DCounsPsych Counselling Psychology / Application and selection

Year of entry: 2024

How to apply

Apply online

Application deadlines

  • 15th January 2024 (interviews dates: 15, 16, 19 and 21st February)
  • 15th March 2024 (interview dates: 16, 17, 18 and 19th April)

Applicants wishing to be considered for  SEED/PDS  funding must apply to the January deadline. 

Advice to applicants

Your completed application should include:

  • two references, one of which should be familiar with your academic work, on headed paper from the institution, signed, dated and stamped; 
  • a degree certificate and transcript for your bachelor's and master's degrees; 
  • evidence of your English language proficiency; 
  • a personal statement outlining your reasons for wishing to study on the programme, and the experience and skills you will bring (maximum 3,000 words). Candidates are required to follow the guidance (in the 'how to apply' document, below) on this personal statement;
  • A brief (1500 words) research proposal for your proposed thesis in counselling psychology. This should outline your proposed title, an overview of the proposed research and how it fits with the counselling psychology team at Manchester (See the 'how to apply' document, below).
  • evidence of your basic counselling skills training or professional experience of using such skills (such as training certificates); 
  • evidence of Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society; 
  • a copy of the data pages of your passport; 
  • a detailed CV.

You will also need to pass a Criminal Convictions Check, which is undertaken and paid for by the University.

Admission to studying for a PhD or a Professional Doctorate is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

For further guidance on your personal statement, please download our  DCounsPsych information document  and the How to apply document.

Please note - the DCounsPsych candidates are not required to approach a particular research supervisor ahead of applying, as supervisors are allocated during the first year of training.

How your application is considered

When you submit an application, you will receive notification that it has been received. Our admissions team will contact you to let you know if we require any further information.

Following the deadlines noted on the information sheet, the programme team review all applications against our criteria. We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and will contact you with our decision.

Interview requirements

You will be individually interviewed, including discussion around a recent piece of academic writing.

You will also deliver a presentation to programme tutors (you will be informed of the topic of the presentation when invited for interview), and take part in a role play activity in order to demonstrate your counselling skills.