Career Guidance and Development Postgraduate Diploma

This course is for those seeking a professional qualification in Career Guidance. You’ll take the Qualification in Career Development (QCD) - the nationally recognised professional qualification awarded by the Career Development Institute (CDI). You’ll learn about policy, practice and theories underpinning career guidance, equality and diversity, partnership working and research-based practice.

Why Career Guidance and Development?

• This course is available on a one year full-time or two years part-time basis. Successful completion of the course results in the Career Development Institute approved career guidance professional qualification (the Qualification in Career Development or QCD).
• The course can lead to a wide variety of interesting and rewarding career prospects in career guidance companies, higher and further education careers and employability services, secondary education and third sector organisations. You can find out more via the CDI.
• We also offer a full Career Guidance and Development MA that you may choose to study, which also leads to the award of the QCD.
• Huddersfield has been teaching career guidance courses for over 40 years and has established a strong national reputation in the sector. You’ll also have access to our extensive professional and academic network which feeds directly into course design and delivery and to excellent facilities and specialist equipment.

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

• A degree or an equivalent professional qualification. Suitably experienced applicants without a degree will be considered.

In addition you must also have:

• Relevant experience in a paid or voluntary basis.
• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and health clearances.
• Complete a satisfactory interview.
• International applicants must be available for interview in person or via Skype.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.5, or equivalent will be considered acceptable. 

A significant amount of your learning also takes place whilst on placement where you’ll gain the practical skills to successfully work with adults and young people in the wide range of settings in which careers guidance is practiced. These include workplaces, the voluntary sector, higher and further education careers services, secondary education and the National Careers Service.

The course involves a compulsory work placement consisting of a minimum of 30 days. Typically, students are able to experience a placement involving a guidance agency and also within an education organisation e.g. a school/academy, or within Further/Higher Education. The aim of the placement is that students should have a wide-ranging experience of information, advice and guidance provision and should be strongly involved in developing practical skills within the guidance sector.

Guidance skills can be used in a variety of settings and graduates can expect to find employment in dedicated guidance or careers guidance agencies such as the National Careers Service or Higher and Further Education Careers and Employability Services. Graduates in recent years have also found employment in related areas such as voluntary and charitable agencies (e.g. mental health provision), secondary education and training providers.