Online MS in Psychology: Life Coaching Emphasis
Help Others Set and Achieve Goals
A life coach is a guide who empowers clients to overcome obstacles, achieve goals, navigate transitions and reach their true potential in life. If you’re passionate about helping others overcome personal and professional obstacles, you can focus your career on psychology with the Master of Science in Psychology with an Emphasis in Life Coaching from Grand Canyon University. This degree is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to individuals who desire to enhance their opportunities for professional growth or further academic exploration in the field.
Help others lead full, productive lives by immersing yourself in the principles and theories of mindset coaching while examining fundamental coaching skills that can immediately be put to work in your practice. You will explore models and techniques for creating a coaching alliance and developing a coaching plan. This MS in Psychology will also teach you how to work productively with individuals, businesses and other organizations, emphasizing guidance, accountability and professional ethics from a Christian perspective.
Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Master's)
- Undergraduate Degree*
- 2.8+ GPA
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
- GMAT: 500
- GRE: 300 combined**
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).
Earn Your Master’s With a Life Coaching Emphasis
Throughout this master’s program, you’ll have opportunities to explore best practices in individual, business and organizational coaching with an eye toward empowering others to create lasting change. You’ll dive into psychology research, examining emerging trends and considering theoretical and applied aspects of experimental design. As a private Christian university, GCU offers faith-integrated coursework by exploring personal growth coaching from the Christian perspective.
Pursue Your Psychology Degree Online With a Focus on Life Coaching
This psychology master’s, offered online, provides a flexible learning path for modern learners. You can earn your MS while continuing to meet your current professional responsibilities by accessing coursework from almost anywhere. Benefit from lively discussions with peers who present a range of perspectives and enjoy lectures from knowledgeable faculty.
This Degree Is Offered Online
Courses and Topics for Empowering Others
You will delve into the details of coaching models and techniques, examining the formation of coaching alliances and the development of coaching plans. You will be taught how to differentiate between coaching, mentoring and consulting. The program examines key factors such as organizational climate, emotional intelligence, ethical issues pertaining to executive coaching and the interpretation of scientific assessments.
Some of the course topics you will cover in this MS program include:
Ethical and contemporary issues in psychology
Fundamentals of coaching
Individual, business and organizational coaching
Facilitation and assessment
Develop Techniques for Assessing and Helping Others
The master’s in psychology follows a comprehensive curriculum designed to inspire you to become an innovative thinker, effective communicator and transformative leader. The goal of helping others is central to this master’s degree program, which introduces you to research-based theories, principles and methods of psychology. With a firm foundation of scientific knowledge, you may assess individuals, develop actionable recommendations and implement effective coaching plans. Enjoy opportunities for personal and professional growth as you explore cognitive processes, thought patterns, behaviors and motivators.
The degree program concludes with a professional capstone project, where you will examine and present original research ideas and reflect upon various occupations in the life coaching subfield.
Career Opportunities for Aspiring Life Coaches
Life coaches can also work across a range of settings. Some specialize in working with organizations where they can provide consulting services to employers, coaching services to managers and mentoring to the company’s employees. Others work for wellness organizations or mental health clinics, while others may be self-employed entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur who runs their own coaching practice may work out of a home office, conducting sessions virtually, from an office space or the clients’ private homes.(See disclaimer 2)
To further enhance career qualifications, graduates of this emphasis may choose to pursue additional certifications or a doctoral degree.(See disclaimer 1)
There is a range of career possibilities for future life coaches. A life coach may specialize in a particular area of coaching, such as:(See disclaimer 2)
Career
Health and wellness
Relationships
Personal finance
Spirituality
Continue Your Education at an Accredited University
When you enroll in this MS in Psychology, you can feel confident that you’re furthering your education with purpose. As an institutionally accredited university, GCU prioritizes academic quality, with the goal of graduating professionals who are prepared to effect positive change in the lives of others. GCU has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
If helping others better their lives through coaching sounds like the perfect job for you, read through our frequently asked questions to learn more about this program.
What are the prerequisites for this life coaching emphasis?
How do I become a life coach?
Is life coaching worth it?
Is it hard to become a life coach?
Program Curriculum
Core Courses
Prepare to empower clients with personal growth and mindset coaching.
- Indeed Editorial Team. (2024, Aug. 18). Learn About Being a Life Coach. Indeed. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2024.
- Bouchrika, I., PhD. (2024, May 24). What is Life Coaching: Types, Benefits, and Steps to Becoming a Life Coach in 2024. Research.com. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2024.