Product Management Online Courses & Certifications

Product Management Courses Online: Paving the Path to Professional Excellence

Product management intersects data-driven strategy, design thinking, leadership, and marketing. It serves as a guiding force that ensures the creation of outstanding products, and their alignment with customer expectations, emerging trends, and dynamic market demands.

What is the Relevance of Learning Product Management Now?

Effective product management makes good ventures better. But easier said than done, if you are pursuing a career in this multifaceted discipline, do stay ahead of trends. That’s the only way to grow your expertise continuously. 

Cybersecurity adoption through product lifecycle stages, AI implementation considering the ethical risks, and increased focus on augmented reality or 3D tech for customer engagement are going to be major trends in 2024. These shifts also impact business strategy, which dictates the product development process. 

Taking product management courses is necessary to stay relevant, not only as a product manager, but also as a business or entrepreneur planning the next big innovation. The online courses in this domain available at Shiksha Online cover the latest areas, and beginner-to-intermediate-friendly training, great for freshers, product teams, and those switching careers. 

The course providers like Coursera partner with some universities, including Stanford and Duke, whose names need no introduction. Then, you can choose from expert-led courses on product management on LinkedIn Learning and Udemy, the latest of which have been aggregated here. And of course, you have high-quality courses from Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance, and similar that offer specialisations in the key areas, necessary to excel in Agile environments. 

How Can Top Online Course Providers Help Your Career in Product Management?

Every online course provider features specific USPs catering to different stages of a product professional’s career and learning.

Coursera

Coursera product management courses are great if you seek beginner to intermediate-level training from universities or renowned companies. 

Core Benefits of Taking Product Management Courses from Coursera

1. You can expect university certificates, guided projects, MasterTrack® Certificates, online degrees, and such.
2. Courses in product management in Coursera have exhaustive syllabi. You can choose your training in specific areas, including software development, digital product management, agile methodologies, workflow control, product lifecycle development, and more. 
3. Top universities and companies offering such certifications with expert educators include the University of Mayland, Virginia University, Duke University, and Google. 

Udemy 

Udemy product management courses are generally short and beneficial for both novices and intermediates, when it comes to technical skill development. 

Core Benefits of Taking Product Management Courses from Udemy

1. Training here covers important aspects of the product manager’s role. You can find a good amount of courses in business analytics, product ownership, marketing analytics, risk management, prototype development, data analysis, predictive modelling, version control, lean management, and Scrum framework. 
2. Most of the courses are bite-sized with expert instructors and thought leaders from the industry. 
3. This course provider offers lifetime access to its learners. 

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning product management courses provide certificates through expert-led training. 

Core Benefits of Taking Product Management Courses from LinkedIn Learning

1. Find useful and quick tutorials on roadmapping, product technology, and everything required to transition to move ahead in the product career. 
2. Courses are also available for those preparing for product management interviews. 

Top Product Management Courses in 2024

Here are the top courses in product management across various levels. 

1. AI Product Management Specialization on Coursera
2. Technical Product Management on LinkedIn Learning
3. Product Owner Fundamentals - IIBA Endorsed on Udemy
4. Product Ideation, Design, and Management Specialization on Coursera
5. Product Lifecycle Management on Great Learning
6. Do product research: analyze the competition and interview potential customers on OpenClassrooms

Recommended Product Management Courses Descriptions

Why we recommend AI Product Management Specialization offered by Duke University

The AI Product Management Specialization, offered by Duke University on Coursera, focuses on managing the design and development of machine learning (ML) products. This course is designed to help learners understand how machine learning works and its application in solving problems. It also covers the importance of developing human-centred AI products that adhere to privacy and ethical standards.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding when and how machine learning can be applied to solve problems.
2. Applying these practices to design AI product experiences that protect privacy and meet ethical standards.
3. Using the data science process and best practices from the industry to lead machine learning projects.

Skills You Will Develop 

Gaining skills in areas like modelling, project management, artificial intelligence, data science, artificial neural networks, product management, machine learning, privacy, product design, and predictive modelling.

How Will This Course Help Your Career

As AI and ML continue to revolutionise industries, product managers need to understand how these technologies can be applied to product development. This course directly addresses this need by teaching how to manage ML products and apply human-centred design practices.

In the coming years, it can be predicted that AI will be more incorporated in products.  In fact, the adoption rate of AI is expected to reach 60% by 2025, according to Quixy. But understanding ethical implications is crucial. This specialisation includes content on ethical standards and privacy in AI product development.

Why we recommend Technical Product Management on LinkedIn Learning

This expert-led course by Dr. Marily Nika is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career as a Product Manager in a tech organisation. It is particularly beneficial for those who may not have a technical background but are passionate about technology, product ideas, and problem-solving. 

It covers the fluid skill set required for a technical product manager, encompassing various stages of the product development lifecycle, from idea generation to implementation and final rollout.

Key Learning Outcomes

1. It covers the entire spectrum of product management, including idea generation, creative solution development, and implementation strategies.
2. Emphasises the need for a versatile skill set, enabling product managers to adapt to different stages of product development.

Skills You Will Develop

1. Techniques for generating innovative product ideas.
2. Insights into the R&D process.
3. Learning about key metrics for product management.
4. Strategies for successful product launch.

Instructor Profile

Dr. Marily Nika is an AI Product Lead at Meta/Google and the Founder of AI PM Academy. She is also a Fellow at Harvard, with a background in Machine Learning (ML) and a TED speaker on AI.

How Will This Course Benefit Your Career

Product managers often struggle with managing diverse teams. The Technical Product Management course on LinkedIn Learning addresses this by teaching skills beyond just technical aspects, including team management and idea generation. 

It is important to consider the remote working situation and working with global teams. Courses like this one emphasise about effective management and communication.  

You may further supplement this training with soft skills courses.

Is There Any Eligibility for Joining Product Management Courses?

Product management courses online from different MOOCs have diverse eligibility criteria, because they cater to various levels of learning and experience. 

Some Coursera courses on emerging trends such as AI or technical side of product development, especially when you are only going for one module instead of the whole specialisation, would require familiarity or even experience in topics like predictive modelling, prototyping, and such. But taking the full specialisation would not require any experience, as the training is provided ground up. 

Likewise, with most Udemy and Great Learning courses, would require no eligibility to join. 

What Skills are Needed to be a Product Manager?

Key skills for a successful product manager include strategic thinking, communication, leadership, data analysis, and customer-centricity.

You may further read on product manager skills to see how they are used. 

Go Global with Product Management Courses Online

Different regions have varying market needs and cultural nuances. Courses like those on Coursera and LinkedIn Learning often include global case studies and examples. These will help you as a learner understand product management from a global perspective.

These courses also collectively provide a comprehensive skill set that addresses current industry challenges, adapts to technological advancements, all the while emphasising the importance of regulatory and ethical considerations in product management.