners may have completed work at other post-secondary institutions that is applicable to the PMCC program. Only courses taken within the past 6 years from the date of application to the program will be considered for advance credit. Learners may apply for advance credit for up to 3 credits of graduate study from other universities into the PMCC program. Learners must demonstrate that previous course work is equivalent to courses normally included in the PMCC program.

Only graduate level courses that were successfully completed with a final grade of B- (70%) or higher will be considered for advanced credit.

Upon application to the program, learners must apply for advance credit and supporting documentation. Only learners admitted to the program will have their advance credit request reviewed. Learners will not be awarded advanced standing for courses used previously towards the granting of another credential.

Before a course taken at another institution can be reviewed, learners must pay the Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee for each request.

Transfer credit

Learners may apply for transfer credit throughout the program for up to 3 credits of graduate study from other universities into the PMCC program. Transfer credit maximums are inclusive of any advance credit awarded at the time of admission.

Learners must identify appropriate courses at other institutions, complete a Transfer Credit Evaluation Request Form, and demonstrate that previous coursework is equivalent to core Master of Counselling courses or appropriate for option or specialization course credit. The transfer credit assessment process may take up to 1 month to complete, so learners must allow sufficient time to process the request and arrange to register in the course. Learners must pay the Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee for each request to take a course at another institution. Learners are responsible for any additional costs incurred at the host institution.

Non-program students

Individuals who are not enrolled in the PMCC program may apply to register in PMCC courses on a first-come-first-served basis, space providing. Courses taken as a non-program learner may be directly applied towards the program in accordance with the degree requirements, if and when a learner becomes a program student. However, ÐÇ¿ÕÓ°ÊÓis under no obligation to admit non-program learner into the PMCC program. To apply to take a course as a non-program learner, please contact gcapadmin@athabascau.ca.

English language proficiency

There are minimum English language proficiency requirements allowed for admission to a graduate program at Athabasca University. It is the learner's responsibility to ensure they meet the minimum requirements.

Application deadlines

The Faculty of Health Disciplines typically recommends that students start the application process at least 12-16 weeks prior to the application deadline (noted in the chart below). Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. It may take 8-12 weeks after the deadline to receive an admission decision.

These deadlines are final, and no exceptions will be granted. There are no appeals to admissions decisions. Incomplete or late applications are not assessed nor retained for consideration for admission the following year.

Only after you've been accepted to your Athabasca University program, can you apply for transfer credit for courses previously taken at other institutions towards your ÐÇ¿ÕÓ°ÊÓprogram.

To apply for transfer credit, please complete the following steps:

1. Carefully review the transfer credit allowance for the program to which you are applying to.
2. Complete the Transfer Credit Evaluation Request Form, making sure to include the following information for each course:
   • a clear indication of the Faculty of Health Disciplines course you are seeking transfer credit toward and
   • institution name, course title and number, and number of credits of the previously completed course that you want to have evaluated for transfer credit.
3. Provide a complete syllabus for each course, including course description, learning objectives, course materials list, evaluation procedures, outline of core topics covered, and program regulations related to mark required for a passing grade. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information provided is complete.
   
   Submit all the following components for transfer credit assessment:
   • official transcripts
   • Transfer Credit Evaluation Request Form
   • course syllabi
   • other pertinent materials

Transfer Credit Assessment Forms are to be emailed to the graduate academic advisor at fhdgradadvise@athabascau.ca.

Payment for transfer credit evaluation

You can pay your fees either by credit card or by electronic funds transfer (e-transfer). E-transfer information can be found on the Office of the Registrar site. More information on fees can be found here. Please do not submit your payment until the amount has been confirmed by your academic advisor.

For more information contact fhdgradadvise@athabascau.ca

Program delivery

The program is offered during 3 semesters each year. Learners participate in paced learning activities that require completion of course work on a fixed schedule. All course work should be completed during the semester periods. Extensions to these timelines may be granted, if circumstances warrant.

Program status

To maintain program status, learners must complete 6 credits during each academic year (the academic year for PMCC students begins in the month they start the program). Learners are required to receive an overall grade of 70% or B- to pass each Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology (GCAP) course. In addition, learners are expected to maintain at least a B or 75% in the program.

Learners who fail a course or receive a grade of B- in 2 courses may be removed from the program with no option for re-admission to GCAP graduate programs.

Residency

In keeping with Athabasca University’s mandate of open access, residency requirements for the PMCC are satisfied when the learner has successfully completed 9 credits within the PMCC program. The remaining credits may be transferred from other institutions if the credits are applicable to the university’s PMCC program.

Program requirements

Counselling Psychology specialization

The courses in the Counselling Psychology specialization reflect the graduate course requirements for licensing with the (CAP). Learners in the Post-Master's Certificate in Counselling (PMCC) may seek to complete additional courses for certification or licensure which were not included in their master's degree. Learners are encouraged to check course and program requirements with their provincial regulatory body in the province where they plan to practice.

Learners enrolled in the certificate may also select other GCAP elective courses. Learners may also take courses at other institutions.

Program withdrawal

Learners may withdraw from the program by submitting their request in writing to the Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology (GCAP) program office and formally withdrawing from any courses in which they are currently registered. Learners who withdraw may apply to re-enrol in the program by following the regular application procedures outlined above.

Full- and part-time status

Learners may study in the program on a full- or part-time basis. Part-time learners must complete a minimum of 6 credits per calendar year. Normally, the PMCC program is completed in 1 year. Program learners are considered full time if they complete a minimum of 9 credits in a given calendar year. Note however, that other organizations (e.g. provincial student loan programs, First Nations, Canada Revenue Agency) may have other criteria for defining full-time status.

Program completion time limits

Learners must complete the PMCC degree requirements within 2 years of their initial enrolment in the program. Learners who do not may be required to repeat courses completed at the beginning of their program.

Use of Post-Master's Certificate in Counselling credential

The post-master's certificate program does not have candidacy exams, therefore the use of PMC (C) or PMC (Candidate) during your program is not permitted. You may use this credential only after the degree is conferred.

Graduation requirements

To be eligible for graduation, learners must complete 12 credits of graduate coursework required for the PMCC program.

Grading system

All courses will be graded using the Alpha/4.0 grading scale (effective September 1, 2004).

Please review the Graduate Grading Policy and information about academic records on the Office of the Registrar site for more information on grading scales.

Clinical Placement

FHD students in a clinical placement are bound by the Clinical Placement Misconduct Policy. Any actions or behaviours that fall under the scope of the university’s Academic Misconduct Policy, Non-Academic Misconduct Policy, or Academic Integrity Policy will continue to be dealt with under those policies.

A non-refundable convenience charge will be charged when using Visa or Mastercard to pay student fees. American Express is no longer an accepted method of payment. For more information on the convenience charge, please visit the Financial Services website.

The following fees are effective for courses starting Sep. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2025. All fees are quoted in Canadian dollars and are subject to change. Academic-related fees are exempt from the Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST is added to all other goods and services, for example, workshops, some publications, self-help seminars, and Athabasca University promotional sales items.

Course tuition fees (includes all required materials)

¹ The PMCC course tuition fees now include a Course Administration and Technology Fee of $58 and Course Materials Fee of $37 per course and are included in this calculation. This calculation also includes the Athabasca University Graduate Students Association (AUGSA) Fee of $14 per credit.

² The total program fee is split up and charged with individual course registrations.

Estimated program tuition cost (2024-2025):

The total tuition cost for a learner living in Canada who takes all courses from Athabasca University over a 1-year period would be $10,168 ($1,866 x 4 = $7,464, 3-credit course equivalents, plus program fees of $2,704 for a total of $10,168). AUGSA fees are included in the above calculation. Application, Admission and Art Therapy Specialization Fees are not included in the above calculation.

Other fees