The
Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Counselling & Psychology has
its roots in the original Diploma Programme in Counselling & Guidance which
was established in 1977.
At that time, a substantial number of teachers from local primary and
secondary schools were enrolled at Shue Yanˇ¦s evening college. These
teachers faced problems both in the classroom and when dealing with parents.
They sought opportunities to acquire skills to deal with such situations.
The obvious choice then was to enroll in the Diploma Programme in Social
Work, yet because of the fact that Social Work was offered only in the day
college and there was an internship requirement, teachers holding full-time
jobs were naturally disqualified. To fulfill their learning needs, SYC
developed the Diploma Programme in Counselling & Guidance in 1977.
Gradually, as the programme gained a reputation in the community, its
enrollment base extended from teachers to students from all walks of life.
Since Counselling & Guidance involved the learning of practical skills, a
non-compulsory internship module was set up in 1984 in an attempt to weld
theory with practice. It was quickly embraced by 80% of the students. In
1992, the Diploma Programme in Counselling & Guidance began to be offered as
a full-time day programme with a compulsory internship module.
Concomitant with the re-structuring of the programme and the addition of
core courses in Psychology, the programme was renamed Honours Diploma in
Counselling and Psychology in 1994. Under this programme, three streams were
developed: the Double Major Stream in Counselling and Psychology; the Double
Major Stream in Business and Psychology; and the Pure Psychology Stream. In
2001, the Double Major Stream in Business and Psychology ceased to be
offered.
Since 1977, many modifications have been introduced to maintain its
relevance in the changing times. The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours)
in Counselling & Psychology was approved by the Hong Kong Council for
Academic Accreditation for launch in September 2004.
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