The Gold Standard in Coaching | ICF - Professional Development
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Professional Development

Earning an ICF credential is an important professional milestone for a coach practitioner. Maintaining a credential is equally important. The ICF Credential Renewal process is designed to help coaches remain up to date on professional coaching practice, capable of supporting clients as they face today’s challenges and committed to ongoing growth and improvement for the future.

ICF requires credential-holders to renew their credentials every three years through continuing education and professional development. For ICF credentialed coaches, renewing the credential demonstrates a commitment to ongoing learning, growth, and excellence as a practitioner.

To earn Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits, ICF credential-holders can engage in a variety of professional development activities and experiences. This allows credential-holders to create a learning plan that supports them wherever they are on their coaching journey.

ICF credential-holders must earn 40 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits during each renewal cycle. For requirement details for each ICF credential, visit the Credential Renewal page for full.

CCE credits are awarded in two credit types.

  • Core Competencies CCE credits recognize education that directly relates to or expands upon the ICF Core Competencies through real-time interactive instruction or activities.
  • Resource Development CCE credits recognize education in skills that contribute to a coach’s professional development (e.g, personal development, tools or assessments, business building, etc.) outside of the ICF Core Competencies.

ICF Credential-holders can earn CCE credits through professional development activities outlined in the following three categories.

NOTE: Activities listed in the categories below refer to CCE credits awarded or hours spent in the activity. In your renewal application, you will be asked to enter CCE credits. For renewal purposes 1 hour = 1 CCE.

Elevate you Coaching Knowledge, Skill and Capacity

Enhance your knowledge, skills, and capacity as a coach through education and skill development. Approved professional development activities in this category include a variety of educational options through trainings, courses, and reflective practice activities designed to enhance your abilities and capacity as a coach practitioner.

  • Attend Educational Programs / Events / Courses

    Complimentary ICF Ethics Course | View Course

    Required documentation: Transcript downloaded from the ICF Learning Portal

    ICF Communities of Practice Events | View Communities of Practice Events

    Required documentation: Transcript downloaded from the ICF Learning Portal

    NOTE: The transcript will include a breakdown of the number of CCE credits that may be used toward credit requirements in Coaching Ethics, Core Competency and Resource Development.

    ICF Chapter Webinars/Events Approved for CCEs | View Chapter Events

    Required documentation: Certificate issued by the Chapter including the name of the applicant, the event/class, date, amount and type of CCE credit(s)

    ICF Regional or Global Conference or Event Approved for CCEs | View ICF Events

    Required documentation: Certificate, transcript, or passport issued from ICF with the name of the applicant, event/conference, date, amount and type of CCE credit(s)

    ICF-accredited CCE Program | Find Education

    Required documentation: Certificate, letter or email on letterhead issued by the provider with the name of the applicant, event/class, date, amount and type of CCE credits.

    ICF-accredited Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or Advanced Accredited Team Coaching (AATC) Program Find Education

    Required documentation: Certificate, letter or email on letterhead issued by the provider with the name of the applicant, event/class, date and amount of coach-specific education hours

    NOTE: When entering the program in your application, you may document three (3) hours to fulfill the required credits in Coaching Ethics. The remaining hours will be documented to fulfill the required credits in Core Competency instruction.

    Non-ICF Accredited Coach Specific Education Program

    Required documentation: Certificate, letter or email on letterhead issued by the provider with the name of the applicant, event/class, date and amount of education hours.

    NOTE: For any hours to count toward Core Competency or Coaching Ethics credit requirements, applicants must submit supplemental documentation demonstrating course alignment with the ICF Core Competencies, Code of Ethics, and definition of coaching. Supplemental documentation may include course curriculum and delivery method, course syllabus, summary, student manual, or course handouts or materials that demonstrate course content.

    Otherwise, all education hours will count as Resource Development.

    E-Learning or Self-paced Online Course

    Required documentation: Certificate, letter, transcript or email on letterhead issued by the provider with the name of the applicant, event/class, date and total course hours.

    NOTE: For any hours to count toward Core Competency or Coaching Ethics credit requirements, the course must include a verification of learning or assessment (quiz/test). In addition, applicants must submit supplemental documentation demonstrating course content, including modules/content aligned with the ICF Core Competencies, and instructional hours for each module. Supplemental documentation may include course curriculum and delivery method, course syllabus summary, student manual, or course handouts or materials that demonstrate course content.

    Otherwise, all education hours will count as Resource Development credits.

  • Receive Mentor Coaching / Coaching Supervision

    Receive Mentor Coaching |  Find a Mentor Coach

    Required documentation: Mentor coach’s name, email address, credential level, start and end date of mentor coaching, and total hours of mentor coaching.

    NOTE: Up to 10 hours of mentor coaching, whether received, delivered, or a combination of both, may be used toward Credential Renewal in each three-year cycle. Mentor coaching hours count as Core Competency CCE credits.

    For each ACC renewal cycle 10 hours of mentor coaching must be received over a full three-month period or longer. Of the 10 hours required, at least three (3) must be completed one-to-one with a mentor coach. The remaining seven (7) hours may be completed one-to-one or in a group setting.

    Receive Coaching Supervision

    Required documentation: Coaching supervisor’s name, email address, start and end date of coaching supervision, and total hours of coaching supervision.

    NOTE: Up to 10 hours of coaching supervision whether received, delivered, or a combination of both, may be used toward Credential Renewal in each three-year cycle. Coaching supervision hours count as Core Competency CCE credits.

  • Other Activities

    Reading on Coaching Related Topics

    Required documentation: Titles and publication dates of books, articles, or research papers, along with the dates you read them, along with a summary of the content and how it contributed to your development as a coach, and total time spent on reading.

    NOTE: Hours spent reading count as Resource Development CCE credits.

    Miscellaneous Activities

    Required documentation: summary information of the activity and how it contributed to your development as a coach, along with the total time spent

    NOTE: Hours spent in other activities count as Resource Development CCE credits.

Advance the Coaching Profession

Earn CCE credits by contributing your knowledge, experience and thought leadership through activities that contribute to the development of coaching practice and the coaching profession.

  • Deliver Mentor Coaching / Coaching Supervision

    Deliver Mentor Coaching

    Required documentation: Mentee(s) name, email address, credential level, start and end date of mentor coaching, and total hours of mentor coaching hours

    NOTE:  Up to 10 hours of mentor coaching whether received, delivered, or a combination of both, may be used toward Credential Renewal in each three-year cycle.  Exception: At the ACC level, 10 hours of mentor coaching is required to be received.  Mentor coaching hours count as Core Competency CCE credits.

    Deliver Coaching Supervision

    Required documentation: Supervisee’s name, email address, start and end date of coaching supervision, and total hours of coaching supervision

    NOTE:  Up to 10 hours of coaching supervision whether received, delivered, or a combination of both, may be used toward Credential Renewal in each three-year cycle. Coaching supervision hours count as Core Competency CCE credits.

  • Provide Education

    Serving as an instructor of an ICF-accredited Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, or AATC program

    Required documentation: Signed letter on the accredited education program’s letterhead from someone within the education program who is familiar with your role that states your name, your role within the education program, the education program you taught, dates of instruction and the total hours of instruction you delivered.

    NOTE: You can only claim the teaching of a course one time toward a Credential Renewal application. If you taught ethics in the course, you may document up to three (3) hours toward the required credits in Coaching Ethics. The remaining hours will be documented as Core Competency credits.

    Serving as an instructor of ICF-accredited CCE program

    Required documentation: Signed letter on the accredited education program’s letterhead from someone within the education program who is familiar with your role that states your name, your role within the education program, the education program you taught, dates of instruction, total hours of instruction you delivered, and total hours of Core Competency and Resource Development content delivered.

    NOTE: You can only claim the delivery of a course one time toward Credential Renewal each three-year cycle.

    Serving as an instructor of a non-ICF accredited education program

    Required documentation: Signed letter on the education program’s letterhead from someone within the education program who is familiar with your role that states your name, your role within the education program, the education program you taught, dates of instruction and total hours of instruction.

    NOTE: You can only claim the delivery of a course one time toward Credential Renewal each three-year cycle.

    For any hours to count toward Core Competency or Coaching Ethics credit requirements, applicants must submit supplemental documentation demonstrating course content, including modules/content aligned with the ICF Core Competencies and/or Code of Ethics and instructional hours for each module. Supplemental documentation may include course curriculum and delivery method, course syllabus, summary, student manual, or course handouts or materials that demonstrate course content.

    Developing education curriculum that has been submitted to ICF and approved as a CCE, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 or Advanced Accredited Team Coaching (AATC) program

    Required documentation: Date the education program was submitted to ICF for review and copy of ICF letter with the approval details of the program).

  • ICF Service

    Service as an ICF Global Volunteer Leader

    Volunteers who serve as an officer or member of an ICF Global board, committee, council or task force earn two (2) Resource Development CCE credits for each year of service completed during the current renewal cycle.

    Required documentation: No documentation required – volunteer service is automatically recorded in the ICF database.

    ICF Chapter Service

    Volunteers who serve as an officer or member of an ICF Chapter board earn two (2) Resource Development CCE credits for each year of service completed during the current renewal cycle.

    Required documentation: No documentation required – volunteer service is automatically recorded in the ICF database.

    Serving as an ICF Subject Matter Expert (SME) Volunteer

    Required documentation: Certificate, letter or email issued by ICF that includes the name of the SME volunteer, the name of the SME related activity, start and end date of engagement, total hours of service, and CCE credits earned.

  • Other Activities

    Authoring, Co-authoring, or Editing Publications on Coaching Related Topics

    Required documentation: Summary of your article, book, white paper, or research and how it contributes to your development as a coach Include a link to published content, date of publication, and the total number of writing hours (excluding research hours. For any Core Competency credits, describe how the publication aligns with or relates to the ICF Core Competencies. Up to 20 hours may be claimed as Core Competency CCE credits.

    NOTE: Writing for social media posts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), or blogs/vlogs, is not accepted for CCE credit.

Expand Social Impact

Accelerate coaching’s impact on humanity and social progress while earning credits toward your credential renewal through participation in an ICF Foundation project or initiative.

Participation in an ICF Foundation project

Required documentation: Certificate from the ICF Foundation, including the applicant’s name, project name, dates of participation and CCE credits earned.

NOTE: Participants in ICF Foundation projects and initiatives earn two (2) Resource Development CCE credits per engagement completed during the renewal cycle.

More Professional Development Information

  • Submission Details

    Do not send documentation to ICF Credentials and Standards by mail or email. Only documentation that has been included with your online renewal application will be accepted. Non ICF accredited education will not be pre-approved. 

    Your renewal application is created following the awarding of your credential or it’s last renewal. You may find it at the very bottom of your profile page.  You may enter CCEs as you earn them. You may submit your renewal application up to 10 months early.    

    Following full payment and submission of your renewal application, your application will be placed in the review process. Please allow 6-8 weeks for the review of your renewal application. If the ICF Staff has a question or needs further information, you will be sent an email and the section of the application in question will be marked with a red explanation mark. 

  • Support

    If you have questions about the renewal requirements or process, please visit the Renew Credential page. 

    For general renewal and professional development questions, please visit the Credentialing FAQ page. 

    If you need support regarding Continuing Professional Development or if you do not find the answer to your question on the FAQ page, please visit the ICF Support page. 

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