The first cohort of students who enrolled for the Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling (PGDIP) in 2019 has graduated from the School of Applied Human Sciences.
The programme, which leads to registration as a professional psychological counsellor with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), is offered on the Pietermaritzburg campus. The 2019 cohort was the first group to study the course, which makes this graduation special for the School.
The newly appointed Dean and Head of the School, Professor Matshepo Matoane, is proud of the contribution to the development of skills in South Africa. ‘As a country that is plagued by societal ills that include gender-based violence, violent crime, unemployment, poverty and many other conditions that impact on the psychological wellbeing of individuals, the University is making a huge contribution by producing mid-level healthcare workers,’ said Matoane. ‘These health care professionals will not only decrease the dire shortage of human resources in this field, but will most importantly also reach a large segment of our community unable to afford the services of psychologists.’
She thanked all stakeholders and staff members involved in the PGDIP, during its inception (programme development), approval by the Council of Higher Education (CHE) and HPCSA, and in the implementation phase. ‘To our 2019 PGDIP cohort – being the first at anything worthy is never easy. We thank you for your dedication, hard work and sacrifice.’
