Certified Professional Coaching

Curriculum overview

UWCPC is a Level 2 ICF-accredited coach training program that delivers a highly integrated, holistic coach training experience.  The UWCPC curriculum is designed to ground you in the coaching skills evident in the ICF core competencies and to further develop your confidence, competence, and presence needed to become a professional coach. 

UWCPC is a cohort model training program, spanning 10 months. There is not a prerequisite course to enter our UWCPC program.  

With a blend of hands-on coaching experience and peer practice opportunities, along with the inclusion of a Wisconsin Idea project, UWCPC expands your knowledge of the core competencies and deepens your practice as a coach.  The program increases your cultural humility by deepening your understanding of who you are as a coach and how to more fully honor differences in the coaching space. 

Below are the five overarching themes that guide all of our coaching curriculum. In UWCPC, you will dive into the basics of each of these themes in the first semester and then go deeper and widen your understanding of each theme in the second semester.

Foundations of coaching
Establish a deep understanding of the basic coaching elements, including essential coaching concepts, the coaching framework and approaches that support all coaching conversations.

Co-creating the coaching relationship
Develop the ability to establish equitable, safe, and courageous coaching relationships and conversations. Learn and practice the concept of coaching presence and how to cultivate it for optimal impact in coaching sessions.

Communicating effectively
Explore methods to communicate with clarity and purpose, ensuring understanding and meaning between you and your coachee. Learn ways of listening and getting curious that help you elicit new insights and awareness in others during your conversations.

Cultivating learning & growth
Learn various ways to support a client in moving from reflection to insight to action. Explore how to use approaches and learning strategies to achieve sustained, long-term growth.

Integration
Integrate knowledge from the entire program through coaching spaces with your peers. Demonstrate your proficiency in coaching by conducting comprehensive, full-length coaching conversations with sourced clients. Conclude the year with a final reflection on your coaching journey and a celebration of future endeavors.

Program outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate program, you will be able to:

• Name, define, and demonstrate proficiency in the eight core competencies and related behaviors of a professional coach, outlined by the International Coaching Federation
• Coach others holistically, in an ICF-aligned, professional manner 
• Ongoing practice of a coaching mindset that is open, flexible, grounded and curious
• Structure and guide successful coaching sessions and relationships from start to finish
• Engage in productive coaching conversations that create conditions for trust and safety
• Partner as an equal with a coachee to support reflection, evoke awareness and facilitate next steps
• Complete self-reflection that deepens cultural humility by understanding how who you are impacts how you coach
• Learn how to engage with coachees in ways that acknowledge their uniqueness and honor their context
• Consider how you will use coaching in your community through the creation of your Wisconsin Idea Project

Our live online, biweekly in-class times are the place where learners practice and experience the skills of coaching. In aligning with best practices, we have created a class structure that supports virtual learning for a comprehensive program.

Attendance is required at all sessions. To minimize disruptions and foster a rich learning experience, participants are asked not to come to class unless they can attend the entire session (e.g., if a student knows that they need to leave early, they will be asked not to come to class that day, etc.). Learners can miss up to two (2) regular sessions during the program. Excused absences are not available for classes 1, 9 or 18.

In addition, learners are required to work routinely with classmates outside of scheduled class times. Exact dates and times for those meetings are to be determined and are dependent on participant schedules.

Technology requirement

A computer, recording tools for creating MP3 files and high-speed internet access are required. The program utilizes video conferencing software and the University of Wisconsin’s learning platform, Canvas. While prior experience with these tools is not necessary, basic computer skills are essential.

All classes are held in Central Time via Zoom

*Indicates attendance required

A Level 2 ICF-Accredited Coach Training Program is a comprehensive coach education course accredited by the International Coaching Federation. It requires 125 or more hours of coach-specific education.

Program requirements

Successful completion of the UWCPC program is based on the fulfillment of the following requirements:

• Attendance in 18 virtual biweekly classes
• Completion of asynchronous, self-paced modules through Canvas
• Completion of 50 coaching experience hours
• Completion of 10 mentoring hours, with an assigned UW Coach Mentor
• Submission of a Wisconsin Idea project
• Successful completion of a final written exam to demonstrate knowledge of ICF core competencies
• Successful demonstration of PCC-level coaching skills, as defined by the ICF, in a final submitted coaching session 

Attendance requirement

Attendance at all classes for the duration of the entire class period is required to complete the UWCPC program.  With an excused absence, learners may miss up to two classes.

Excused absences are not available for three extended classes. Learners who miss these days will not earn their certificate. 

 Weekly commitment

Approximately 15 hours a week outside of class

Earning an ICF credential is a rigorous process that provides legitimacy and credibility to professional coaches.  Each of the ICF’s credentials (ACC, PCC and MCC) requires the same five components: education, experience, mentor coaching, performance evaluation and credentialing exam. 

By completing all UWCPC program requirements, graduates will have completed the following components necessary for the ACC and PCC credential application:

• 125+ hours coach-specific education 
• 50 hours of coaching experience*
• 10 hours of mentor coaching with a UW mentor coach  
• Performance evaluation

*The requirement for coaching experience hours varies between credentials. Please visit the ICF’s Coaching Experience Requirement page to learn more. 

Program fee for 2026–2027

Register March 1 through June 15: $9990

After June 15: $12,990

Includes 125+ hours of coach-specific education, 10 hours of mentoring and a performance evaluation.

You are responsible for purchasing course books and other materials (approximately $100), securing a professional-level Zoom account, and purchasing a transcription service.

Financing options

As a noncredit professional certificate program, the UWCPC does not qualify for federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, the GI Bill funding or need-based aid.

• Employer education and training budgets. Some employers offer funding for employee education or professional development.
• Universities of Wisconsin employee discount. Universities of Wisconsin employees who are accepted into the UWCPC program receive a 10% discount from the total fee amount. Participants are required to pay for any and all additional costs associated with program textbooks, a computer, a professional Zoom account, etc.
• Private education loans. Some learners finance certificate programs with private education loans. Learners are responsible for contacting lenders directly to determine eligibility for a noncredit professional certificate program. While the University of Wisconsin does not recommend specific lenders, the UWCPC program has an application portal with Sallie Mae.

When prompted for the program you need the loan for, choose “Undergrad | Certificate.” Choose a degree of “Certificate” and then enter a school name of “UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies Certificate Programs” if it doesn’t already default for you. The Division of Continuing Education will certify Sallie Mae loan amounts up to the full course fee, and the learner will pay out of pocket for the additional required costs listed above.

Payment details & cancellation policy

Half of the total fee is due by Friday, August 21, 2026; the remaining balance is due by Friday, January 8, 2027. Registrants who withdraw from the UWCPC program on or before August 21, 2026, will receive a full refund, minus a $100 administrative fee. No refunds will be granted after August 21, 2026.

“I am so very grateful to be learning from the best in the business…. I’ve learned so much and have grown so much in more ways than one; it’s truly been one of the most life-changing experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m just so grateful.”

Nicole V.

WPPI Energy, UW Certified Professional Coach Program

“You are an amazing group of talented, funny, engaging and experienced facilitators! I had no idea what to expect going in and yet you managed to give me more than I could ask for.”

Sheri Treu

Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Menasha Corporation

We seek applicants who bring diverse experiences, a desire to learn, an ability to self-reflect and the commitment and time for their own transformational learning. 

Our goal is to create a dynamic and diverse learning community.  Each learner contributes unique perspectives, talents and experiences.  Our learners come from a wide range of backgrounds; some have prior coaching experience, while others are new to the world of professional coaching.  Various careers are represented among our applicants. 

Our learners share a commitment to academic excellence, are highly motivated and possess a strong desire for personal and professional growth. They seek the tools to guide, inspire and empower others to reach their potential and achieve results through professional coaching. 

We welcome applicants who believe that this is the right time in their lives for a rigorous, challenging and immensely rewarding learning experience.

Program prerequisites

The following prerequisites ensure a diverse and rich classroom experience for all learners:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred; no specific undergraduate degree is required
• Willingness to engage in self-reflection and self-examination
• Openness to feedback from the instructional team and peers

A complete application includes:

1. Online application questionnaire 
2. Current resume or CV
3. One letter of recommendation written by a personal or professional reference who can speak to your character and capabilities 

Notes on letter of recommendation:

• A letter of recommendation must be submitted on the applicant’s behalf to Michelle Galarowicz
• The letter of recommendation may be written by a personal or professional reference who can attest to the character and capabilities of the applicant

Application procedure:

We will review your application once all materials are received. We will invite you to a 30-minute interview with a program team member if you are selected to continue.

The interview will:

• Assess your understanding of the program and if it’s a fit 
• Explore the qualities you’ll bring as a learner to the cohort 
• Discuss your goals and objectives for completing the program
• Provide an opportunity for you to ask questions

We will notify you of admission decisions within two weeks of your interview.

Application deadline:

• The last day to apply to the UWCPC program is July 30, 2026.