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Admission Requirements

Counselling
Admission Requirements

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Counselling

Bachelor of Counselling (BCouns)

General Admission Requirements

NCEA Level 3

  • Three subjects at Level 3, made up of 14 credits each, in three approved subjects
  • Literacy – 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:
  • 5 credits in reading
  • 5 credits in writing
  • Numeracy – 10 credits at Level 1 or above, made up of:
  • Achievement standards – specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects, or
  • Unit standards – package of three numeracy unit standards (26623, 26626, 26627 – all three required)

NCEA Equivalence can include:

  • University Entrance, A or B Bursary;
  • Overseas equivalent qualifications, including IB and CIE, or HSC (Australia);
  • Other NZQA level 3 certificates in similar disciplines to Laidlaw programmes;
  • Other NZQA level 4 certificate in a different discipline;
  • Evidence of level of academic achievement or a portfolio of work for homeschooled students*;
  • Reference/support/documentation from employer*

*The applicant may need to sit assessment for entry.

NB. All equivalences must be documented.

Minimum Age

BCouns applicants
All BCouns applicants must be at least 20 years of age on or before the first day of semester in which the proposed programme of study is offered.

Entry Assessment

  • Includes a literacy test. (Dates for assessment will be advised.)

Special Admission

Possible study options can arise depending on the assessment result

  • An offer of entry to a level 4 programme
  • Entry to Bachelor of Counselling (if appropriate)

Selection Interview

All applicants who have successfully completed the first stage of the application process will provisionally be accepted into the programme and invited to attend a group interview and, if required, a further interview by a panel of two selectors.

Police Clearance

It is a condition of enrolment in the DipCS (Christian Leadership Track) that students complete a Police Vetting Service Request and Consent form as part of their application, or for those including an Internship course in another programmes, before course enrolment can be approved. This police clearance should be less than 6 months old if presented at the time of application.

English Language Requirements

These requirements are in addition to those outlined above and apply to applicants for whom English is not their first language.

Bachelor of Counselling

  • IELTS (academic): 6.5 or higher with minimum 6.0 in all bands
  • Pearson Test of English (academic): 58

Applicants must meet both the Academic and English language requirements for the programmes. In addition to the requirements outlined applicants for whom English is not their first language must use one of the following methods to demonstrate that they have the required level of English proficiency to study in New Zealand:

  • Gained NCEA level 3 and met New Zealand University Entrance requirements; or
  • Holds a Bachelor’s degree of at least three years from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America; or
  • Achieved a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA); or
  • Achieved the required score, as indicated in the following subsections, in one of the following internationally recognised English proficiency tests, within the preceding two years:
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • University of Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
  • University of Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE
  • University of Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE)
  • International English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications by City and Guilds (IESOL)
  • Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PToE)
  • New Zealand Certificate in English Language (NZCEL)

A waiver for the English langauge test may be granted:

  • For those applicants who have an undergraduate or higher qualification gained from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.
  • For those who have studied in NZ for a minimum of two years at secondary school and gained either
  • Eight, level 2 NCEA University Entrance literacy credits (4 credits in reading and 4 credits in writing) gained prior to 2014 or
  • Ten, level 2 NCEA University Entrance Literacy credits (5 credits in reading and 5 credits in writing).
  • For long-term residents (10+ years) in New Zealand, or another English speaking country, who are able to demonstrate English language competency appropriate to the desired level of study. Competency must be documented.

For other equivalent English Language Proficiency scores please refer to