Coach Training vs. Coach Accreditation: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

In the evolving world of coaching, there’s a lot of noise—and not always a lot of clarity. One of the most common areas of confusion is the difference between coach training and coach accreditation. If you’re looking to become a professional coach, or if you’re an HR buyer or leader considering hiring one, it’s important to understand how these two components work—and how they differ.

Coach Training: Learning the Skills

Coach training is where most coaches start. It’s the foundational learning phase: a program, course, or workshop where you gain coaching knowledge and develop practical skills. These programs can range from 20 to 200+ hours, depending on their depth and scope. They’re often:

• Model-specific or branded (think: GROW model, Co-Active Coaching, Conversational Intelligence)
• Delivered through workshops or online learning
• Focused on experiential learning—you should walk away having practiced real coaching conversations

Training is valuable. It builds muscle memory, teaches you frameworks, and helps you begin to shift from advice-giving to curiosity-led dialogue. But it’s only the beginning.

Many practicing coaches get coach training, and stop there. They feel they now have the tools to do business and service their clients. They may-well be excellent coaches, however most coach training courses are very limited in terms of practice time, skill assessment, and oversight ongoing. The overwhelming majority of attendees will pass - coach training is a business after all.

Coach Accreditation: Earning Professional Credentials

Coach accreditation is a rigorous, industry-standard process offered by independent professional bodies such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Accreditation signals more than just “I’ve done some training.” It says:

• I have completed a minimum number of hours of accredited training (usually 60–125+ hours)
• I have logged a minimum number of coaching hours with real paying clients (typically 100+)
• I have received mentor coaching and passed an assessment (which may include recorded sessions and a written test)
• I agree to uphold a professional code of ethics and commit to ongoing learning
  

In other words, accreditation is to coaching what board certification is to medicine. It assures clients and employers that a coach is not only trained, but tested, experienced, and committed to best practice.

Being accredited does not always indicate coach quality, however. Accreditations are expensive and therefore exclusive, and because of the time and administration involved, they can often feel like a ‘box ticking’ exercise, rather than an indication of coach skills. Coach accreditations are the baseline standard for coaching, however buyers still need to assess their coaches. 

Why the Distinction Matters

For aspiring coaches: Training is a great place to start—but if you want to build a career, grow your credibility, or work with organizations that take coaching seriously, you’ll need to pursue accreditation. Not only because it opens doors or because procurement requires it (sometimes) but because it’s the right thing to do - to signal your seriousness about the coaching profession, and your accountability to your clients.

For clients and HR buyers: Not all “trained” coaches are accredited. This is complicated by organisations like the ICF offering ‘membership’ and accrediting coach training workshops - so you can’t just cite the ICF logo on a coach profile. You really need to assess the accreditation level - in this case, ACC, PCC or MCC. 

The Rise of Degree Programs in Coaching: A New Era of Professionalism

University-backed coaching degrees are on the rise—marking an important shift in the professionalisation of coaching. From postgraduate certificates to full master’s degrees in coaching psychology and leadership coaching, these programs offer rigorous, research-informed training grounded in adult development, behavioural science, and applied practice.

Some of the most well-known programs include:

• University of Sydney’s Master of Coaching Psychology
• Columbia University’s Coaching Certification Program
• Oxford Brookes University’s MA in Coaching and Mentoring Practice
• Fielding Graduate University’s Evidence-Based Coaching Program
• INSEAD Executive Masters in Coaching and Change

This is in addition to the multitudes of analogous programs in Positive Psychology, Psychotherapy and Performance Psychology, with excellent cross-over of knowledge and skills to the coaching profession.

This trend signals that coaching is evolving beyond weekend workshops and branded models. It’s being taken seriously—as a discipline, a methodology, and a contributor to organisational impact.

However, even with an advanced degree, professional accreditation through bodies like the ICF or EMCC is still essential. Why? Because accreditation ensures coaches are tested in real-world application, hold ethical standards, and commit to continuous development.

Degrees build depth. Accreditation builds trust. Both matter.

Final Thought

There are many talented coaches out there doing great work, whether or not they’re accredited. But in a global market where the word coach is unregulated, accreditation is fast becoming the gold standard. We do need to expect more of our accrediting bodies - many coaches claim they are overly administrative, and coin operated, without adding truly impactful value to advance the profession. However in lieu of a world class accrediting body, we must expect committed and accredited coaches to apply pressure from the inside, to expect more of their accrediting organisations. Training gives the skills. Accreditation shows a coach is committed to being a part of an evolving profession.

If you're interested in learning more about how BOLDLY can help your organisation, we invite you to explore our or contact us here.

About the Author:

Alexandra Lamb is an accomplished organisational development practitioner, with experience across APAC, North America, and MENA. With 20+ years in professional practice, conglomerates, and startups, she has collaborated with rapid-growth companies and industry innovators to develop leaders and high-performance teams. She is particularly experienced in talent strategy as a driver for business growth. Drawing from her experience in the fields of talent management, psychology, coaching, product development, and human-centred design, Alex prides herself on using commercial acumen to design talent solutions with true impact.