Message from Head of Department

Prof. Calvin Kai-Ching Yu

Welcome to the website of the Department of Counselling and Psychology.

The Department has been offering the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) programme in Counselling and Psychology since 2004. This programme provides students with training in counselling skills and prepares them to work in various counselling-related settings, such as schools and social service agencies. Following Shue Yan’s accreditation as a university in 2006, the Department launched the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology to develop students’ scientific understanding of human behaviour and research competence. Nearly two decades later, in 2025, the Department introduced the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Forensic and Investigative Psychology. This new programme provides an additional career pathway for students aspiring to join disciplined services and contribute to the criminal justice system. All our undergraduate programmes offer ample opportunities for putting knowledge into practice so that students are well prepared for the job market upon graduation.

In addition to our undergraduate offerings, we provide five taught postgraduate and two research postgraduate programmes. The Master of Social Sciences in Counselling Psychology (MSScCP) trains professional counselling psychologists. It is recognised by both local and international professional bodies. The Master of Social Sciences in Play Therapy (MSScPT), which qualifies graduates to provide play therapy as a form of psychological intervention, is the only master’s-level programme of its kind in Hong Kong. ​The Master of Social Sciences in Adversity and Trauma Psychology (MSScAPT) is a distinctive local programme designed to meet the growing demand for expertise in trauma management and adversity response.

Our department also offers a conversion programme, the Master of Social Sciences in Psychology (MSScPSY), for applicants who do not hold a psychology degree. This programme equips students with psychology knowledge and enables them to pursue professional psychology training, including MSScCP and MSScPT offered by our department as well as clinical, educational, and industrial-organizational psychology programmes at other universities.

We are committed to nurturing the next generation of scholars and leaders in the field. To this end, we offer advanced research and professional training through the Doctor of Psychology in Counselling Psychology programme, Master of Philosophy programme, and Doctor of Philosophy programme.

The Department of Counselling and Psychology has an in-house counselling centre, a psychological test library, playrooms, and a range of laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, such as high-resolution EEG, neuromodulation systems, eye-trackers, biofeedback devices, and virtual-reality technology. These resources enhance research activities and promote practice-based learning among our teaching staff and students.

Details about our programmes and laboratories are available on this website. We welcome visitors, new ideas, and opportunities for collaboration. Please feel free to contact us – we look forward to connecting with you.