Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching
The Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching is a triple-accredited, part-time course that empowers you to develop and practise key coaching skills.
At a glance
- Learn and practise key coaching tools, techniques and approaches
- Become a resilient, confident coach who can function in diverse situations
- Progress towards individual coach accreditation with the ICF, AC or EMCC
- Choose from a variety of study formats to suit your personal and work commitments
- Develop a supportive network of coaching peers
- Subject area(s)
- Coaching
- Attendance
- Part-time
Online
- Fee
- £6,250 (live-online) / £6,750 (in-person, excluding accommodation) - VAT exempt
- Course length
- 9-10 months (live-online) / 9 months (in-person)
- Suitable for
- Individuals with some formal or informal knowledge and experience of executive coaching, including independent coaches and those wishing to develop coaching skills in an organisational context
- Delivery
- In-person, Live-online
Start dates
Looking for a date?
No problem. Get in touch with our team to be kept in the loop on future course dates.
Talk to our teamNOTE
Download a full list of dates from the additional dates section.
Overview
The Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching from Henley Business School is a part-time course that is normally taken over nine months. It is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Association for Coaching (AC) and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC).
The programme attracts a diverse range of participants, from those wishing to start a new career in coaching to senior leaders aiming to embed a coaching culture within their organisations.
You can choose between in-person and live-online delivery as well as full-day workshops or shorter sessions. You will also need to undertake a minimum of 20 hours of coaching practice outside of the workshops and online learning.
To find out more about your stay at Greenlands, read our Visit with confidence - COVID 19 safety information page.
Key benefits
Understand your role as a coach and gain awareness of your coaching style
Become a resilient coach who can function effectively in a diverse range of business situations
Practise different coaching approaches and tools
Gain a professional coaching qualification from an internationally-respected business school, with the option of individual coach accreditation from the ICF, AC or EMCC
You will typically have a good first degree or an equivalent professional qualification, and a minimum of 5 years' management experience. We also welcome applications from candidates with substantial knowledge, experience and skills in a relevant field who do not meet these requirements. An excellent level of English is essential and proficiency testing may be requested.
The Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching is offered in a variety of study formats:
- In-person
- Includes full-day workshops followed by virtual supported study, mentoring and supervision
- Mostly delivered at our Greenlands campus, but also available in London and at our international campuses
- Weekday and weekend intakes available
- Live-online
- Short workshops
- Delivered in four parts including workshops, mentoring and supervision sessions (typically three two-hour sessions a week)
- Morning/afternoon and weekday/weekend intakes available
- Full-day workshops
- Includes full-day live-online workshops followed by virtual supported study, mentoring and supervision
- Weekday/weekend intakes available
- Short workshops
For all formats you will need to undertake a minimum of 20 hours of coaching practice outside of the workshops and online learning.
Which format is right for me? >
Programme content
The Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching runs over a total of nine to ten months part-time, as broken down below:
Pre-programme | Before your course starts, you will complete around 2-3 hours of activities including background reading and self-reflection exercises |
Part 1 / Workshop 1: Self-awareness as a coach | Explore your skills, attributes, beliefs and values around coaching. A basic framework for coaching is introduced. Topics include:
|
Pre-workshop study 1 | In between each Part / Workshop, you will complete:
|
Part 2 / Workshop 2: Tools and techniques | Try out different tools and techniques and understand the underpinning psychological concepts. Topics include:
|
Pre-workshop study 2 | |
Part 3 / Workshop 3: Integration | Continue to develop your coaching competencies, take part in observed sessions with feedback, and integrate what you have learned into a coherent approach. Topics include:
|
Part 4 / Post-workshop virtual supported study | After Part 3 / Workshop 3, you will follow a programme of virtual study that includes:
|
Assessment | At the end of the course, you will submit a 2,000-word assessment reflecting on your development as a coach and a 30-minute recording of a coaching session. These will form the basis of the award of your Certificate |
Post-programme | You will have ongoing contact with Henley Business School through:
|
Further study
Those with a Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching will already have completed Module 1 of the MSc in Coaching & Behavioural Change. (Please note: exemption from this module is available for participants who have previously completed the PCEC no more than five years prior).
Alternatively, you could develop your career with the Professional Certificate in Team, Board and Systemic Coaching, which together with your PCEC forms the ICF-accredited Henley Postgraduate Certificate in Executive and Team Coaching.
Accreditation
The Certificate is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Association for Coaching (AC) and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC). This recognises the quality of the learning experience and provides the option for individual accreditation with any or all of these bodies following successful completion of the programme.
Find out how the PCEC can lead to individual accreditation >
The module or course content descriptions set out on this page are correct for those being taught in the current academic year. Modules or course content marked as optional are indicative and may be subject to change.
Programme Director Karen Foy has fifteen years' experience as a coach and holds an MSc in Coaching Psychology from the University of East London and a degree in Psychology from the University of Sheffield. Karen is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with ICF and is a certified coach mentor. As a past UK ICF Board Director she has led the professional development for UK Coaches and supported the local coaching groups around the country. She has worked with aspiring coaches from global organisations to support their development and learning towards becoming accredited coaches, providing training, mentoring and supervision.
"I’ve certainly gained a great deal of self-confidence, and I think that understanding why the things I do work, has made me – and my coaching – more effective."
Graham Roberts, Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching
"Henley’s tutors are exceptional, and the setting is conducive to powerful learning and interaction ... I gained more from the course than I could possibly have imagined."
Read full case study - Emma Higginson-Smith, Barnbow Consultancy
"It was even more practical than I'd expected, with lots of opportunities to use various tools and techniques in real life coaching situations."
Read full case study - Claire Kerswill, Head of Human Resources, South Gloucestershire Council
""The tutors have complementary styles, so they were able to spark different elements of progress; the way they work together is outstanding ... eight months after the programme finished, I’m still quoting things they said on the first day, which is a testament to the impression they made."
Read full case study - Julie Smith, Leadership Development Manager, LV
Alumni
- 10% discount for Henley alumni
This applies to
- Henley Business School alumni*
- University of Reading undergraduate and postgraduate alumni
(Where 120 plus credits have been awarded).
The Henley Partnership
- 10% discount for THP members
Charities
- 50% discount
Henley Business School is pleased to offer up to two discounted places for employees of UK registered charities on each intake of the Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching. Places are allocated on a first-come first-served basis, with a maximum of one place per charity on each intake.
Applicants will need to provide:
- Proof of paid employee status of a UK registered charity
- Confirmation that this role is their main employment
- The UK registered charity number
- Confirmation that charity can be invoiced directly
To apply, applicants should complete and return the charity place application form. This form should be provided at the point of application, charity places may not be applied for retrospectively.
Certified B Corporations
- 50% discount
A discounted place on the Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching is also available to B Corporations. Please contact us to discuss eligibility and availability.
Multiple bookings
The following discount is available on programme fees when multiple bookings are made by applicants from the same organisation. Payment is required in advance and this offer is subject to eligibility**.
- 10% 2-4 people
- 15% 5-9 people
- 20% 10+ people
MOD Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme
The Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching is approved under the MOD's ELC scheme and can be part funded using Enhanced Learning Credits.
Please note:
* Alumni discount is available to Henley Business School alumni (as part of University of Reading), not to graduates of Henley Management College.
** Please contact us for eligibility criteria, availability and terms.
Only one discount can apply.
For more information
Please contact exec@henley.ac.uk
Set in sweeping parkland on the banks of the River Thames, Henley Business School's Greenlands campus provides an inspiring and reflective environment for focused work and study.
Why choose Henley?
(Financial Times Executive Education open enrolment programmes rankings 2020)
(Financial Times Executive Education 2020 - The Top 50 Schools [combining Custom and Open programmes ranking])
(Financial Times Executive Education open enrolment programmes rankings 2020)
The Henley Centre for Coaching
The Henley Centre for Coaching is a global leader in coaching research and coach training. The Centre is home to a wealth of resources, including the National Coaching Resources Centre, and is a proud recipient of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) Coaching Award.
Executive Education at Henley
For 75 years, Henley Business School has developed confident and resilient business leaders. Executive Education at Henley is:
- Practical: we combine academic rigour with a strong practical focus, so you can immediately apply what you have learned back in your organisation.
- Relevant: Henley faculty are experienced practitioners who can support you in exploring solutions to your organisation’s challenges.
- Collaborative: Open programmes enable you to expand your network, gain new perspectives and share ideas with peers from a range of backgrounds and sectors.
- Personal: deliberately small learning groups allow you to benefit from individual attention and a confidential environment. We encourage you to understand your unique strengths, leadership style, and areas for development.
Contact us
Open Programmes
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the programme, please contact our programme advisors.
Email: exec@henley.ac.ukTelephone: 01491 418767
“It was even more practical than I'd expected, with lots of opportunities to use various tools and techniques in real life coaching situations.”
Henley’s tutors are exceptional, and the setting is conducive to powerful learning and interaction ... I gained more from the course than I could possibly have imagined.
I’ve certainly gained a great deal of self-confidence, and I think that understanding why the things I do work, has made me – and my coaching – more effective.