Study online and earn an ILM-accredited qualification in coaching and mentoring.
Get a critical understanding of the role and responsibilities of the workplace coach. And learn to provide effective support for the development of others. Gain the skills you need to:
- help colleagues improve their performance
- use coaching to enhance organisational productivity
- develop a coaching and mentoring culture within your organisation.
With expert guidance from our ILM-qualified staff, you’ll cover some basic mentoring techniques but focus primarily on coaching.
You’ll undertake an extended period of peer coaching to build your practical coaching experience, expertise and confidence.
Who is this ILM course for?
This online ILM coaching course is ideal if you’re a manager with responsibility for coaching as part of your day-to-day role.
It will also support you if you’re keen to move into a development role in your organisation or start a career as a freelance coach.
The course includes a taught element around the implementation of a coaching programme in the workplace. However, it is assumed that students will have a working knowledge of an organisation / business and how coaching can be used in this context.
If you are not currently working in an organisation or wish to undertake the course to become a freelance Coach, please contact the course tutor to discuss if this is the right course for you.
ILM approved training
The University of Aberdeen has been approved by the Institute of Leadership & Management since 2012. This partnership means our programmes in Leadership and Management Development are coupled with a formal ILM qualification.
What you’ll study
This qualification is primarily a course to develop your coaching skills and competency. There will be an optional online module that will cover the fundamentals of Mentoring.
Through a mix of mandatory live tutorials and self-study online materials you’ll cover topics including:
- the foundations of coaching competencies (skills, knowledge and behaviours of an effective Coach)
- Coaching models, tools and techniques
- Ethics, contracting and goal setting
- how to implement coaching within an organisation
- Reflective practice and reviewing your ability as a coach within an organisation.
You’ll also undertake 18 hours of practical coaching practice along with peer coaching practice at each tutorial.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to...
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Assess your own skills, knowledge and behaviours as a coach.
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Manage the coaching process within an organisation.
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Discuss how the organisational context can affect coaching.
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Plan, deliver and review your coaching practice.
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Plan your future development in coaching.
How you’ll study
Online learning
Our ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring course is delivered part-time, 100% online. You can study with us anywhere in the world and manage your study hours to suit you.
This course is taught at undergraduate level by experienced ILM training professionals.
You’ll learn through a combination of online materials, live online tutorials that take place at fixed times, and peer coaching sessions.
Your teaching
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:
- video lectures to stream or download
- online tutorials
- peer coaching
- reading materials
- discussion boards with colleagues and tutors
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library.
Live online tutorials
During the course, you’ll attend a series of live online coaching tutorials, set at fixed dates and times as detailed in the key dates section below.
These tutorial sessions are mandatory, but will be recorded for you to catch up if you are unable to attend a session due to extenuating circumstances.
It is not permissible to complete the course purely through watching all the recordings without attending the live tutorials.
Peer coaching is an integral part of the qualification and will take place during each tutorial so it is important to be able to take part in the experiential element of this course.
Coaching practice
In order to pass this accredited qualification, the ILM requires you to undertake:
- 18 hours of coaching practice over the course of the qualification
- with a minimum of two and maximum of three volunteers.
Wherever possible, you’ll need to select your coaching volunteers prior to the course starting. This is so you can set dates for beginning your coaching practice after the first assignment submission deadline. Your volunteers should be colleagues rather than friends or family, so you can practise coaching in a workplace context.
The course totals approximately 150 hours of study and assessment time.
This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes.
Activities at fixed times
For this course, there will be online activities scheduled at fixed dates and times, including:
- live online tutorials (see timetable above for dates and times)
- assessments with deadlines.
Otherwise, you can access and work through the course at your convenience.
You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.
This course is assessed entirely online via:
- two written assignments of between 5000 and 7000 words each
- a portfolio of evidence of your coaching practice – evidence gathered from your 18 hours of coaching practice
Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies.
You’ll have contact with your coordinator via email, MyAberdeen, Microsoft Teams, or phone. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.
We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:
- Careers and Employability Service
- Disability support
- IT support
- Library support
- Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
- Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
- Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
- Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier
Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.
Key dates
To help you plan your studies, the key dates are as follows:
Course start date
- 28 August 2025
Induction
- 29 August 2025, 11:00 – 12:30
Tutorials and coaching practice
- 10 September 2025, 09:30 - 13:00
- 17 September 2025, 09:30 - 13:00
- 24 September 2025, 09:30 - 13:00
- 1 October 2025, 09:30 - 13:00
- 8 October 2025, 09:30 - 13:00
- 4 November 2024, 09:30 - 13:00
Unit 500 assessment tutorials
- 19 November 2025, 09:30 - 12:00
- 26 November 2025, 09:30 - 12:00
Unit 501 coaching practice paperwork tutorial
- 3 February 2026, 09:30 - 12:00
Coaches check-in
- 5 February 2025, 10:00 - 11:00
Assessment submission deadlines
- Unit 500 assessment submission: 30 January 2026
- Unit 501 and 503 assessment submission: 31 August 2026
Your course tutor
Clare Trembleau
Clare is the Staff Development Partner with the University of Aberdeen, responsible for the management and provision of development opportunities for staff across the University. She is an experienced Learning and Development professional with over 25 years’ experience in the public, private and third sector.
Clare’s specialist knowledge lies in leadership, management and coaching. She is a qualified workplace coach and mentor having qualified with the ILM in 2013. She is responsible for managing and Supervising the University’s internal pool of coaches.
Where this will take you
Your ILM Certificate
You’ll receive a Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring from the ILM when you successfully complete the course.
The ILM is the UK’s leading provider of leadership, management and coaching qualifications, with over 50 years’ experience in learning and development. Every year they improve the leadership skills and success levels of over 90,000 managers.
The ILM Level 5 will provide enough hours of study you need to become accredited with either the ICF or the EMCC at entry level.
You will also receive AfCGI – Affiliateship of the City and Guilds of London Institute as a post nominal from the ILM.
Careers
This course will certify your coaching skills and develop your ability to lead, motivate and inspire.
It’s designed to enhance the careers of managers and those with responsibility for coaching as part of their daily role.
But this qualification will also help you to move into a development role or start a career as a freelance coach.
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.
Free career support
Access our free careers service while you study.
- 1:1 appointments
- CV checks
- Interview prep
- Job opportunities
Build your learning with more short courses
You can continue building your qualifications with our CV-enhancing online leadership courses, including further ILM courses.
Many carry credits you can build up into postgraduate qualifications.
Entry requirements
You will need access to:
A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) with an up-to-date operating system
Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.
Reliable internet access
We recommend:
- a wired connection
- a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.
Speakers or headphones
- We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
- A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one for some interactive sessions.
Software
We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive and install these programs on up to five personal devices.
If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.
See our detailed IT requirements for more information.
When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.
But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.
Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.
Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:
- Be realistic
- Create a weekly schedule as a guide
If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.
Fee payment
Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.
We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.
Ways to save
You may be able to get help funding this course via:
- discounts – if any discounts are available for this course, they’ll appear in the section below
- employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors.
Find out more about funding options.
Student card
All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.
There are no entry requirements for this course. But to complete it, you need to:
- be available to attend the compulsory live tutorial sessions at fixed dates and times
- undertake 18 hours of coaching practise with a minimum of two and maximum of three volunteers over the course of the qualification.
As coaching practise is an integral part of this course, you will need to identify volunteers prior to the course starting. Ideally, your volunteers should be colleagues rather than friends or family, so you can practise coaching in the context of the workplace.
This course is delivered in English. You will need a level of reading and writing comprehension equivalent to National 3, Standard Grade or GCSE.
Academically the ILM Level 5 is the equivalent to a second year undergraduate degree which requires a level of cognitive ability to be able to demonstrate the depth of reflection, assessment and review required to complete the assignments (guidance and support will be available for all assignments).
