EDF5061 Advanced ethics and professional issues in counselling
Faculty of Education
EDF5061 Advanced ethics and professional issues in counselling is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Education, offered in 2026 in Semester 1, Winter and Semester 2 at Clayton, Hong Kong and Singapore. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit, leading on to 2 units in all.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1, Winter, Semester 2
- Clayton, Hong Kong, Singapore
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before EDF5061
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After EDF5061
1 unit list EDF5061 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite
Must be enrolled in course owned by Faculty of Education
Overview
This unit develops an advanced understanding of the ethical, legal, and regulatory dimensions of professional counselling practice. You will use your knowledge of the ethical foundations of the profession to gain insight into managing the complex issues and dilemmas faced by counsellors in practice in line with current professional codes and guidelines. Topics addressed include implementing ethical principles and codes of practice, legal responsibilities, personal, social, and professional values, diversity, managing client and practitioner safety, confidentiality and privacy, managing dual relationships and professional boundaries, and working collaboratively with other professionals and key stakeholders (e.g., parents of clients). You will also explore the key ethical considerations of working in various contexts such as online counselling, schools, private practice, and community agencies.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | Flx blk |
| Winter semester | Hong Kong | Online |
| Winter semester | Singapore | Online |
| Second semester | Clayton | Flx blk |
Assessment
- Applied written task (2000 words or equivalent)Written50%
- Self-reflective case study (2000 words or equivalent)Written50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
describe and apply the professional, ethical, social, and legal obligations of counsellors to counselling practice
- 2
describe and apply the ethical requirements of the societies and professional organisations in the locations in which you plan to practice, across a range of counselling settings
- 3
demonstrate self-awareness of one's own values, positionality, experiences, and biases and the potential impact of these on ethical practice
- 4
utilise a formal structure to demonstrate ethical decision making and argue a defensible, well informed ethical position on complex or mixed ethical dilemmas arising in counselling
- 5
reflect upon your own professional competencies and limits of proficiency, in a range of situations
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials12 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study.
Usually, you can expect to engage with:
Clayton campus
- 12 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities, 12 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities, and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study
OR - 24 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities, and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study^
^ International students studying in Australia are not permitted to undertake this scheduled learning delivery mode.
Kaplan off-shore
- 24 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via synchronous activities and the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study
Using an active, case-based approach, you will examine both hypothetical and actual cases of ethical and unethical practice of counsellors.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Please visit the unit Moodle site for further information.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Zoe Morris
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Zoe Morris
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EDF5061?
EDF5061 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after EDF5061?
EDF5061 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including EDF5066. Those lead on to 2 units in all.
When is EDF5061 offered?
In 2026, EDF5061 runs in Semester 1, Winter and Semester 2 at Clayton, Hong Kong and Singapore, with an online option.
How much work is EDF5061?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does EDF5061 have an exam?
No. EDF5061 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.