Certificate in Happiness Studies for Certified Coaches

HSA | Happiness Studies Academy in partnership with iPEC

Learn advanced skills to generate happiness with clients, organizations and the world at large when you pursue a Certificate in Happiness Studies.

EARN 179 ICF RECERTIFICATION CCEs

You’ve become a masterful Certified Professional Coach. Now take the next step to learn advanced skills to generate happiness with clients, organizations and the world at large when you pursue a Certificate in Happiness Studies.  

As you study alongside top faculty from Harvard and iPEC Coaching you’ll feel noticeably happier and enhance your current methodologies as a coach. You’ll gain the skills to serve your clients more powerfully, assume the role of Chief Happiness Officer at an organization or create a “Happier Center” of your own. 

What are students saying? 

Theresa Murphy

“I have been through many different programs from yoga, to meditation, to leadership trainings and certifications; this program pulls everything together so that makes all sense. For coaches, the principles that you learn in this course give you the desire to pass these on to your clients. You are really able to walk the walk yourself as a coach, and then pass on these tools to your clients.”

– Theresa Murphy

Paige Crosby

“This program is quite extraordinary. The material is so very rich and deep, I will be returning to the readings and the extensive reading list for many years, probably for the rest of my life. This work is so very important, to all. As a coach, I am already using this wisdom and understanding with clients. I love the ability to quote text and to use research to support life concepts.”  

– Paige Crosby

Mary Mclendon

“Tal really helped me to figure out what Happiness really is and why we need to not only study it, but also how to integrate it with our coaching.”  

– Mary Mclendon

FREE ACCESS – Watch the first class of the Certificate in Happiness Studies Program.


Meet Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy, as well as the creator and instructor of the Certificate in Happiness Studies Program.  

After graduating from Harvard with a BA in Philosophy and Psychology and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior, Tal taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history—Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. He is an international, best-selling author whose books have been translated into more than 25 languages.  

In addition to establishing The Happiness Studies Academy, he is also the co-founder of Potentialife and Happier.TV. Tal is a certified yoga instructor whose work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom and modern technology, science, and art.

Payment Plans Available

Certificate in Happiness Studies - Enroll Now

Why Enroll in Happiness Studies Academy 

ENGAGE with rigorous and accessible material that can help you find more meaning and joy in your life.  

CONDUCT workshops, lead seminars, and deliver lectures in the field of Happiness Studies to the public or professional groups.  

ASSUME the role of Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) or Wellbeing Program Manager of an organization—whether a business, an NGO, or a school.

LEARN to help others—be it family members, friends, or colleagues—lead a happier, more meaningful life. 

CREATE a new “Happiness Center” or join an existing one and help people realize their potential for leading a happy, fulfilling life. A center can be an independent entity serving a community, be part of an existing business providing programs for employees, or be part of a school serving faculty and students.


What do Alumni of HSA programs receive? 

  • Ongoing access to new material including the latest research and ideas in the field of Happiness Studies.
  • Ongoing supply of lecture and workshop material that can be used for running independent programs.
  • Exclusive access to live, online, and face-to-face events with HSA faculty and alums.
  • Membership in a supportive, international community dedicated to making the world a better, happier place.

Program Syllabus 

Semester A – Introduction to Happiness Studies October 1, 2018 – April 18, 2019

The course comprises 26, one-hour lectures. Each lecture is subdivided into four sessions. Following is a brief description of each lecture, with a series of questions that correspond to each of the four sessions. The purpose of these questions is to open up your mind to the quest you’re about to take, to reinforce learning by reminding you of the main threads in each of the lectures after you’ve watched them, and also to provide you a map that you can refer to later as you search for material you’d like to revisit.

Semester B – Facilitating Happiness May 9, 2019 – September 19, 2019

While the first course focuses on more theory than practice, the focus of this second course is almost entirely on practice—on application. Each of the lectures below highlights a series of evidence-based techniques that can significantly shift the needle in terms of your own and others’ happiness. Over a period of 22 weeks—which will include lectures and webinars—I will introduce you to the science behind each technique and then provide you with concrete steps that you can take to make a meaningful difference in your life.

Read Full Program Syllabus

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the program schedule? A: At the start of each week, all of that week’s lectures will be made available in the online Student Center. Students can choose when they would like to consume the training during the week. The coursework is yours from the beginning of the course and due once at the end of each semester.  

Read the full program syllabus 

Q: What is the cost of the program? A: You can find the tuition for Happiness Studies Academy here: (Click HERE) and if you are an iPEC Certified Coach we have a 10% savings coupon for you! Simply email us at happy@ipeccoaching.com so we can verify your student status and provide the code.

Q: Is there a payment program? A: Yes, you may divide the tuition into 10 equal installments. CLICK HERE to enroll using the installment plan. 

Q: What is the refund policy? A: Full refund if you cancel before the course starts (on October 1, 2018). No refund available after course starts.  

Be sure to watch the first class to get a sample of the course.

Q: What additional is included in the Happiness Studies Program for certified coaches? A: Through the Accredited Coaching track for the Happiness Certification, coaches will be able to participate in 12 additional webinars led by iPEC president Luke Iorio. Through these webinars, you will learn how to integrate what you are learning through HSA, directly into your coaching. Though many topics will be covered, the focus will be on using your HSA certification to help your coaching business flourish through building webinars, applying new learnings to coaching sessions, marketing yourself as a certified happiness coach and by defining what it means to practice happiness as a coach.

Q: Who can students reach out to for student support if they have questions? A: The course is closely monitored by Dr. Ben-Shahar and his teaching assistants. You can always approach Dr. Ben-Shahar and the assistants via the internal messaging system of the student portal.

Q: How does this information differ from all of the happiness research out there? A: “Happiness Research” runs the gamut from “feel-good/new age” hypothesis all the way to the study of positive psychology. Happiness Studies Academy is a new field of study and is not a compilation of “everything” available out there.

Q: How is this course different from the other courses Tal has created in the past? A: The program has a lot of new material that Tal developed recently so you are receiving the most up-to-date, cutting-edge, research-backed training.  

The Certificate in Happiness Studies Program focuses on more than Positive Psychology by utilizing an interdisciplinary approach—from biology to literature—and incorporates a lot of practical tools on top of the theory. It’s a streamlined, cohesive result of ALL Tal’s work over 30 years! So you would be learning the results of 30 years of evidence-backed science and research within a year.  

In addition, while other programs draw on Dr. Ben-Shahar’s work, this is your opportunity to learn directly from him! Dr. Ben-Shahar has designed and teaches the entire Certificate in Happiness Studies Program.  

And don’t forget, you are earning a certification as well as gaining access to a large volume of ready-made happiness focused content you can use with your clients. 

Q: Has this program been approved for ICF CCE credits? A: Yes! The Certificate in Happiness Studies has been approved for a total of 179 CCEs by the ICF.

  • 62 Core Competencies
  • 117 Resource Development

Q: If I am currently an iPEC student, should I take the Happiness Studies Program at the same time as the Coach Training Program? A: This is entirely up to you. Happiness Studies requires about 3-4 hours a week of your time. Each person learns differently and has different things going on in their lives so if you have the capacity, there’s no reason not to take them at the same time. (Don’t forget to contact us for your iPEC Coach 10% savings coupon! Email happy@ipeccoaching.com) 

Q: How does the Happiness content compliment iPEC? A: Much of what you have learned in iPEC’s Coach Training Program has deep roots in the work of happiness.  

The happiness path is built on awareness and shining that awareness on key areas of your life (and your clients’ lives) in a way that is quite literally proven to generate greater happiness and wellbeing. The models and focus in Happiness Studies Academy are very aligned to the Energetic Influencers that were introduced and are discussed in iPEC’s COR.E Dynamics. Specifically, Dr. Ben-Shahar’s SPIRE model goes deeply into the areas of Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional Wellbeing.  

Also, much like iPEC talks about the goal within the goal, happiness is much more than what it seems—it is not simply the emotional state of feeling happy; it’s a deeper state that produces human flourishing. iPEC chose Dr. Ben-Shahar specifically because of how much his models, values, philosophy, and interventions complement, and in some cases, directly line up with our own. 

Q: Is this certification an add-on to our CPC from iPEC or is it a stand-alone certification for anyone, even if they did not graduate from iPEC? A: This is a stand-alone certification.  

Any Certified Coach can attend and earn a Certification in Happiness Coaching. This gives everyone the best opportunity to learn and grow from each other, plus it makes for exciting partnerships outside of your own “tribe” of learning! (iPEC Certified Coaches and current students receive a 10% savings coupon by emailing happy@ipeccoaching.com.)  

A non-coach can attend the alternate track (non-coaches track) and receive a Certification in Happiness Studies showing completion of the course but they will NOT have the ability nor certification to provide coaching. 

Q: What is a '"Happiness Center" and how would I start one? A: A Happier Center has no prerequisites. It can be a small gathering of family, friends, or co-workers or it can grow into an actual center. Happiness Studies Academy and Dr. Ben-Shahar will support students in this effort with content and guidance.  

Learn more about Happiness Centers

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