Over the past decades, coaching has surprisingly emerged as a fast-growing field as people across the globe are realizing how transformative and effective it could be. Not only for clients, but coaching can have a deep impact on the personal and professional lives of coaches as well. The road to becoming a professional coach involves rigorous training, assessment and evaluation but ends on a golden point- ICF accredited Coaching Certificate.
There are three levels of coaching certification designed by the ICF i.e. International Coaching Federation, the leading global body for credentialing coaches and coaching. The ICF sets the standards for certification within the coaching industry and offers three credentials for coaches: ACC-Associate Certified Coach, PCC- Professional Certified Coach, and MCC-Master Certified Coach.
One thing to make clear, the ICF does not directly provide coaching courses or training, they approve the Coaching Training Program offered by various institutions after review. Hence, to start your coaching professional journey, you first need to enrol in an ICF-accredited coaching program. It will help you fulfil the pre-requisites and learn the essential skills to be eligible to apply for an ICF credential (if you decide that’s something you want).
Now moving to the coaching levels, read below about the three different coaching credentials offered by the ICF and the detailed requirements for each.
Associate Coaching Certification Program
Think of this certification in coaching as an associate degree program from a technical college.
In order to become an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), you’ll typically be required to complete at least 60 hours of professional coach training and have over 100 hours of experience in coaching. Many coach training providers like Coach Masters Academy offer ACSTH- Approved Coaching Specific Training Hours, the coaching education program, which you can join to complete the requirements for ACC. Upon completion of the program, the trained become eligible to apply for an ICF- ACC certification.
The coaching course for ACC is the fundamental program that helps you learn all the essential tools required to be a skilful and competent coach, opening several doors along the way.
To take your coaching to the next level, you should further move to PCC.
Professional Coaching Certification Program
When you get entitled to a professional coaching certificate, it signifies that you’re not just any coach, simply boasting about your profession. You become a reliable and trustworthy professional who has learned the essence of coaching through a commitment to an in-depth, rigorous educational experience.
To become a PCC-Professional Certified Coach, you are required to complete 125 hours of professional training and gain 500 hours of coaching experience to apply. Earning this credential is a step towards establishing credibility and commitment to your potential clients.
Master Coaching Certification Program
MCC- Master Certified Coach is the highest level of coach certification offered by the ICF. To become a Master Certified Coach (MCC), you need to complete over 200 hours of intensive coach training and have more than 2,500 hours of coaching experience to apply for the MCC credential. In addition to this, you also need 10 hours of mentor coaching.
These coaching education requirements are keys to expanding and strengthening your coaching style. It helps you gain mastery and enable you to practice the deepest, most impactful coaching. The MCC credential could be the catalyst to the success of your coaching business.
Become a Certified Professional Coach with Coach Masters Academy
At Coach Masters Academy, we offer three different coaching training programs for the three levels. You can enrol into our 1st level Core Training for Professional Coaching- ACSTH i.e. Approved Coach Specific Training Hours. Upon completing this program, you can gain a progressive roadmap for advanced development.
Next, 2nd level of training is ACTP, the Advance Training for Mastery Coaching. It is suitable for coaches seeking to apply for the PCC Credential. The last, 3rd level is Mastery Training for Artful Coaching, it is for those seeking to apply for the MCC Credential.
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