Introduction:

The MA / Postgraduate Certificate in Career Development course is designed to equip you with the skills, qualities and knowledge required of a professional practitioner working in the career development and employability sector, enabling you to meet the needs of clients in a variety of settings.

NTU has successfully been teaching career guidance courses since 1973, and has established a strong national reputation in this field. You’ll benefit from a broad spectrum of contemporary thinking and debate on careers education, information, advice, guidance and coaching, and you’ll develop the skills to make a positive impact on the sector and the profession.

The curriculum offers flexibility – you have the choice of studying a MA Career Development full-time or a Postgraduate Certificate by blended learning, and there are module options to help you develop specialisms. This course is ideal if you’re looking to find employment in the sector, or are already employed in a career development or related role and seek Continuing Professional Development opportunities (CPD).

Rather than commit to the full MA, you can choose to study a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Career Development. Those studying on the full-time MA will have the option of completing the Qualification in Career Development (QCD) award accredited by the Career Development Institute (CDI) professional body.

What you’ll study

The course aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of careers education, information, advice, guidance and coaching. You’ll develop a critical awareness of current developments, debates and insights in the discipline. You’ll apply theory to practice in a range of professional contexts, and will learn about the theoretical perspectives and concepts relating to career development, occupational choice, career planning and transition, and their applications for practice.

Personalisation of learning is a significant element of the course, and you’ll have choice around the content area for your assessment tasks.

On completion, you should be able to reflect upon your practice and performance, and identify CPD and personal development needs – ensuring that you’re able to adapt and respond to the contextual needs of clients, employers and the sector.

Careers and employability

The course will equip you with attributes that are highly sought after by employers in the careers and employability sector. As such, employability is a core theme throughout the course – not only will you have acquired the skills necessary for professional practice within the career development sector, but you’ll be able to apply these perspectives to yourself in order to assist you in managing your own employability.

Through our close links with the sector, you may have the opportunity to network with employers and practitioners at national career development events such as the CDI Student Conference and the National Career Guidance Show.

Upon graduating from the course, there are a range of jobs you can pursue in the career development and employability sector that align to the roles outlined in the CDI’s Career Professionals in the 21st Century – A Blueprint of Learning Outcomes for Professional Roles in the UK Career Development Sector. These include:

• career information and assessment experts
• career educators
• career counsellors
• programme and service managers
• social systems intervenors and developers.

Students from our previous Career Guidance course have entered a range of roles in career guidance and employability, including:

• Careers advisor
• Secondary enrichment coordinator
• Learning advisor
• Career consultant
• Student advisor
• Progress coach
• Learning technology consultant
• Freelance career counsellor
• Recruitment leader
• Community mentor
• European partnerships assistant

Entry requirements

Please note: This Postgraduate Certificate in Career Development course does not meet the UK Visas and Immigration requirements for Student Route sponsorship and therefore we cannot progress applications from candidates who require a Student Route visa under the Points Based Immigration System. Applicants to this course must be eligible to work in the UK for the duration of the course. Those who have a Student Visa can apply for the MA in Career Development as this is open to international applicants.

Other requirements

Interview

All suitable applicants will be interviewed as part of the admissions process – either face-to-face, or by phone or Skype for those applicants living overseas. The interview process will explore the applicant’s understanding and interest in the following areas:

• career development and guidance, often evidenced by visiting a guidance provider or by relevant work experience
• commitment to a “career in career”, evidenced as above
• an insight into the demands of the sector for practitioners working in the profession
• intellectual ability, and the ability to manage the demands of postgraduate study.

DBS checks

DBS checks are mandatory for this course. If a DBS check indicates that a student is unsuitable to work with young people or vulnerable adults, their case will be reported to the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and the student will be required to withdraw from the course.

Fees and funding

Study route	International
MA Full-time	£14,400 (excluding membership and registration for the QCD award)
PG Certificate Distance Learning (cost per year of study)	£4,834 (for Year One*) (excluding membership and registration for the QCD award)

Fees are for 2022 entry.

* Please note that if you are considering a part-time route that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for Year One of study. The course fee for Year Two is subject to annual review.

Career Development Institute (CDI) fees

You can opt to become a Student Member of the CDI at the start of the course, whether you are studying the MA or PG Cert. Students who choose to complete the QCD Professional Standards module, having completed 90 credits, must register with the CDI and become a Student Member upon enrolling for this module.

If you choose to study the two-year route of an eligible course, which incorporates a work placement, the fee for Year Two will be £1,385.

If you’re starting a postgraduate course in January 2023 you’ll pay the 2022 fee.

Late Applications

If you missed the UCAS January deadline, it’s not too late to apply to join us in September 2022.

Applying to university after the January deadline isn’t anything to worry about – we accept applications for most of our undergraduate courses until Thursday 30 June 2022.