Maynooth University's Department of Education celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the new part-time Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Guidance Counselling (PGDEGC) programme at Maynooth University on 9 September 2026.
Building on three decades of guidance counsellor education at Maynooth University, the part-time programme was established with funding from the Department of Education and Youth (DEY). It forms part of a national initiative to expand access to professional training and address the growing need for qualified guidance counsellors across Ireland, while continuing the University’s long-standing tradition of preparing reflective and skilled practitioners.
The occasion was honoured by the presence of Valerie Fitzpatrick, President of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), and Gerry Reilly, General Secretary of the IGC. Professor Peter McNamara, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences; Dr Majella Dempsey, Head of the Department of Education; and Dr Catriona O’Toole, Deputy Head of Department, also joined the graduates in marking this significant achievement.
