Coaching and Mentoring Practice
MA or PGDip or PGCert
Find out more about our courses by joining a live master’s webinar
Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Part time: MA: 2-5 years, PGDip: 16 months, PGCert: 8 months, Distance Learning: 2-5 years
Location: Distance learning
School(s): Oxford Brookes Business School
Overview
Being an effective professional coach or mentor is about more than learning techniques and behaviours. Our approach at Oxford Brookes, developed over more than 20 years of coach education, puts you at the centre of your practice.
We focus on helping you to develop your unique coaching style. Learning about the latest insights and developments in coaching and mentoring will give you a range of perspectives to inform your approach. You'll understand what makes you effective in the professional relationship and what you bring personally to your practice.
You might be completely new to the area, already an established coach or a consultant wanting to add coaching to your portfolio. Wherever you’re starting from, this course will build on your skills and self-awareness to be a better coach or mentor. And our highly experienced team at our specialist centre is on hand to give you expert input and dedicated supervision.
When you look back at the end of the course, you’ll see a significant shift in your development.
Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Optional exit points
Fit your studies around your busy lifestyle with our tailored modules. You can step off the course at the PGCert or PGDip level or carry on to the master’s.
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Top researchers
Our teaching team is made up of experienced practitioners and internationally recognised researchers, widely published in leading journals in the field.
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Focus on your niche
You’ll have 1:1 sessions with a personal coach-supervisor to help you identify your own coaching style and unique development journey.
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A vibrant community
Engage with key contacts from professional bodies at our networking events. Plus, showcase your dissertation project at our annual conference and in our international journal.
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Accreditation(s)
The Coaching and Mentoring Programme is accredited with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Upon completion of the Certificate Stage of the Programme, students typically obtain accreditation as Senior Practitioners with EMCC. Students need to be members of the EMCC and pay their own accreditation costs although these fees are at a much discounted rate.
Course details
Course structure
As well as covering the fundamental principles of coaching and mentoring practice, you’ll gain vital experience of acting as a coach/mentor where you can apply different methods and techniques. The feedback you’ll get from supervisors and volunteer clients will help you reflect and identify areas for growth. And the practice modules with 1:1 supervision are an opportunity for you to develop even further.
At the diploma level, you’ll focus either on the latest psychological research exploring new ideas around the ways people change. Or you’ll investigate the process and issues in setting up a formal coaching or mentoring scheme. You’ll carry out an evaluation of a programme in an actual organisation.
Your dissertation at MA level gives you the opportunity to delve deeper into a topic of your interest with a piece of investigative or literature-based research, supported by your colleagues and supervisor. This research element will help you to develop your skills as a reflective practitioner and contribute to the knowledge base which informs current coaching and mentoring practice.
Study modules
The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the PGDip and PGCert awards your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Research
The master's programme is taught through the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies. At the forefront of coaching and mentoring research, the Centre’s academic team consists of leading educators and researchers in the field.
Our journal, annual conferences and professional network OBCAMS (the Oxford Brookes Coaching and Mentoring Society) offer excellent opportunities to students, academics and practitioners for the dissemination and sharing of research and ideas.
Our Research areas include:
- philosophical underpinnings of coaching
- developmental, leadership and team coaching
- resilience
- embodiment
- transfer of learning
- the coaching relationship
- ethics
- managing mentoring schemes.
Teaching staff have research interests and expertise in coaching and mentoring, and related fields. Visiting speakers from business and industry provide further input.
You can attend events from the Oxford Brookes Coaching and Mentoring Society (OBCAMS), which meets monthly. It attracts outside speakers and presenters from all areas of coaching and mentoring.
Careers
As one of our graduates, you’ll be recognised as having a high level of expertise which will give you credibility and help you establish your reputation in the field.
By the end of the programme, you’ll have developed as a well-informed, critically oriented and creative coach/mentor. You may choose to build your practice in different areas – executive coaching, life coaching, wellbeing, consultancy, education, youth work or other contexts. As a senior manager, you may have decided to work on your coaching skills in your day-to-day role.
Even if you’re not going directly into coaching or mentoring, you’ll find your employment opportunities will be enhanced by your greater self-awareness and insight into the subject, as well as the variety of new contacts formed during the course.
And if you’re passionate about further applying knowledge to practice, you can take your professional expertise to the next level with our Doctor of Coaching and Mentoring Programme.. You can also continue your practitioner-oriented career with our Advanced Programme in Coaching Supervision.
Student profiles
Our Staff
Dr Adrian Myers
Adrian is the course leader for the MA in Coaching and Mentoring practice and teaches the Level 7 programme in Coaching and Mentoring. Adrian also supports organisations to help internal coaching schemes and helping managers acquire coaching skills.
Read more about AdrianDr Ioanna Iordanou
Ioanna is a senior lecturer in Human Resource Management who is researching the influence of Coaching on individual and team performance, group dynamics, leadership development and change management.
Read more about IoannaRelated courses
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
A minimum of a second-class honours degree (2:2) in any academic discipline, or equivalent overseas degree from a recognised institution or equivalent professional or other qualification, and at least two year’s relevant professional experience.
Exceptionally, applicants who can show that they have qualifications or experience or both that demonstrate that they have alternative knowledge and capabilities equivalent to those possessed by holders of the qualifications listed above, may be admitted with dispensation from the requirement to possess those qualifications.
Entry will also be subject to one satisfactory reference.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you will need to satisfy the university's English language requirements:
- IELTS minimum level 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing, and 5.5 in listening and speaking) or equivalent
- If you have completed your undergraduate degree in the UK (at least one full year of study) you will automatically meet our English language requirements
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
How to apply
Application process
Step 1. Apply online
Create an account in the online application portal.
You must upload i) a degree certificate or evidence of professional qualifications ii) transcript evidencing your academic and/or professional qualifications iii) two professional references from colleagues/ line managers (no need for an academic reference) iv) CV.
Step 2 : Find out if you have a place
As we review your application, you may be required to supply further documentation to support your application. Watch out for an email from the Oxford Brookes admissions team in case they need to request more information.
Step 3 : Accept your offer
You will receive an official enrolment offer by email. Accept your offer via the applicant portal. Once you have accepted our offer and met any conditions, you can liaise with Administrative support: pg-obbs@brookes.ac.uk.
Step 4 : Begin your studies
In early September, the university will send an ‘invitation to enrol’ email to new students who have accepted an unconditional offer.
Keeping Informed
This web page will be updated with information on Induction and teaching dates and pre-reading, usually available from Spring each year. More information about the programme and dates for upcoming webinars will be added to this page.
Where to go for help
If you have any questions about the programme, contact the programme lead, Adrian Myers: amyers@brookes.ac.uk although most questions are routinely answered in regular Information seminars.
If you have any problems with the admissions portal, please email admissions@brookes.ac.uk.
If you have any questions about enrolment, liaise with Administrative support: pg-obbs@brookes.ac.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Please visit our frequently asked questions page for further guidance on what to submit with your application.
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are the full price of the course.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.