Skip to content
Postgraduate

Graduate Diploma of Education (Commonwealth Supported) (Guidance, Counselling and Careers)

Domestic students International students
Graduate Diploma of Education (Commonwealth Supported) (Guidance, Counselling and Careers) (GDED)
Entry requirements
View full details
Study mode
  • Online
Campus
  • -
Duration
  • 1 year or part-time equivalent
Start
  • May
Intakes
Note: the Guidance, Counselling and Careers specialisation is available from trimester 2 (May), 2025. 

Go to

Overview

  • UniSQ’s Graduate Diploma of Education (Guidance, Counselling and Careers) is ideal for teachers wishing to extend their knowledge and skills in counselling.  
  • Develop basic counselling skills and an understanding of the key issues faced by students and how today’s professionals in education are tackling them. 
  • You will have the opportunity to study in the areas of educational counselling; child abuse and neglect; wellbeing promotion; dysregulation in social and emotional learning and wellbeing of children and young people; and individual assessment. 
  • Further extend your skills in the area of career development and planning with topics such as the importance of career guidance in education, assessing and counselling people in their career journey and evaluating the effectiveness of career development services in education.  
  • This specialisation does not qualify you for teacher registration in Queensland. You can qualify for teacher registration in Queensland with the Master of Learning and Teaching (Early Years), Master of Learning and Teaching (Primary) or Master of Learning and Teaching (Secondary).

Further study

Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Education (Guidance, Counselling and Careers) will qualify you to apply for the Master of Education.

Professional accreditation

The Guidance, Counselling and Careers specialisation meets the requirement for associate membership to the Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association (QGCA) and allows for articulation into the Masters of Education (Guidance, Counselling and Careers) which is required for full membership to the QGCA. 

Career outcomes

  • If you are planning to work as a Guidance Officer in Education Queensland's state schools, you will typically require registration as a teacher in addition to the Master of Education (Guidance, Counselling and Careers). Counselling roles in schools in the independent or Catholic sectors in Queensland may have different requirements. You should check the requirements with your prospective employer. 
  • Students planning to work outside Queensland and who are intending to use the Master of Education (Guidance, Counselling and Careers) for employment in schools in a guidance and counselling role should consult relevant State and Territory registration bodies. 

Entry requirements

  • An Australian university bachelor degree, or equivalent, in an education-related discipline.

English language requirements

You are required to meet the applicable English language requirements and this degree requires a minimum of IELTS 6.5 with a minimum 6.0 in each subscore. UniSQ also accepts other English language proficiency tests.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can apply to study with our English language partner, the Union Institute of Language (UIL).

Recognition of prior learning or work experience

If you have previously studied in your home country, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning to reduce the number of courses that you need to study to finish your program.

Pathways

If you don't meet the entry requirements, we have pathway options available to you.

Degree structure

To complete this degree students must complete 8 units.

Courses to be studied Units
8 x specialisation courses 8
Total 8

Refer to the UniSQ Handbook for an example of courses to be studied and recommended enrolment patterns.

Other specialisations

Fees and scholarships

Your actual fees may vary depending on the courses you select. We review our fees annually so these may be subject to change.

Approximate annual costs1 for international students' first year of study (8 units) in this degree:

Study Mode Cost
External/Online

You are responsible for the full cost of your course and are charged a tuition fee.

AUD 27400

1 These are indicative annual fees for 2025. 

Student services and amenities fees

You may need to pay student services and amenities (SA) fees as part of your course costs.

Scholarships

At UniSQ, we offer a range of scholarships to support your success at university. Find a scholarship that works for you.

How to apply

Complete your online application directly to UniSQ.

Apply direct to UniSQ

Intakes

You can start your study in 2025 in Trimester 2.

Study period  Application closing date Orientation  Study period start date Finish date
Trimester 2, 2025 Monday 26 May Monday 19 May Monday 26 May  Friday 22 August

Two men collaborating at a computer workstation in an office environment.

Got questions?

 

Begin your study journey today with the university rated 5/5 stars for graduates starting salaries* and start the degree that’s right for you.

*Good Universities Guide 2025

Find out more