Coming Soon: Advanced Accreditations in Mentor Coaching and Coaching Supervision

Last Updated: N/A

First Published: Requested for May 27, 2026

ICF Coaching Education is excited to announce the upcoming launch of two new Advanced Accreditations designed to support the continued evolution and professionalization of the coaching industry: the Advanced Accreditation in Mentor Coaching and the Advanced Accreditation in Coaching Supervision.

The Advanced Accreditation in Mentor Coaching recognizes programs that prepare coaches to serve as highly skilled mentor coaches through rigorous, competency-based education aligned with ICF Coaching Education standards, ethics, and developmental feedback practices. These programs focus on developing a mentor coach’s ability to support coaches through reflective learning, competency observation, developmental feedback, and credential readiness. Accredited programs will include mentor coaching-specific education, observed mentor coaching sessions, reflective development experiences, and training related to ICF Coaching Education evaluation standards and competency markers.

Program Structure Overview

Total Student Contact Hours: 60+ Hours  

• 80% Mentor Coaching Specific Education (CC) (a minimum of 48 hours)
• Up to 20% Resource Development (RD)
• 50% Synchronous / 50% Asynchronous
• Must include Evaluation Tool Training or completion of training through ICF Learning Portal

Required Components   

• 5 Observed Mentor Coaching Sessions
• Written feedback required for at least 3
• 5 Mentoring on Mentoring Hours (or Supervision on Mentoring)
• Final Assignment:
  • The final assignment is a required component and is intended to demonstrate the participant’s readiness to serve as an effective mentor coach.
  • Examples: Portfolio review / Faculty panel review / Capstone observation

Core Competencies Breakdown (at least 48 hours)

Mentor Coaching Competencies 

• Role and scope of mentor coaching
• Distinction between coaching, supervision, and mentor coaching
• Developmental feedback frameworks
• Evaluative vs developmental feedback
• Ethics and boundary management in mentor coaching
• Power dynamics and psychological safety
• Individual vs group mentor coaching

ACC Bars / PCC Marker / MCC Bars Training  

• Must include or verify successful completion of the Evaluation Tool Training aligned with the level Mentor Coaches are preparing participants for
• Core Competency Deep Dive  
• Advanced application of ICF Core Competencies
• Developmental progression across credential levels
• Recognizing competency gaps
• Ethics integration
• Cultural humility and inclusion in evaluation

Observation Hours  

• Review of recorded coaching sessions
• Live observation experiences
• Calibration discussions
• Group debriefs

Faculty Requirements

• All Faculty must hold appropriate ICF credentials (ACC with one renewal, PCC or MCC as required).
• Must hold appropriate MCS by the time of the first AA renewal.

The Advanced Accreditation in Coaching Supervision recognizes programs that prepare coaches to become effective coaching supervisors capable of supporting ethical practice, reflective development, systems awareness, and professional maturity within the coaching profession. These programs emphasize reflective practice, supervision methodologies, psychological safety, ethics, cultural awareness, and supervision-on-supervision experiences designed to deepen supervisory capability and professional discernment.

Program Structure Overview

• Total Student Contact Hours: 60+ Hours
• 80% Coaching Supervision Specific Education (CC) (at minimum of 48 hours)
• Up to 20% Resource Development (RD)
• 50% Synchronous / 50% Asynchronous

Required Components 

• 5 Observed Coaching Supervision Sessions
• Written feedback required for at least 3
• 5 Supervision Hours
• 2 Coaching Supervision Hours as Coaching Supervision Client
• 3 Supervision on Supervision Hours

Final Assignment 

• Intended to demonstrate the participant’s readiness to serve as an effective coach supervisor
• Examples: Reflective portfolio / Case analysis / Learning journal   / Oral review

Core Competencies Breakdown (at least 48 hours)

Coaching Supervision Competencies   

• Role and scope of coaching supervision
• Distinction between coaching, mentor coaching, supervision, therapy, and assessment
• Ethical guidance and boundary management in supervision
• Contracting and supervision process design
• Reflective practice and supervisor use-of-self
• Facilitating client reflection on identity, values, bias, and systems
• Supporting coach development and professional maturity
• Managing group supervision dynamics
• Psychological safety, inclusion, and power awareness
• Systemic and contextual awareness in supervision

Core Competency Deep Dive   

• Advanced application of ICF Core Competencies
• Developmental progression across credential levels
• Recognizing competency gaps
• Ethics integration
• Cultural humility and inclusion in evaluation

Observation Hours   

• Review of recorded coaching sessions
• Live observation experiences
• Calibration discussions
• Group debriefs

Faculty Requirements

• All faculty delivering coaching supervision-specific education must hold an active PCC or MCC ICF credential(or similar coaching supervision certification from another recognized professional coaching body) and meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Option 1: Professional Coaching Supervision Recognition
    • Hold an active coaching supervision certification, credential, accreditation, or similar recognition issued by a recognized coaching or coaching supervision professional body.
  • Option 2: Coaching Supervision Education
    • Have completed a coaching supervision education program of at least 60 hours.
  • Option 3: ICF Coach Supervisor Specialization
    • Hold the Coach Supervisor Specialization (CSS).

Both accreditations are stand-alone accreditations and do not require an existing Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or Continuing Coach Education (CCE) accreditation to apply. Each accreditation reflects ICF Coaching Education’s commitment to strengthening quality, credibility, and consistency across emerging areas of coaching development while providing organizations with access to ICF’s global coaching education ecosystem and professional resources.

Additional details regarding eligibility requirements, timelines, and the application process will be shared soon.