Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Alcohol & Drug Studies)

Study UniSQ’s Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Alcohol and Drug Studies) and gain the practical skills to support people struggling with substance misuse and gain an insight into psychoactive drugs. Additionally, you will learn a range of treatment approaches including motivational interviewing and relapse prevention. 

1. Apply a core body of knowledge, including contemporary theories and models central to counselling assessment, and treatment.
2. Effectively utilise a range of advanced interpersonal, written, oral and digital literacy skills appropriate for communicating with diverse audiences including clients and professionals.
3. Apply critical reasoning, problem solving, and professional and ethical judgement with initiative to identify and resolve a range of therapeutic, professional, legal and ethical practice issues.
4. Consolidate theory and practice within an integrative framework to effectively provide counselling within diverse cultural and practice contexts and client groups.
5. Utilise relevant research literature, methodologies and findings to inform practice development and decision-making processes.

Study the Graduate Diploma of Counselling and gain the advanced knowledge and expertise to prepare for, or extend, your practices in a range of specialist counselling areas. Fulfil educational requirements towards eligibility for membership with the Australian Counselling Association. Within the Alcohol and Drug Studies specialisation you will gain the practical skills to support people struggling with substance misuse and gain an insight into psychoactive drugs. Additionally, you will learn a range of treatment approaches including motivational interviewing and relapse prevention. Further study pathway includes the Master of Counselling, which gives you the opportunity to fulfil your counsellor training or delve deeper into your chosen specialisation.

Recommended study pattern

Year 1 - Semester 1

COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications

COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics

COU8011 Assessment for Substance Misuse

COU8012 Motivational Interviewing

Year 1 - Semester 2

COU8104 Counselling Frameworks

COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts

COU8014 Relapse Prevention

COU8013 Introduction to Psychoactive Drugs

Award requirements

Completion of eight (8) units as outlined in the Recommended Study Pattern section.

Exit points

• Upon completion of the appropriate 4 units, a student may apply to exit with the Graduate Certificate of Counselling.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $24,560

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

As Australia’s #1 university for graduate starting salary (Good Universities Guide, 2022), University of Southern Queensland is the right place to make real progress. Regardless of your education history, your age or your aspirations, at UniSQ you’ll be inspired by quality learning experiences matched with top resources and research. Having delivered distance and online learning for over 40+ years, UniSQ supports you to learn at your own pace—exactly how it suits you.

Learn more about USQ.

Explore USQ courses.

QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

24

Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:

25

Completion of an Australian university three-year bachelor degree in any area or equivalent.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable English language requirements. For entry to the Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Alcohol and Drug Studies) program, applicants are required to meet the Category 3 English Language Proficiency requirements.

Exemptions/credit will be assessed based on the USQ Credit and Exemption Procedure.

There are mandatory residential schools held at Ipswich, Springfield or Toowoomba campus, and synchronous mandatory online tutorials for:

• COU8102 Professional Counselling Practice, Identity and Ethics
• COU8103 Counselling Issues and Contexts
• COU8101 Counselling Skills and Applications
• COU8104 Counselling Frameworks
• COU8006 Group Counselling Process and Practice