Taking place within organisations, executive coaching has grown rapidly in recent years and, in countries such as the UK, has established itself as a part of mainstream organisations' learning and development. This online course is open to all learners from around the world who wish to develop their knowledge of and skills in executive coaching.
Course Dates
No upcoming courses. We are hoping to run the course again but the dates are TBC.
Key Features
Aims of the course
The Executive Coaching online course has been designed to increase your knowledge of executive coaching and its role in organisational development. Develop your understanding of how and when to use executive coaching appropriately and your skills in designing, planning and carrying out a structured executive coaching programme. This course also offers a fantastic opportunity to work with a group of like-minded colleagues from different locations around the world and build your professional networks within the field.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are based upon development of:
- knowledge and understanding of executive coaching, its role in organisational development and when and how to use it appropriately
- awareness of the role of an executive coach
- practical ability in the skills of executive coaching
- understanding of the legal and ethical considerations of executive coaching
- design, plan and carry out a structured executive coaching programme
Course content overview
Content for the Executive Coaching online course is expected to include the following:
- the four elements of executive coaching
- executive coaching and leadership development
- the role of the executive coach
- legal and ethical responsibilities
- developing awareness and responsibility
- coaching and consulting
- peer coaching online
- executive coaching competencies
- discussion forums
Welcome week (Week 0)
Purpose:
- personal introductions
- useful reading
- introducing the four considerations of executive coaching
- personal objectives
- personal executive coaching skills audit
Week 1: The role of coaching
Learning outcomes:
- the organisational context for executive coaching - understanding the organisation
- what is executive coaching? Its purpose and role
- when and how might executive coaching be used
- coaching and other interventions, such as mentoring, training and leadership development programmes
Week 2: Personal readiness: the role and responsibilities of the coach
Learning outcomes:
- the skills and behaviours required for effective executive coaching
- individual roles and responsibilities
- coaching session
Week 3: Working with the individual executive
Learning outcomes:
- working with difference
- contracting and relationship management
- working with stuckness
- feedback from coaching session
Week 4: Ethics, codes of conduct and supervision
Learning outcomes:
- ethical responsibilities
- codes of conduct
- supervision
- coaching session
Week 5: Working with stakeholders
Learning outcomes:
- feedback from coaching session (2)
- working with multiple stakeholders
- maintaining distance, being involved
- supporting and restraining forces
- leadership within the organisation
Week 6: What Next?
Purpose:
- your questions
- next steps
- action planning
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online):
- Orientation Week: 19-25 May 2025
- Teaching Weeks: 26 May-29 June 2025
- Feedback Week: 30 June-6 July 2025
Target Audience
There are no entry requirements for this course and no prior coaching experience is necessary. We welcome applications from anyone with an interest in executive coaching. The course is designed to be open access for an international audience and to be studied anytime, anywhere; there are no required specific lecture or seminar times pre-scheduled making study time at your leisure.
Study commitment and Certificate
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Virtual Learning Environment
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards,etc).
Certificate of Participation
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
Entry requirements
This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.
Our online courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.
Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.
Fees
The course fee includes access to the course on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a Certification of Participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.
VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).
Concessions
For more information on available concessions, please visit the concessions information page on our website.
Alison Fordham Bursary
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our virtual learning platform, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.
Application criteria:
- applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study.
- applicants who can demonstrate financial need.
- find out more about this bursary on our bursaries page
