Higher Diploma in Psychology and Counselling Programme
QF Level
4
QR Registration No.
18/000804/L4
Validity Period
1 September 2019– 31 August 2025
MODE OF STUDY
Full time / Part time
PROGRAMME LENGTH
Full time – 2 years
(maximum 3 years)
Part time – 3 years
(maximum 6 years)
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
English supplemented with Chinese with the exception of the Chinese Language and some General Education courses which are conducted in Chinese
For details, please refer to 2024-25 HDPC Programme handbook.
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
The HDPC Programme aims to:
- provide a psychological, counselling and general education curriculum for students to develop an understanding of humans and human behaviour, and to discover complementation between psychological, counselling and biblical knowledge.
- enable students to apply psychological/counselling concepts, theories, skills and empirical findings to explain human behaviors.
- prepare graduates from the Programme to pursue further study or initial employment in psychology, counselling or related areas.
- nurture students to be servant leaders to exemplify the C.H.R.I.S.T. (Commitment, Humility, Resilience, Integrity, Service and Teamwork) values in various para-professional settings (counselling, human services, law enforcement, business, etc.).
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
The Year 1 entry requirements of the HDPC Programme are as follows:
- Level 2 in five subjects including Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. Up to two Applied Learning subjects may be counted for admission purposes. Non-Chinese speaking students may use alternative qualifications in Chinese Language [Note]; OR
- Secondary school graduates from other education systems with results comparable to the above (for non-native speakers of Chinese, academic results in Chinese may not be required) [Note]; OR
- Successful completion of a foundation diploma, pre-associate degree, Diploma Yi Jin, or Diploma of Applied Education (DAE) at QF Level 3 with a total learning size of 150 QF Credits, including 30 QF Credits for each language in Chinese and English; OR
- Mature applicants who are aged 21 years or above when admission is sought; OR
- An equivalent qualification assessed by the College.
Note:
- Non-Chinese speaking applicants with other acceptable equivalent qualifications may use an “Other Languages” subject at the same qualification level, attainment level, and volume of learning (e.g. GCE AS-level or GCE A-level French) to substitute for the Chinese language proficiency requirement.
- If the applicants do not study a second language other than the English, they may use an elective subject at the same qualification level, attainment level, and volume of learning to substitute for the Chinese language proficiency requirement.
PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS
- completed and been assessed on all courses;
- obtained an overall GPA of 2.0 or above across all courses;
- obtained a Grade D or above in all courses;
- completed 20 hours of community service; and
- fulfilled an attendance requirement of not less than 80% in all courses and College Assembly.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With good interpersonal communication skills and a good understanding of human behaviours, graduates will be prepared to work in various para-professional settings such as:
- Education settings: Teaching assistant, education consultant, student service officer, etc.
- Human service settings: Counselling service settings, family service settings, social service settings, etc.
- Business settings: Human resources assistant, project officer, marketing assistant, public relations assistant, customer services, etc.
FURTHER STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
The Programme will equip students with the knowledge, skills, and academic qualifications for further study in Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas. Students can apply to top-up degree programmes in psychology and counselling or programmes in other related disciplines such as social science, education, health studies, etc. Students may also choose to apply for Year 3 entry in the Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Programme offered by GCC to continue their studies in Psychology.
PROGRAMME INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (PILOs)
The programme intended learning outcomes of the HDPC Programme are classified into two aspects, “To do” and “To be”. The former focuses on instruction of knowledge and skills while the latter focuses on developing the character of students.
The PILOs are:
(To do)
Graduates will be able to:
- establish a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and skills in psychology and counselling;
- apply psychological/counselling principles to deal with personal, social, academic, and job-related issues;
- communicate effectively through writing, presentation or discussion in tasks in organisations or service environments that require psychological/counselling knowledge;
- use information technology effectively for acquiring, learning, communicating and handling psychology/counselling issues;
- critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise data, information, ideas, concepts and issues related to psychological/counselling research and/or practice; and
- be adequately prepared to pursue further study or initial employment that require psychological/counselling knowledge.
(To be)
Graduates of the Programme will become:
- knowledgeable persons who integrate the “CHRIST” values and faith in the working environment;
- valuable citizens of society who have a good understanding of the world, of the communities and cultures in which they may live or work, and of current global issues of importance;
- promising para-professionals with social, communication and interpersonal skills who can take up careers that require psychological/counselling knowledge;
- problem-solvers who have a broad base of general knowledge and solve problems with creativity and innovation;
- life-long learners who have the expertise and skills in gaining knowledge related to and beyond their profession; and
- servant leaders who apply the principles of servant leadership to contribute to the well-being of the world with Christian love.
STUDY PLAN
Year 1
General Education
- English I: Reading and Writing Skills
- Lives of Servant Leaders
- Practical Chinese Writing
- 1 Elective
Specialized Courses
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Counselling
- Developmental Psychology
- Introduction to Group Counselling
- Introduction to Statistics
- Personal Growth
- Field Visits and Experiential Learning
- 1 Elective
Year 2
General Education
- English II: Integrated English
- 2 Electives
Specialized Courses
- Personality and Individual Differences
- Social Psychology
- Counselling Skills Laboratory
- Professional Ethics in Counselling
- 2 Electives
Major Elective Courses (choose 3 out of 6)
- Motivation and Emotion
- Family Dynamics and Counselling
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biological Psychology
- Grief and Loss Counselling
- Introduction to Gerontology and Related Services