Education

Bachelor of Education with Guidance and Counselling

The Bachelor of Education with Guidance and Counselling is a four-year degree programme that prepares graduates to serve as teacher-counsellors in secondary schools. The curriculum covers educational foundations, educational psychology, counselling theories, guidance and counselling techniques, adolescent development, career guidance, mental health in schools, group counselling, family counselling, crisis intervention, assessment in guidance, and educational research.

Students develop skills in active listening, empathetic communication, individual and group counselling, career guidance, crisis intervention, assessment and referral, classroom management, lesson planning, and educational research. Graduates pursue careers as teacher-counsellors, guidance teachers, school counsellors, and education officers.

They find employment in public and private secondary schools, educational NGOs, and government education offices. The programme is offered at University of Kabianga (public, KES 183,600 per year, KUCCPS code 1118326).

Accreditation is provided by the Commission for University Education (CUE), the statutory body responsible for quality assurance and regulation of university education in Kenya. Graduates are eligible for registration with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as teachers with guidance and counselling specialisation.

Skills RequiredActive listeningEmpathetic communicationIndividual and group counsellingCareer guidanceCrisis interventionAssessment and referralClassroom managementLesson planningEducational researchAdolescent counsellingKey SubjectsEducational FoundationsEducational PsychologyCounselling TheoriesGuidance and Counselling TechniquesAdolescent DevelopmentCareer GuidanceMental Health in SchoolsGroup CounsellingCrisis InterventionEducational ResearchCertificationsTeacher Registration - Teachers Service Commission (TSC)Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA) MembershipKenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) CertificationSpecializationsCareer Guidance and CounsellingFocus on helping students make informed subject and career choices. Mental Health Counselling in SchoolsFocus on supporting learners with mental health challenges in school settings.

Family and Parental CounsellingFocus on engaging parents and families in learner support and intervention. Crisis and Trauma CounsellingFocus on supporting learners through grief, trauma, and crisis situations.

Duration: 4 Years
Public, up to: Ksh 244,800
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 35 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Educational Foundations
Educational Psychology
Counselling Theories
Guidance and Counselling Techniques
Adolescent Development
Career Guidance
Mental Health in Schools
Group Counselling
Crisis Intervention
Educational Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Educational Psychology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Theories of learning, development, and motivation applied to secondary education.
Educational Foundations
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Educational Foundations: Philosophical, sociological, and historical foundations of education in Kenya. Covers instructional strategies, assessment methods, and educational theory.
Counselling Theories and Approaches
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Major counselling theories including person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, and solution-focused approaches.
Guidance and Counselling Techniques
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Practical counselling skills including active listening, questioning, paraphrasing, and empathy.
Adolescent Development
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of adolescents in school contexts.
Career Guidance and Development
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Career development theories, career assessment, and guidance for subject and career choice.
Assessment in Guidance and Counselling
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Psychological and educational assessment tools, interpretation, and ethical use in counselling.
Mental Health in Schools
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Common mental health issues in schools, identification, support, and referral pathways.
Group Counselling and Facilitation
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Group dynamics, group counselling processes, and facilitation skills for school settings.
Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counselling
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Crisis response, trauma-informed care, grief counselling, and post-trauma support in schools.
Educational Research Methods
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Educational Research Methods: Research design and methods applied to guidance and counselling research. Covers quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Teaching Practice and Counselling Practicum
Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore
Teaching Practice and Counselling Practicum: Supervised teaching practice and counselling practicum at a secondary school. Covers instructional strategies, assessment methods, and educational theory.

Specialisations

Career Guidance and Counselling
Focus on helping students make informed subject and career choices. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Mental Health Counselling in Schools
Focus on supporting learners with mental health challenges in school settings. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Family and Parental Counselling
Focus on engaging parents and families in learner support and intervention. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Crisis and Trauma Counselling
Focus on supporting learners through grief, trauma, and crisis situations. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.
Group Counselling in Schools
Focus on facilitating group counselling sessions for peer support and conflict resolution. This specialisation equips graduates with discipline-specific competencies for professional practice in Kenya and the East African region, with pathways to postgraduate study and professional certification.

A day as a student

A typical day combines education lectures, counselling skills workshops, and teaching methodology sessions. Morning sessions cover educational psychology, counselling theories, and guidance techniques, while afternoons focus on role-play counselling practicum, micro-teaching, and case study discussions. Students participate in teaching practice and a counselling attachment at a secondary school.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing demand for teacher-counsellors with increased mental health awareness in schools.
Dual qualification as teacher and counsellor provides career versatility.
KES 183,600/year is affordable for a public university programme.
Graduates can work in schools, NGOs, and counselling centres.

Against it

Only offered at University of Kabianga, limiting geographic choice.
Counselling work can be emotionally draining and requires self-care.
Balancing teaching duties with counselling responsibilities increases workload.
Limited recognition of teacher-counsellor role by some school administrators.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 243 education courses

Public184k to 245k

184k at University of Kabianga245k at Moi University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Kabianga 183,600/yr; Moi 244,800/yr (KUCCPS). No private provider verified.

HELB loans and Higher Education Fund (HEF) support are available for qualifying Kenyan students. County government bursaries may also be available.

Funding options

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
County Government Bursaries

Scholarships

5 recorded

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
Government loanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to recognised universities. Must demonstrate financial need.
Higher Education Fund (HEF)
Government fundingKenyan
Kenyan students in public universities under the new funding model based on financial need assessment.
County Government Bursaries
Government bursaryKenyan
Kenyan students from respective counties demonstrating financial need.
TSC Teacher Training Support
BursaryKenyan
Teachers and trainee teachers in recognised institutions
Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA) Student Support
BursaryKenyan
Students pursuing counselling and psychology programmes

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+ (Plus)
Alternative entry: KCSE C+ (Plus) OR A Level with two principal passes and a subsidiary; OR a Diploma in Counselling Psychology from a recognised institution; OR any other qualification recognised by the university senate and CUE.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests and Assignments
Coursework30% of the mark
Written tests, counselling role-play assessments, case study analyses, and micro-teaching evaluations.
Teaching Practice and Counselling Practicum
Practical20% of the mark
Supervised teaching practice and counselling practicum at a secondary school with assessment of classroom and counselling performance.
End of Semester Examinations
Examination50% of the mark
Written examinations covering all course content for the semester.
Research Project
Project100% of the mark
A final-year research project investigating a relevant guidance and counselling in education issue.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), the statutory body responsible for quality assurance and regulation of university education in Kenya. Graduates are eligible for registration with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as teachers with guidance and counselling specialisation.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
CUE is the statutory body responsible for the accreditation and quality assurance of university programmes in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Teacher-Counsellor (Secondary)
High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 150,000
Teaches subjects and provides guidance and counselling services in secondary schools.
Guidance Teacher
High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 150,000
Coordinates guidance programmes and supports learners in secondary schools.
School Counsellor
Moderate demandKsh 50,000 to Ksh 170,000
Provides professional counselling services to students in school settings.
Education Officer (Guidance)
Moderate demandKsh 50,000 to Ksh 170,000
Works in government education offices supporting guidance and counselling policy.
Counselling Consultant (Education)
Moderate demandKsh 55,000 to Ksh 200,000
Advises schools and organisations on guidance and counselling programme development.
Education Researcher (Guidance)
Moderate demandKsh 50,000 to Ksh 180,000
Conducts research on guidance and counselling issues in education.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as teacher-counsellors, guidance teachers, and school counsellors. Demand is growing with increased mental health awareness in Kenyan schools.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Google Classroom
Learning managementPrimary
Learning management platform for organising classes, assignments, and student communication.
Microsoft PowerPoint
PresentationPrimary
Presentation tool for lesson delivery and counselling awareness sessions.
Microsoft Excel
Data analysis
Spreadsheet tool for tracking counselling cases, student progress, and assessment records.
Zoom
Communication
Video conferencing tool for online counselling sessions and parent-teacher meetings.
Canva
Design
Design tool for creating guidance materials, posters, and counselling awareness campaigns.

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Guidance and counselling is just giving advice to students.
It involves professional counselling techniques, psychological assessment, crisis intervention, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
Teacher-counsellors cannot teach regular subjects.
Graduates are qualified to teach two subjects alongside their guidance and counselling role.
School counselling is not a real career.
School counselling is a growing profession with TSC recognition and increasing demand due to mental health awareness.
Only psychologists can do counselling.
This programme equips teachers with professional counselling skills specifically for school contexts, complementing but not replacing clinical psychology services.