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How to Become a Coach

Process to Earn a Membership and the ACC, PCC, or MCC Credential with the ICF

International Coaching Federation (ICF) Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (Level 1)
International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited Coach Training Program (Level 2)
Authorized International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Certification Provider
International Coaching Federation (ICF) Continuing Coach Education (CCE)
Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) Continuing Education Unit (CEU)-Approved Program
Association of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO)

How to Become a Coach - Welcome to CCC and ICF Requirements

Welcome to the Center for Coaching Certification, CCC, and your journey to becoming a coach!  The process is rewarding and enriching, and being a coach is an incredible experience.  In the information below you will find options and explanations. 

The gold standard in the profession is membership and then a credential with the International Coaching Federation, ICF.  It is possible to take segments of a program a la carte, known as partial hours, or to register for a credentialing cohort to earn the ACC or PCC credential.  For those interested in the MCC credential, please note that ICF requires you earn the PCC credential first and hold it for three years, so we will focus here on the ACC and PCC.

The Level 1 Foundational Cohort supports earning the ACC credential and the Level 2 Advanced Cohort is for earning the PCC credential.  The advantage of starting with the ACC is that you can earn a credential in a shorter period of time and then continue on to the PCC if desired.  The advantage of starting with the PCC is the cost and time savings plus you can take out your ACC on the way if desired.  The PCC makes sense especially if you want to coach senior leaders and executives.

While many focus on the Level 1 Foundational Cohort for the ACC or Level 2 Advanced Cohort for PCC because they want to earn a credential and value the cost savings, at the Center for Coaching Certification you also have the option of completing these in an a la carte fashion by registering for partial hours.  The Foundational Cohort includes the Certified Professional Coach, Certified Master Coach, and Mentor Coaching.  The Advanced Cohort includes the Certified Professional Coach, Certified Master Coach, Certified Advanced Coach, Coaching Experience, and Mentor Coaching.  The option: you can register for a complete cohort to earn a credential or register for one of the individual programs at a time.  

The following infographics answer the common questions: What are ICF's requirements?  How do I get ICF certified? and What do you need to be a certified coach?  The first infographic shows ICF's requirements, the second illustrates the journey with the Center for Coaching Certification, and the third shows prices for cohorts by column or for the a la carte / partial hours in the rows.

Center for Coaching Certification, International Coaching Federation (ICF) How to Become a Coach Requirements

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) requires 60 hours of training to become a member.  In addition to membership, the ICF offers credentialing - think about it this way: becoming a member of the ICF is much like getting an associates degree, and then earning a credential is much like getting a degree, masters, or doctorate.

For other professionals coach training often supports existing careers:

  • The Society for Human Resource Management lists coaching as a sub-competency and accepts the credits from the CCC training as continuing education.. 
  • The Association for Talent Development lists coaching as a core competency and accepts the credits from the CCC training as continuing education.
  • AICI recognizes coach training as continuing education for image consultants.
  • Mental Health Professionals, Financial Planners, Attorneys, Project Managers, Consultants, and leaders in general often take coach training to further enhance their skills with a coaching approach.

Becoming a professional coach starts with training.

Training with ICF Membership and Credentials, Steps on How to Become a Coach

Earning a credential with the ICF requires five steps:

  1. Complete the required training hours.
  2. Following the start of your coach training complete the required coaching hours including the appropriate number of paid hours and number of clients.
  3. Complete the required Mentor Coaching hours and recordings of yourself coaching.
  4. Submit your application to the ICF.
  5. Take the Coach Knowledge Assessment with the ICF.

The ICF explains the process for earning a credential at https://coachingfederation.org/credentials-and-standards

For additional details on each credential click here: ACC, PCC, MCC

To learn more, watch the videos on Coaching Certification and on ICF Membership and Credentialing on our YouTube channel.

Click here to go directly to the video on Coaching Certification.

Training programs are available a-la-carte or in Level 1 and Level 2 credentialing cohorts.

The Center for Coaching Certification training program chart with descriptions of classes, prices and savings

 

The first training program is the ICF-approved Certified Professional Coach - a 30 hour program that serves to initiate people into the coaching competencies and develop coaching skills, plus provide a process.

The second program is the ICF-approved Certified Master Coach program totaling 35 hours (the Certified Professional Coach program is a prerequisite).  The Certified Master Coach combined with the Certified Professional Coach completes the 60 hours required for membership in the ICF, and also the hours required for the first level of credentialing.  The Certified Master Coach and program is a deeper dive into the competencies and takes your coaching expertise to a more advanced level. 

The third program is one of the Certified Advanced Coach (Business, Career, Executive, Life, Wellness) programs totaling 35 hours.  The Certified Advanced Coach programs provide the training focused specifically in different coaching areas. 

The fourth program is the Coaching Experience class of 30 hours that when combined with the Professional, Master, and Specialist certifications completes the training hours for the PCC. 

The Center for Coaching Certification training model is built on the ICF’s Core Competencies while also being informed by multiple other models:

The Center for Coaching Certification training model for the ICF’s Core Competencies

  • Competence: CCC programs build on your existing strengths with ICF's Core Competencies to upgrade your skills, expand awareness of the synergy between being and doing, create positive belief in the client’s ability, and develop powerful coaching language.
  • Confidence: CCC programs build the confidence of the coach in their abilities, provide tools for empowering client confidence, enhance confidence in the coaching process, and incorporate awareness of positivity to support confidence for the long term.
  • Choice: CCC programs focus on the client being their own best expert thus empowering them to discover, decide, and strategize with the coach as their partner.

Level 1 - Foundational Cohort

The Foundational Cohort provides 65 hours of coach training plus mentor coaching, your coaching assessment, and exam prep to support you earning the ACC credential with the International Coaching Federation.  The cohort includes the Certified Professional Coach, Certified Master Coach, and Mentor coaching.

Process to enroll in the Foundational Cohort:

  1. Complete the application here
  2. Submit the registration fee of $1995 at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  3. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you receive the emails.
  4. Watch your email! The welcome email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and the ICF's Core Competencies.

Level 2 - Advanced Cohort

The Advanced Cohort is a start to finish offering 130 training hours, mentor coaching, coaching assessment, and exam prep for earning the PCC credential with the International Coaching Federation.  The cohort includes the Certified Professional Coach, Certified Master Coach, Certified Advanced Coach, Coaching Experience, and Mentor coaching.

Process to enroll in the Advanced Cohort:

  1. Complete the application here
  2. Submit the registration fee of $1995 at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  3. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you receive the emails.
  4. Watch your email! The welcome email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and the ICF's Core Competencies.

 

A la carte options:

Certified Professional Coach

The 30-hour Certified Professional Coach program is offered online with a focus on developing ICF's Core Competencies of a coach.  This certification provides a solid foundation in coaching and serves to further develop coaching competencies.

Process to enroll in the Certified Professional Coach program a-la-carte:

  1. Complete the application here
  2. Submit the registration fee of $1995 at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  3. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you receive the emails.
  4. Watch your email! The welcome email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and the ICF's Core Competencies.

Certified Master Coach

The 35-hour Certified Master Coach program is designed to further enhance your coaching competencies and prepare you for the coaching assessment and exam required for credentialing with the ICF.  Combined with the Certified Professional Coach program it completes the ICF training requirements for membership.  The complete program is online.

Process to enroll in the Certified Master Coach program a-la-carte:

  1. Satisfactorily complete the Certified Professional Coach program.
  2. Complete the application here
  3. Submit the registration fee of $2195 at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  4. Add CenterforCoachingCertification.com and CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you can receive all emails.
  5. Watch your email! The “welcome” email will have access to all the class materials.

Certified Advanced Coach

The ICF-approved 35-hour Certified Advanced Coach programs are advanced training for coaches based on your area of interest. Serving to further advance skills and expertise, these programs offer the additional training hours required for membership and support ACC, PCC or MCC credentialing.  The classes also serve as continuing education for members of the ICF.  The examples and discussion are designed to focus on the specific area of coaching.  Options include:

  • Certified Business Coach Specialist - for those interested in working with small to mid-sized businesses
  • Certified Career Coach Specialist - for a focus on career coaching
  • Certified Executive Coach Specialist - primarily geared toward working with clients in the corporate world
  • Certified Wellness Coach Specialist - working in both health and wellness, this class focuses on both personal wellness
  • Certified Life Coach Specialist - for coaching individuals on their personal life

Process to enroll in the Certified Advanced Coach program:

  1. If you are completing all 125 hours for the PCC credential, register for the Advanced Cohort Level 2.
  2. Complete the application here
  3. Submit the registration fee of at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  4. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you can receive all emails.
  5. Watch your email!  The “welcome” email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and more.

Coaching Experience Class

The 30-hour Coaching Practicum class is for coaches seeking additional practice and/or additional training hours for a higher level credential. Serving to further advance skills and expertise, the purpose of the practicum class is to offer the additional practice time, the training hours required for PCC or MCC credentialing, and also as continuing education for members of the ICF.

Process to enroll in the Coaching Experience class:

  1. If you are completing all 125 hours for the PCC credential, register for the Advanced Cohort Level 2.
  2. Complete the application here
  3. Submit the registration fee of at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  4. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you can receive all emails.
  5. Watch your email!  The “welcome” email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and more.

Mentor Coaching

The ICF requires 10 hours of Mentor Coaching following very specific parameters and the Mentor Coaching groups at the Center for Coaching Certification meet these requirements, help you prepare for your coaching assessment, and help you prepare for the exam.  For those pursuing a credential the Center for Coaching Certification offers an Mentor Coaching Group package or individual mentor coaching - click here for details.

Process to enroll in Mentor Coaching:

  1. Complete the application here
  2. Submit the registration fee of at https://www.coachcert.com/purchase-page.html
  3. Add CoachCert.com to your contact list and safe sender list so you can receive all emails.
  4. Watch your email!  The “welcome” email will have access to class materials including a Learner’s Guide and more.

 

Process to become a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF):

  1. Review the Membership Requirements at https://coachingfederation.org/professional-coaches/eligibility-requirements Specifically, you must either hold an ICF Credential, have completed 60 hours of training, or be enrolled in 60 hours of training (the Certified Professional Coach and Certified Master Coach programs combined provide the 60 hours of training required).
  2. Complete the application at https://coachingfederation.org/join-icf/
  3. Submit the membership fee to the ICF as required by the ICF.

 

Offering quality coach training on the ICF's Core Competencies of a Coach, the Center for Coaching Certification (CCC) is the only ICF-approved program accredited by IACET to offer CEUs. CCC provides professional support with a robust suite of tools, post-graduate opportunities and support, and free continuing education.

The Center for Coaching Certification is your best choice for ICF-approved coaching certification with CEU credits, resources, post-graduate opportunities, and free continuing education.

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