Advanced Coaching Course

The advanced coaching programme is a foundational training course. Completing all the modules will take participants from a basic understanding about coaching in different contexts (personal or organisational) up to more complex ideas for those who want to make coaching or mentoring their profession.

Dates and structure

The programme is presented during four in-person contact weeks attended in Pretoria. During these weeks participants attend training from 08:30/09:00 to 15:00/15:30. The group has some leeway in determining whether the contact week will continue up to the Friday at lunch or conclude on the Thursday afternoon. This depends on the content of the module and certain decisions the group will be required to make related to content and several other factors. Next commencing:

• Narrative coaching – level 1 (13-16 March 2023)
• Advancing with Narrative coaching – level 2 (8-11 May 2023)
• Enhance Grow coaching (14-17 August 2023, alternatively 6-9 November 2023)
• Collaborative coaching (16-19 October 2023)

Advanced course overview

The course provides exposure to the extensive and interdisciplinary field of coaching. The advanced programme in coaching is a partnership between Dr. Elmo Pienaar (Telling Outcomes Pty Ltd) who created the programme as informed by his UP research fellowship in 2012, the University of Pretoria Enterprises division and the Centre for Contextual Ministry.

Some of the learning outcomes

Completing the curriculum will

• grant the learner practical experience to be a competent coach or mentor
• provide the learner with the competency to engage in the helping relationship in an ethical and professional manner
• have developed in the coach working knowledge of relevant models and tools
• enable the learner to work as a coach in a wide variety of areas (e.g. businesses, ngo’s, educational institutions).
• have provided significant reflection on the undergirding paradigm of postmodernism, and social constructionism in relation to how this affects the coaching and mentoring relationship.

Advanced Coaching Course Prospectus

FAQ – Frequently asked questions

What are the costs involved?

The tuition fee for the course: The per module fee for the course at R9,500 for each of the four modules. Enrol for the four modules, as intended, R34,500. Please inquire about savings for group enrolment of 5 or more delegates or if you qualify for special rates such as related to non-profit organisations.

Included: Morning snacks, tea and coffee await the participant every day followed again by mid morning snacks, tea and coffee.  Lunch for all the contact days is included. Course notes and ring binders are provided. You will however be required to buy one handbook, any coaching handbook, that is not the same as anyone else’s in the group. More information on this at the first contact module.

Course structure: The course consists of 4 Modules. However a 5th, a non-contact module is dedicated to completing a final assignment.

Module themes

Module 1: Narrative coaching. Introduction to change: People & Organisations change. Why? How? | Overview of broad coaching models assumptions about change | A firsthand experience of the narrative coaching process |

Module 2: Level two of Narrative Practice: The foundations: World view & Assumptions pertaining to the following dimensions – Corporate, Spiritual, Philosophical, Axiological and more | Synthesis & Practical – a facilitative approach towards a narrative model

Module 3: An in-depth look at the quintessential GROW model in the context of skills and performance coaching. An agreed upon coaching genre as decided by the group (eg. executive coaching, alignment coaching, transformational coaching) Synthesis & Coaching Practice

Module 4: Contextual-collaborative practices & development of own coaching models | Spirituality in the workplace | Agreed upon genre’s of coaching (eg. Developmental Coaching, Life coaching, and more) | Practical Coaching matters (ethics, professionalism, etc.) | Synthesis & application of the narrative model in different settings | Coaching Practice

Module 5: Mini-dissertation or Research proposal for those intending to do a Master’s Degree (provided other admission requirements are met).

When should I enrol?

There are four scheduled times during the year that a person can enrol, which coincides with the four contact modules.

Enroll status / open: through our course coordinator (Or contact Dr Elmo Pienaar if for some reason interested parties experience difficulties in reaching the University of Pretoria Enterprises).

Course venue

Learning takes place in the East of Pretoria and will be confirmed with enroled participants in advance. An online aspect to the programme supports in-person attendance and will be compulsory in some situations.

Further study options in practical theology

Participants may wish  to continue their studies formally at the University of Pretoria, through an agreement with the Centre for Faith and Community at the department of Practical Theology of the University of Pretoria. While some terms and conditions apply this could potentially pave way to complete up to a PhD where in participatory action processes students complete their research. Interested and qualifying students will have to then write a  mini-thesis or research proposal as their final assignment of the coaching programme. At master’s and doctorate level the purpose of the programme is to conduct research in any aspect of interest where typical organisational considerations (which could include coaching) overlap with related broad theological subject matter such as spirituality, values, the social contract with business, sustainable development, responsible leadership, integrative organisations and more.