Programme Overview
Designed for established and aspiring coaches, this programme will provide participants with the competencies to deliver coaching to senior leaders in organisations, contract appropriately with organisations, address questions of assessment and evaluation and work effectively with the psychological dimension of coaching. Through a process of practice and feedback from tutors, peers and supervisors, they will develop a range of coaching skills and an understanding of coaching cultures in organisations.
Programme features include:
- University award at postgraduate level - NFQ level 9;
- Accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) at the ‘Senior Practitioner’ level;
- Opportunity to apply for a fast track EMCC Individual Accreditation (EIA)
- Breadth and depth of theoretical input;
- Intensive coach practice sessions;
- 100 face-to-face training hours;
- Requirement to build up coach practice hours between workshops;
- Group supervision at workshops;
- Demonstration sessions from course tutors;
- Programme design reflects the three higher-level competency categories of business and executive coaching: business mindedness, coaching skill and psychological-mindedness.
Key Details
Tues 29th April 2025
Next Intake
€14,540 & €13,850 *(*UCD Business Alumni)
Fees
12 Months
Duration
14 Days x 6 Workshops
Delivery
NFQ Level 9 / 30 ECTS
Accredited / Credits
Module Dates
Module Title |
Module Faculty |
Module Dates |
Module 1: Getting Started in Business Coaching |
Eileen Duggan & Mairead Callanan |
Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th April and Thursday 1st May 2025 |
Module 2: The Psychological Dimension of Business Coaching |
Eileen Duggan & Pamela Fay |
Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th June 2025 |
Module 3: Creative Approaches to Business Coaching |
Eileen Duggan & Pamela Fay |
Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th September 2025 |
Module 4: The Process of Change in Business Coaching |
Eileen Duggan & Pamela Fay |
Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd October |
Module 5: Business Coaching and Leadership |
Eileen Duggan & Pamela Fay |
Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th December |
Module 6: Business Coaching in Organisations |
Eileen Duggan & Pamela Fay |
Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th January 2025 |
Please note - 100% attendance is required at all modules. Should you miss a module due to unexpected circumstances, there is no longer an option to take that module with another intake of the programme – visit www.smurfitschool.ie/executivedevelopment/contactus/faqs/ for full details. Typical day runs from 9.00am to 5.00pm. |
Alumni Insights
FT Global Rankings confirm UCD as leading Irish provider of Executive Education
UCD Smurfit Executive Development has been ranked in the global top 50 and EU top 25 in both the Open Enrolment and Custom Executive Education in the 2024 Financial Times Executive Education Rankings continuing its place as Ireland’s leading provider of Executive Education.
The School is ranked 33rd in the world in the Custom Executive Education Rankings. Within the ranking criteria, the School ranked an impressive 4th globally for Growth reflecting year-on-year revenue growth and repeat business and 27th for Programme Design which ensures flexibility of the curriculum and cutting-edge expert lecturers. Overall, Client Satisfaction is highest in Ireland and ranks 23rd globally.
In the Open Enrolment Ranking, Smurfit Executive Development ranked 46th globally and first in Ireland marking the 7th year in the global top 50. Among the criteria used to assess the categories, the School scored in the global top 50 in 12 out of 14 categories. Find out more here
The ranking demonstrates consistency at the highest standard in the delivery of world-class executive education programmes and places UCD Smurfit Executive Development with an elite group of business institutions that are among the most recognised in the world.

Declan McNamee
Leinster Regional Manager, Apex Fire Ltd.
"My experience with the Diploma in Business and Executive Coaching has been profoundly transformative and immensely valuable. The program provided me with practical and transferable management practices and strategies that I have successfully applied in my role as a Regional Manager. The curriculum served as a comprehensive blueprint for developing strategic plans and implementing essential concepts in real-world scenarios. It offered profound insights and practices that have been crucial for my growth, not only as a leader but also as an individual. The engaging class discussions, combined with the practical learnings and examples from case studies, enabled me to draw meaningful parallels with the challenges and changes I face in my professional and personal life. Overall, this program has been a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile learning experience. I am immensely grateful for the skills and knowledge I have gained, and completing my MSc with this final diploma has been nothing short of life-changing."