The Master of Arts CNPS program allows students to focus on one of the three areas for which we have accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counsellor Education Programs (Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association).
The three areas of focus are: Community & Agency Counselling, Counselling in Higher Education, and School Counselling. To be admitted to the school counselling focus, applicants must have a teaching certificate at the time of application from a Canadian province or territory.
Standard Master of Arts Program Prerequisites
Applicants need to have satisfactorily completed the following prerequisite courses (or approved as accepted prerequisite courses) before December 31st. In exceptional circumstances, outstanding MA and MED applicants missing one prerequisite—other than CNPS 362—may be offered conditional admission subject to evidence of enrollment in the missing prerequisite course and the successful completion of the course by April 15th. Proof of registration in the missing prerequisite should be provided to the admissions committee by uploading it to the application portal as an attachment. CNPS 363 and CNPS 365 are offered online in Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter at UBC. Please see the equivalency table for some equivalent courses offered from other universities.
= On Campus = Online
| CNPS 362 (3 credits) | Basic Interviewing Skills |
| CNPS 363 (3 credits) (Available on campus or online) |
Career Counselling |
| CNPS 365 (3 credits) (Available on campus or online) |
Introduction to Theories of Counselling |
| EPSE 482 (3 credits) | Introduction to Statistics for Research in Education |
| 3 credit course in Abnormal Psychology or Behaviour Disorders | Equivalency Table |
| 3 credit course in Learning | Equivalency Table |
Note: If you’re seeking equivalency for any of the prerequisites, you can request a prerequisite acceptance review by submitting a letter, course outline and transcript to the program area assistant at least one month before the application deadline.
Relevant Work Experience
Applicants should have a minimum of three calendar years of experience in positions (full-time or part-time) that involve working in a helping, social service, or teaching capacity with children, adolescents and/or adults by the time of applying (December 1st). The years do not need to be consecutive.
This requirement can be met through volunteer experience although preference will be given to applicants who have sustained-relevant work experience.
Research Experience
Applicants to the M.A. Program should have prior research experience, as evidenced by, for example, volunteer research assistant experience, an undergraduate honours degree research project, conference presentations, or journal publications. Compatibility between faculty and applicant research interests is an important consideration for admission.
Criminal Record Checks
Students admitted to our Master’s and Doctoral programs are required to provide a criminal record clearance prior to taking CNPS 588 – Supervised Clinical Experience in Counselling. The information will be sent out to students later on in the program.
If you do not have the BC Services Card, you can complete the Criminal Record Check process this way, here is the link for the application: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kLkckuBguKAG0u
Once you have completed the application through Qualtrics, you will receive a very short message from noreply@qemailserver.com
(Please save this message to show that you have submitted the application).
Learn more information about Criminal Record Checks and access FAQ information.