Two journeys.
One place to begin.

We're developing a way for you to deepen your coaching practice while working toward a formal academic credential.

Everyone begins with the same first year of ICM. If you choose to continue, Year Two would bring together the Advanced Coaching Collective and the additional academic work required for the diploma.

The planned outcome is a Qualifi Level 7 Diploma in Professional Coaching and Psychology, subject to final approval and successful completion of the requirements. We're also exploring university routes through which eligible students could continue toward a master's degree.

It means graduate-level education, at an academic level beyond a bachelor's degree.

England uses numbered levels to describe qualifications. Level 7 includes both postgraduate diplomas and master's degrees. The diploma recognizes advanced study. Earning a master's requires the additional work set by a university that accepts it.

You would earn the Qualifi diploma through the approved ICM track. A university would award the master's degree after you complete its requirements.

The proposed diploma would be a UK qualification. How it is accepted in the US depends on where you want to use it.

For employment, the employer decides whether the qualification meets its requirements. If you want to continue your studies, the university makes that decision and may request an independent credential evaluation.

If you have a specific role or university in mind, check their requirements before choosing the academic track. I want you to have the information you need to make a decision that supports your goals.

This pathway is being developed for coaches who want to deepen their understanding of psychology and demonstrate that learning through a formal academic credential.

For students who want to continue their education, the diploma could also support an application to a university that accepts it.

The focus is coaching and academic development. Becoming a licensed psychologist or therapist requires separate professional training and approval from the relevant licensing board.

The plan is for students who meet both sets of requirements to earn both credentials.

ICM Certification recognizes that you have met our coaching certification requirements. The Qualifi diploma would recognize the additional academic work and assessments completed through the approved two-year track.

You'll need to complete and pass the required work for each award. We'll explain those requirements before you enroll in the academic track. ICF individual credentials have their own separate requirements.

You can apply to the standard ICM program without a bachelor's degree.

The academic track will follow the final entry requirements agreed with Qualifi. Universities set their own admission requirements for the master's stage.

If you're interested in the academic route, we'll help you understand the confirmed entry criteria before you decide to join it.

If you're already part of our community, I know you'll want to understand how this could fit into the learning you've already done.

We're working through entry options for current students and alumni, including those in Year 2 or Year 3. Before you decide, we'll explain who is eligible and what additional work and fees would apply.

We're developing a process to review previous ICM learning against the diploma requirements. Prior hours are reviewed individually.

Please keep your coaching logs and completion records, along with your assessments and feedback. They will help us review the work you've already done.

Once that process is confirmed, we'll explain what can count toward the diploma and which requirements you still need to complete.

Please keep moving toward your ICM Certification.

You've already invested time in your learning. Completing your current requirements supports your work as a coach, and you can consider the academic pathway when its details are confirmed.

You can enroll in Year One under the tuition and payment terms in the current ICM offer.

Before you choose the academic track, we'll share its full price and any registration or assessment charges. Current students and alumni will receive the terms that apply to their previous participation.

The university stage involves a separate application and tuition payment. Its fees will depend on the university and the year you enroll.

I want the time you spend learning with us to serve your long-term goals. The proposed academic track would let you continue your coaching education within the Collective while completing the work for a postgraduate diploma.

If a university accepts that diploma, you could then enter its remaining research or dissertation stage. This could reduce your combined tuition compared with standard ICM followed by a separate full master's program.

The illustration in the investment section above shows an example.

The university stage could be shorter because it would build on an accepted diploma. For example, the University of Law currently lists 19 weeks full-time or 37 weeks part-time for its completion course.

With two years of ICM first, that would mean about 28 to 33 months of study, plus any wait for a university intake. One year of ICM followed by a full master's taking one to two years would mean about 24 to 36 months.

Compared with ICM followed by a two-year master's, the proposed route could save about 3 to 8 months of study. Your own timeline will depend on the route and study pace you choose.

The next ICM cohort starts in February 2027.

Students who choose to continue would begin Year Two in 2028 under the planned structure. Entry into the academic track remains subject to final approval and its entry requirements.

ICM's teaching and coaching community are delivered online, and we're developing the academic track around that model.

We're also exploring online university options. You'll receive the confirmed attendance requirements, including any retreat component, before committing to the academic track.

The planned ICM academic track takes two years.

For students accepted by a university, the master's stage would follow. Your overall timeline would depend on the university's intake dates and whether you study full-time or part-time.

If ICM feels like the right next step for you as a coach, you can begin with Year One now.

Year One is the foundation of the proposed two-year track. You can focus on your coaching practice and work toward ICM Certification, then decide whether the academic route supports your goals once the full details are available.

Once you earn the diploma, you would apply to a university that accepts your specific qualification.

If admitted, you would complete its required research or dissertation module and any associated assessments. Your master's degree would be awarded by that university.

You may see the term "top-up" on university websites. It means completing the remaining university requirements toward the degree after your prior qualification has been accepted.

We're confirming which universities will accept our diploma and what they will require from ICM students.

We're exploring universities that offer master's completion courses for students with relevant postgraduate diplomas.

We'll share options once we have written confirmation that a university accepts our specific diploma. You'll also receive its entry requirements and fees so you can make an informed choice.