MA Executive Business and Life Coaching

VALIDATED BY WORCESTER UNIVERSITY

Overview

This programme is aimed at professionals from a range of organisational and other settings, who have the need to mentor and/or coach colleagues entering the professions or at senior levels. It is also designed for people in the financial and business worlds, who need to expand their range of skills and expertise in enabling their client group to manage their finances and business more effectively. This course also caters for individuals who are making career changes and bringing lifelong expertise to a process of transformation and change in their clients’ personal, as well as professional, lives.

This course has developed from an in-depth knowledge of counselling, psychotherapy, business acumen and management consultancy. The key to this kind of approach is the significance of relationship. This is a strategic concept and goes far beyond empathy. Transformational coaching deals with content and process simultaneously and identifies key issues and how to address them. This approach is given additional depth and significance because the underlying theoretical frameworks are taught to help the student assess both the nature and significance of the problem and the manner of intervention.

Entry requirements

Candidates for entry onto the Masters programme, whether the exit point be Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or full Masters of Arts, must normally fulfil the following entry requirements:

• possession of a first degree in a related subject *, or an equivalent relevant professional qualification acceptable to the Iron Mill Institute and the University of Worcester.
  * for example: psychology; sociology; counselling; management; sport; business, education
• demonstration of a mature attitude, commitment and suitability, demonstrated at interview, and significant practice experience (normally a minimum of three years post qualification in their relevant discipline).
• evidence of a basic knowledge and interest in the field of Coaching

All applicants must satisfy the interviewer that they are capable of undertaking the study programme and offer evidence of academic ability, motivation and potential. – This may include relevant experience and practice in the world of business and personal development experience, prior completion of a suitable scheme of study, or completing specified essay, project work, or APL/APEL portfolio. Entrance onto the Coaching programme, involving transferred credit, proceeds in accordance with University of Worcester academic regulations: postgraduate Regulatory Framework.

Applicants, whose first language is not English, must provide evidence of successful achievement of IELTS at level 7 (or equivalent) prior to the commencement of the course.

All students accepted onto the programme are required to have access to a personal computer.

Course duration and format

2 ½ years – part time.

This programme requires attendance at seven taught modules plus an additional module that prepares you for your dissertation. In addition there will be tutorials to assist you in the planning and execution of your dissertation.

There are optional exit points at Certificate and Diploma level. Students will be engaged in guided independent study and coaching practice in the study periods between the taught weekends. Additionally, the design of the programme allows students time for reflection, the consolidation of ideas and for the development of their own practice and research.

Content

• The Aetiology of Coaching
  This preliminary module aims to provide a practical, theoretical and attitudinal foundation in transformational coaching. It enables students to gain an overview of some of the key theories and models of coaching and affords them the opportunity to explore a variety of practical approaches. It provides the first detailed steps in educating individuals to become competent, ethical and confident coaches.
• Models and Methods of Coaching
  This module is designed to educate the student in the importance of the coaching relationship, the necessity of contracting and the importance of context. It identifies the skills necessary to promote an effective working alliance and a range of models and methods to help in this process.
• Theory and Practice of Coaching
  This module introduces assessment and methodology based on Transactional Analysis, Gestalt, Solution focussed approaches, Cognitive Behavioural and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Its purpose is to ground interventions in a theoretical framework to enable the student to make sense of the purpose of a particular intervention. The aim is to integrate theory and practice and to encourage professional integrity.
• The Art of Coaching
  This module focuses on the mystery and magic of the creative processes involved in transformational coaching. It introduces a range of creative interventions including metaphor, imagery, writing, drama and art to help people find resolutions to a range of challenges - personal, organisational and entrepreneurial. The module will involve the use of humour, metaphor, imagery and paradox as well as normal creative ways of problem solving.
• Coaching in a Business & Management Context
  This unit is designed to enable students to understand the context as well as the focus of coaching and consultancy problems brought by Chief Executives, Senior Managers, Entrepreneurs and Professionals. It will focus on vision and operational strategies, team roles and work preferences. There will be opportunities to explore personal work and role preferences. In addition it will focus on the challenges of leadership and isolation of chief executives.
• Practising Ethical Supervision and Coaching
  This module is designed to emphasise the importance of ethical foundations in the practice of coaching. It addresses ethical behaviour in coaching, based on professional codes of practice, and the significance of supervision as a place to evaluate ethical dilemmas. Philosophical underpinning of coaching codes of ethics, structured experiential activity and case examples will illustrate the integration of theory and practice
• The Philosophy of Coaching
  The purpose of this module is to introduce the profession of coaching, as distinct from counselling, psychotherapy, mentoring and supervision. Its aim is to introduce the student to the historical origins of this newly emerging profession and to locate it in terms of context, skills and theoretical orientation. The module will be approached theoretically and practically.

• Advanced Coaching Project
  This final module aims to enable students to produce a rigorous and scholarly piece of work, based on coaching practice. Following a preliminary study in research methods, students will engage in autonomous study, working closely with a supervisor, in order to produce an in-depth, focused project within their specialist field. This advanced written project will be evaluated within a context of appropriate methodologies and theoretical frameworks.

Course Aims

1. to provide a coherent and integrated programme of study for students from diverse backgrounds at Masters level, enabling them to explore and investigate complex trends and issues, both theoretically and practically, pertaining to the specialist field of coaching
2. to educate students to carry out advanced independent study, based on professional practice, at Masters level
3. to provide a range of subject-specific, academic and key skills, which will prepare students for future study and/or enriched professional practice and future careers
4. to further a critical understanding of the complex, dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of executive, business and life coaching, both nationally and internationally
5. to develop and further a critical appreciation of the relationship between theory, policy, research and practice relevant to coaching
6. to educate students in the understanding and practice of executive, business and life coaching to a standard meeting the criteria of the accrediting professional bodies and within their ethical frameworks and codes of practice.
7. to provide a coherent and integrated programme of study for students from diverse backgrounds at Masters level, enabling them to explore and investigate complex trends and issues, both theoretically and practically, pertaining to the specialist field of coaching
8. to educate students to carry out advanced independent study, based on professional practice, at Masters level
9. to provide a range of subject-specific, academic and key skills, which will prepare students for future study and/or enriched professional practice and future careers
10. to further a critical understanding of the complex, dynamic and multi-dimensional nature of executive, business and life coaching, both nationally and internationally
11. to develop and further a critical appreciation of the relationship between theory, policy, research and practice relevant to coaching
12. to educate students in the understanding and practice of executive, business and life coaching to a standard meeting the criteria of the accrediting professional bodies and within their ethical frameworks and codes of practice.

Course Objectives

1. critically assess and demonstrate a systematic and in-depth understanding and knowledge of coaching concepts and theories
2. critically evaluate and demonstrate a critical awareness of current trends and new insights in the specialist field of coaching, informed by regulatory frameworks and standards for professional practice
3. analyse and critique relevant literature to inform independent advanced study in the field of coaching
4. design, carry out and present in writing an advanced independent scholarly enquiry, which demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of knowledge and techniques of coaching
5. evaluate current methodologies in coaching, develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses
6. demonstrate originality and informed understanding in the application of a broad repertoire of models and structures for use in coaching practice
7. deploy accurately and with a mature competence complex coaching techniques, to a standard that ensures competent and safe practice, meeting the criteria of relevant professional bodies
8. demonstrate and critically assess practice in a professional, non-judgemental and anti-discriminatory manner
9. deal with complex issues in coaching practice, both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements and communicate conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences, with critical reflection
10. record practice systematically and evaluate accurately and analytically
11. reflect critically on own practice and learning to review, consolidate and extend knowledge and understanding and to enhance praxis
12. assess and manage own needs for ongoing clinical supervision as a means to develop and enhance professional practice, and for continuing personal and professional development.