Principles of Ethical Conduct in Counselling G (11741.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Principles of Ethical Conduct in Counselling G
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online self-paced
 UC - Canberra, Online
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Health
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Discipline Of Counselling Graduate Level Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 2 2021 (Prof Pathway Social Work- After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
In this unit students will develop a sound model for ethical and professional counselling practice. Students will develop skills in ethical decision making and sensitivity to the operation of power and privilege in professional counselling relationships. Professional issues such as boundaries, dual roles and client safety will be analysed in the context of research and relevant ethical codes of practice.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of ethical codes and models of ethical decision making and apply these to challenging practice situations;

2. Apply ethical and professional practice principles in counselling practice; and
3. Articulate the implications of ethical codes and principles for professional development.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

Must be enrolled in SCC401 Graduate Certificate in Counselling, SCG401 Graduate Diploma in Counselling or SCM401 Master of Counselling.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

7745 Ethical Frameworks for Counselling PG

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 1 20 January 2025 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 3 12 May 2025 Online self-paced Ms Sarah Marshall
2025 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 5 01 September 2025 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 1 19 January 2026 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 3 11 May 2026 Online self-paced Ms Sarah Marshall
2026 UC - Canberra, Online Study Block 5 31 August 2026 Online self-paced Mr Jon Nielsen
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Corey, G., Corey, M.S., Corey, C. (2023). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (11th ed.). Stamford, CT: Brooks/ Cole.  
 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Please note that GenAI is not authorised to be used for assessment preparation for this unit.

GenAI may be used for assessment preparation by students at UC when:

  • authorised by the unit convener (or HDR supervisor) as part of a specified assessment task
  • used in the way allowed in the assessment instructions and unit outline
  • appropriately referenced, meaning that students must acknowledge the use of GenAI in their assessments in the same way that they must acknowledge all source material.

Any other use of GenAI to complete an assessment is a breach of academic integrity and could constitute academic misconduct. Unauthorised use of GenAI in assessment work is contract cheating, as defined in University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. It's also possible for unauthorised or inappropriate use of AI in student assessments to present as plagiarism, reproduction of another's work, collusion, dishonesty in connection with an assessment, or non-compliance with assessment-related instructions – all of which are academic integrity breaches.

Special assessment requirements

Assignments are graded. In order to pass this unit, all assignments must be submitted and an overall mark of 50% or more must be reached. 

It is the student's responsibility to upload the correct and corresponding draft or assessment item to the right submission section. Assignments must be submitted in a format accessible to the assessor(s), as stated on the relevant canvas site. If the unit convener and/or tutor are unable to access a submission, a standard late penalty may be applied per day until the assignment is made accessible.

Should the unit convenor approve an extension request, it is highly unorthodox that extensions will be granted for more than 5 days. (RAP students included) It is important to realise that if an extension is approved and the assessment is submitted late, this will delay the marking process. This can result in an inability to commence following units and hinder your progress through your course.  A "blanket" extension request for all assessment in this unit is not acceptable.

 Please note there is no option for resubmission in this unit

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

Attendance at tutorials is essential in this course. Students will be able to attain and demonstrate the required learning outcomes in their assessments if they attend and fully participate in the tutorials. Recordings will be made available for those who are unable to attend the tutorial sessions, however, sections of the video may be removed from the recording if sensitive information has been disclosed. Experience from past years indicates that students who do not participate in tutorials have a risk of failing the unit. 

Required IT skills

In order to engage in this unit, you are expected to have a reliable computer with the latest operating system. You will also need reliable internet connections and the latest version of Google Chrome (preferred browser) to access UCLearn. You are expected to have access to Microsoft Office applications: including Word, Excel and PowerPoint equivalent. In some units, you will be required to download specific software applications to complete the unit content and assessment successfully. 
 
In order to complete research, you will need to be able to search the library data bases for relevant journal articles. It is the individual student's responsibility to access appropriate help from the University IT services or the library if he or she does not have adequate skills. 

In-unit costs

For more information regarding fees, please speak to your Student Advisor. 

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

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