Career Coaching and Coaching Psychology

This postgraduate course in career coaching and coaching psychology offers you a unique combination of practical training in coaching skills and in-depth study of coaching psychology and career coaching. As a coach, consultant, career or HR professional or psychologist, it will equip you with the skills and knowledge to work with individuals and groups at relational depth as a career coach or consultant.

Why choose this course?

• It is recognised for career development and is accredited by the Association for Coaching.
• It is one of only a few courses in London that focus on adult career management and coaching with practical coaching skills development. This means that it attracts individuals working in a wide range of settings to provide you with excellent opportunities for peer learning and networking.
• Reflective practice sits at the heart of our approach to coaching helping you to develop and maintain high-quality, ethical coaching practice supported by independent supervision.
• The MSc offers you a unique opportunity to apply for a coaching placement in Birkbeck's Careers Service where you can implement your learning in a real-life context and receive regular group support in developing your practice.

What you will learn

This course has a strong focus on skills building and features bespoke skills training days to help you refine your practice. It allows you to develop an evidenced-based and critical approach to psychologically informed coaching and career coaching practice development.

MSc Career Coaching and Coaching Psychology

The MSc will prepare you to set up your own independent coaching and career coaching practice and develop specialist research knowledge to position your future career.

You will undertake a deep exploration of the helping relationship and learn the skills to be able to critically evaluate theory, research and practice and undertake applied career or coaching research. You will also develop a greater sense of self-awareness and understanding.

You will investigate pragmatically and critically how coaching works in organisations. You will also have the opportunity to apply for one of a limited number of placements with the Birkbeck Careers Service in your second year.

Postgraduate Certificate in Career Coaching and Coaching Psychology

Our Postgraduate Certificate offers you an an access route to progress on to the MSc and is the starting place if you are an experienced manager or professional looking to explore a transition into coaching or career coaching. You will gain valuable, evidence-based coaching practice and understanding of the role of professional helping relationships at work from an academic perspective.

If you are an experienced coach you will also have the option of developing your coaching portfolio in lieu of the core skills module.

How you will learn

You will be taught by experienced career and coaching psychologists in lectures and seminars. A key component of this course is the highly rated specialist skills workshop days run by coaching professionals in which you will develop your in-person coaching skills in small groups. Alongside this, you will work in online digital practice groups and in small case discussion groups to support the development of your coaching practice.

The course is available to study part-time with classes taking place in the evening, and some weekend study.

• After gaining either the MSc or Postgraduate Certificate in Career Coaching and Coaching Psychology you will meet the qualification requirements for entry to the UK Register of Career Development Professionals. The Register is the sector equivalent of Chartered Status. Being on the Register proves to employers and clients that you hold a qualification in career development at QCF Level 6/SCQF Level 11 or above, abide by the CDI Code of Ethics, and undertake and record a minimum of 25 hours' CPD per year. Increasingly employers are asking that employees are on this Register.
• The MSc is accredited by the Association for Coaching so, once you complete the course, you will be able to access their Accredited Certificate in Coach Training (ACCT) accelerated route. The Postgraduate Certificate is also accredited by the Association for Coaching as an Accredited Award in Coach Training (AACT).
• We are renowned for the quality of our teaching in organisational psychology. Our flexible teaching model gives you the freedom to take some modules online and fit your studies around your other commitments.