American University of Sharjah (AUS) is offering a professional qualification program entitled The Art and Practice of Coaching, a certificate in executive coaching skills, in March 2015. AUS is the first university in the UAE to introduce a professional coach development program for experienced executives, HR professionals and aspiring professional coaches.

Executive coaching is one of the fastest growing professions according to Forbes magazine, and executives who practice coaching as part of their leadership style find it is one of the most powerful forms of organization and people development. Coaching is a technique that can be applied in many situations. and the course is suitable for a mix of professionals including managers, entrepreneurs, lecturers, project leaders, HR professionals, and student counsellors.

The intensive 10-day program, which will be offered from March to May, is aligned with the competencies and ethics of the International Coach Federation (ICF), the leading professional body representing 20,000 coaches worldwide.

"Participants in the course will become more empowered in their roles as they master the coaching skills of deep listening, questioning, goal setting and rapport building," said Linda McLoughlin, the Program Director, and a credentialed ICF Professionally Certified Coach with extensive experience in leadership coaching with executives worldwide and in training coaches.

"The program provides a rich source of personal development, and more and more companies are striving to build coaching cultures to boost performance-this program can kick start that process," added McLoughlin.

The program provide participants with the 11 core competencies laid down by the ICF and also introduces the code of ethics, along with coaching demonstrations and structured practice. The course fee includes 10 days of face-to-face instruction, two online mentor coaching sessions and three observed coaching assessments with feedback, AUS certification, and the online workbook and textbook.

More information can be found at http://info.aus.edu/cecs.