Brighton Students Fast-Tracked into Counselling Careers Through New University and College Partnership
University of Brighton Moulsecoomb campus, where Varndean College counselling students will now be taught
Around 50 adult learners in Brighton are being fast-tracked into professional counselling careers through a strengthened partnership between the University of Brighton and Varndean College, with students now taught at the university's Moulsecoomb campus from September 2026.
The move creates a direct, accelerated route into the university's Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, cutting out traditional barriers between further and higher education and helping students progress more quickly into the profession. Courses continue to be delivered by Varndean College's own teaching staff, but students now benefit from learning in a university environment from the outset, building confidence and familiarity with higher-level study as they prepare for postgraduate training.
The partnership comes at a time of growing demand for qualified counselling professionals both locally and nationally, and is designed to strengthen Brighton's pipeline of skilled practitioners.
What the partnership means in practice
Students who complete Varndean College's Therapeutic Counselling course now have a clear, accelerated pathway straight into the University of Brighton's postgraduate counselling and psychotherapy programmes. The university offers both a Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip and a Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip, alongside a Psychotherapy MSc.
Lecturers on the postgraduate courses are all experienced, practising psychotherapists who bring real-world expertise into the classroom. Students learn through a mix of lectures, experiential workshops and clinical practice hours, exploring approaches from existentialism to attachment theory.
The counselling and psychotherapy courses are part of the School of Humanities and Social Science, based at Mithras House on the Moulsecoomb campus. The university holds BACP-accredited postgraduate diplomas in humanistic and psychodynamic therapy, as well as the UKCP-accredited Psychotherapy MSc.
What the university says
Dr Megha Rajguru from the University of Brighton helped create the new partnership. She said: "We're proud to be working closely with Varndean College to create a fast-track route into postgraduate counselling training. This new partnership has created a more joined-up education journey, keeping local talent in Brighton while helping learners move faster towards rewarding careers that make a real difference in our communities."
"Brighton has established itself as the university of choice for local learners, with more students from Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex choosing to study at the University of Brighton than any other institution. This new partnership aims to further expand opportunities for people from the city and wider region to reach their full potential."
What Varndean College says
Lisa Watkin-Stevens, Vice Principal, Students at Varndean College, said: "This exciting collaboration with the University of Brighton strengthens progression pathways for adult learners, supporting skills development and creating clear routes into higher education."
"Through access to university facilities and learning environments, students will benefit from an enriched experience that bridges further and higher education. They will gain insight into university life, engage with peers and professionals, and build the confidence needed to progress to higher levels of study."
"A key aim of this partnership is to widen participation by supporting adults from diverse backgrounds, including those who may not have previously considered university, to access counselling education and training. With a strong 95% progression rate from our 10-week introductory course to the Level 4 Diploma in Counselling, we are confident this partnership will continue to grow."
University of Brighton counselling and psychotherapy students learn and live in Brighton
A long-standing relationship
The new progression route builds on a relationship between the two institutions stretching back more than 15 years. In that time, Varndean College students have taken part in a wide range of University of Brighton activities designed to support progression into higher education, including summer schools, subject conferences and one-to-one application guidance. In the last year alone, more than 30 outreach activities were delivered specifically for Varndean students.
The initiative also forms part of the university's wider outreach work across the city and Sussex, which saw more than 430 activities delivered in the past year to help young people and adult learners explore their options and make informed decisions about higher education.
Explore counselling and psychotherapy at Brighton
The University of Brighton offers courses across the full range of counselling and psychotherapy, from undergraduate to postgraduate level. Current options include the Psychology with Counselling Studies BSc(Hons), the Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip, the Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip and the Psychotherapy MSc. There is also an evening access course for those thinking of moving into the field.
For anyone interested in exploring the different approaches to therapy, the UK Council for Psychotherapy offers a useful guide to the differences between psychodynamic and humanistic counselling, among others. Open days and upcoming events at the university are listed at brighton.ac.uk/events.
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