Columbia Coaching Certification Program participants navigate a path towards mastery of Coaching by developing a solid understanding of the guiding principles found to differentiate highly effective coaches, the High Impact Coaching Process, and intensive practice with nine core coaching competencies.
The primary aim of our three-component certification process is to help participants chart their path towards an individualized coaching approach. These building blocks provide coaches and their clients with a solid platform for co-creating the unique paths needed to achieve the results they truly desire.
Columbia Coaching Certification three-component process:
External Coach Intensive
The executive coach certification process begins with a residential coaching intensive. Participants have an opportunity to ground their professional practice in the historical, philosophical, and ethical foundations of coaching, combined with leading-edge best practices, current research and emerging trends.
Coaching Practicum
The Field-based Coaching Practicum is the second part of The Columbia Coaching Certification Program. It starts after participants return home from the first intensive. In the Practicum, participants are required to: coach clients, attend on-line learning groups and work on an individual field project. The practicum is approximately eight months in length and is a critical component for preparing participants to serve successfully as professional coaches. It provides them time to employ their coaching competencies, receive input on their coaching experiences and further develop their coaching skills. During this time, participants work in partnership with our faculty team, who have knowledge of and are experienced in best coaching practices. The practicum includes:
Supervised Participation in a Learning Group - Candidates must complete a minimum of 44 contact hours with a faculty member during the practicum.
Peer Learning - To foster collaboration and learning with peers, on-line discussions will occur on a regular basis, where participants can practice and discuss coaching skills; share what they have learned; and review assigned and suggested readings.
Logging Coaching Hours - Participants are required to log a minimum of 50 hours of coaching to individuals or groups (at least 5 separate clients).
Field Project - Participants are expected to complete a faculty approved project that focuses on building their capabilities. Projects result in a research paper that are presented at the Advanced Coach Intensive.
Learning Journal - Candidates are required to keep a learning journal that includes entries based on assigned readings, personal reflections and observations based on their coaching work with clients, emerging questions, and other insights and discoveries.
Advanced Coach Intensive
The Advanced Coach Intensive is the final portion of the Columbia Coaching Certification Program. It wraps up the program with more advanced coach training, written and oral evaluations, individuals' project presentations and reflection of the program journey. This Intensive builds on the knowledge and skills gained during the External Coach Intensive and through the coaching practicum.