Becoming a doctor or lawyer has a clear path. Product management does not have one yet.
No specialized schools or degrees exist for product managers. The role is too new for a well-trodden educational pathway.
Yet product managers are becoming business rock stars. Cloud computing and IoT put them at the center of everything.
GlassDoor estimates salaries between $70,000 and $140,000. That’s remarkable for a career with no set credentials.
We’ve compiled the best product management courses online for you. These offerings come from top universities worldwide.
Skills from these courses give you a competitive edge. Already working as a PM? They offer continuing education opportunities.
What Is Product Management?
The product manager role is bigger than project management. It’s also different from the agile “product owner” role.
Product managers advocate on behalf of the product itself. They marshal resources and design strategies for success.
The role touches UX design, marketing, and sales. Cross-functional leadership is essential to the job.
Product managers stay close to customers for insights. Feedback informs product direction and improvements continuously.
Here are the best product management courses available online today.
1. Digital Product Management: Modern Fundamentals
University of Virginia via Coursera
University of Virginia via Coursera
This course addresses the changing role of product managers. Digital products have transformed the job completely.
Professor Alex Cowan covers four weeks of content. Topics include actionable focus and modern PM methods.
New product exploration and existing product management get covered. The course is ideal for learning PM basics.
Hours to Complete: 11
Cost: $79 USD per month
Key Skills: Product/Market Fit, Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Innovation Pipeline
Hours to Complete: 11
Cost: FREE to Enroll as of December 7th 2025
Promising review:
“I felt like I went from only a vague understanding of what it means to be a product manager to a much more focussed view of what this role entails, common best practices, experiences from other product managers, etc. This course was great for helping me decide if I wanted to pursue Product Management as the next stage in my career seriously or not … I am glad to say that I am hooked and when I become a successful product manager this course would have been instrumental in retrospect.”
2. Intro to Software Product Management
University of Alberta via Coursera
University of Alberta via Coursera
Software product management dominates the current market. Understanding software PM expands job prospects exponentially.
Associate Professor Kenny Wong provides crucial insights here. The product path from inception to release gets covered.
The course pays attention to agile environments specifically. It’s a tight five-hour package of crucial lessons.
Hours to Complete: 5
Cost: FREE to Enroll as of December 7th 2025
Key Skills: Agile Software Development, Software Product Management, Project Management
Promising review:
“Excellent Introduction to basics of Software Development Process .. I am [a] 10-years experienced software professional, and can truly certify the elements mentioned in the course. Also having said, it is a good refresher as some of the topics are not strictly followed by industry leading to issues after a couple of months … Would recommend for everyone!”
3. Design-Led Strategy
University of Sydney
Design-led strategy plays a bigger role than ever. Many companies compete using the exact same technologies.
Professor Eric Knight immerses students in design thinking. Distinctions between design and traditional business strategy emerge.
Real-world examples include UBank and Swiss Re. Practical strategies unstick innovative product ideas effectively.
Hours to Complete: 20
Cost: FREE to Enroll as of December 7th 2025
Key Skills: Design-led Strategy, Market Research, Prototyping, Product Ideation
Promising review:
“Intense, highly insightful, very practical and helpful, constant real-business-world examples and case discussions, very high value through conveying ease with understanding and applying the intersection of Design Thinking and Business/Corporate Strategy. Highly recommended!”
4. New Product Development
Israel Institute of Technology via Coursera
Israel Institute of Technology via Coursera
New product development expertise is highly demanded today. Product failure rates remain stubbornly high overall.
Professor Avy Shtub teaches tested NPD processes and methodologies. 21 hours cover selection through planning to release.
Students learn to develop working NPD plans. Execution works even in uncertain environments.
Hours to Complete: 21
Cost: FREE to Enroll as of December 7th 2025
Key Skills: New Product Development, Product Configuration, Voice of the Customer
These courses rank among the best product management courses online for foundations.
Promising review:
“Excellent course ! Among its benefits is the ability to use the Project Management Simulator, [which] allows you to practice, in a safe environment, optimization of the project management at each and every step. You can then port the data, among others to Microsoft Project manager. The instructor of the course, Prof. Avy Shtub, won the PMI teaching award for 2018.”
5. Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
University of Virginia via Coursera
Products require projects to bring them to life. Every product manager needs project management skills.
Associate Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne analyzes project lifecycles. Stakeholder roles get mapped using power/interest grids.
The Darden School is a PMI Registered Education Provider. Twelve professional development units are available.
Hours to Complete: 8
Cost: $49 USD
Key Skills: Risk Analysis, Project Planning, Project Management
Promising review:
“This course has exceeded my expectations. Prof Grushka-Cockayne does a phenomenal job in explaining the fundamentals of Project Planning and Management in a manner that makes it easy to follow and understand. With numerous examples along the way, she succeeds in reaching out to various levels of knowledge prior to taking this course. The usage of popular software tools within this framework is very helpful and helps to illustrate the technicalities that come along with planning and managing a project. Furthermore, this course gave me the confidence in actively participating in bigger future projects, working together with people with a more in-depth knowledge of project planning.”
6. Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation
University of Illinois via Coursera
Staying close to customers is a major PM job. Deep insights inform product designs and improvements.
Professor William Qualls offers 23 hours of instruction. Case studies show CIPD processes in action.
Customer journey mapping is a key skill covered. Voice of the customer concepts are explored thoroughly.
Hours to Complete: 23
Cost: $49 USD
Key Skills: Customer Insights, Voice of the Customer, Customer Journey Mapping
Promising review:
“A very refreshing melange of quirky nuances of the market, very neatly portraying the insight that is required for product development. Very enlightening!”
7. Agile Planning for Software Products
University of Alberta via Coursera
Digital product managers must reckon with agile methods. Nearly every software team practices agile today.
Associate Professor Kenny Wong guides you through it. Scrums, KANBAN boards, sprints, and epics get explained.
Effective planning techniques for agile development are covered. Customer feedback and MVPs are central topics.
Hours to Complete: 12
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Agile Management, Software Development, PERT
Promising review:
“The course was excellent. Every concept was explained in a systematic and structured way which made it easy to grasp and recall. Other than the core tutorials, the course also had a repository of excellent resources for more in-depth study of the topics which proved very useful. There were interesting quizzes interspersed with the lectures which made it extremely interesting and thought provoking. The entire experience was so good that it makes you want to do more and more courses on the platform one after another.”
8. Software Development Processes and Methodologies
University of Minnesota via Coursera
Software development has evolved significantly over time. Product managers need to understand what they’re entering.
Instructors Praveen Mittal and Kevin Wendt teach concepts. They help identify the best methodology for tasks.
Agile, Waterfall, RUP, and Spiral models get covered. 22 hours provide comprehensive methodology exposure.
Hours to Complete: 22
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Agile Methodology, Waterfall, RUP Model, Incremental Model
Promising review:
“Great beginner course for those interested in software development processes and methodologies. Very applicable especially if you’re a software engineer or an aspiring IT project manager.”
These are among the best product management courses online for technical skills.
9. Designing the Organization
University of Illinois
Organizational design matters for managers of anything. Bottlenecks anywhere can undermine entire operations.
Three professors cover organizational development intricacies. Purpose, governance, and effectiveness metrics are addressed.
Product managers often lead cross-functional teams together. Organizational design skills make you very hireable.
Hours to Complete: 13
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Organizational Structure, Organization Design, Strategic Management
Cost: $49 USD per month
Promising review:
“This is an exceptional introduction to designing an organization. I greatly enjoy this iMBA specialization in Leadership and look forward to finishing all 7 courses. In one month, you learn a lot of very useful information through readings. excellent lectures, quizzes, case studies and written papers. I highly recommend this course.”
10. Design Principles: An Introduction
UC San Diego via Coursera
Product managers benefit from understanding UX design. User experience is part of the product itself.
Professor Scott Klemmer illuminates critical UX elements. Interactive design examples get broken down thoroughly.
Human-centered design paradigms are the focus here. A/B testing and user interface skills are gained.
Hours to Complete: 13
Cost: $39 USD per month
Key Skills: A/B Testing, User Experience, User Interface, UXD
Promising review:
“Fantastic course! Learned a lot from it—both theoretically and practically. The hands on exercises were very smart and applicable. I’m left with a lot more interest in the subject, a bunch of books for further reading and some new tools under my belt. Thanks!”
11. Managing Project Risks and Changes
UC Irvine via Coursera
This six-hour course covers risk management tools. Pivoting to changes and new information is essential.
Instructor Margaret Meloni covers change management principles. Effective communication channels prevent stakeholder surprises.
Risk identification and prioritization are key competencies. Building risk-response plans is thoroughly explored.
Hours to Complete: 6
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Project Management, Change Control, Risk Management
Promising review:
“This is a very important and interesting course. After completing this course I have learned how to manage the risks and changes in a project … The instructor of this course taught very well and we can apply the learning in our professional sector and can gain success in managing project risks and changes.”
12. Innovation Management
Erasmus University Rotterdam via Coursera
Can innovation even be managed effectively? This nine-week course tackles that essential question.
Creativity stimulation and idea management systems are covered. Building innovation strategy is a core topic.
Practical exercises and consultant interviews are included. Managing the “fuzzy front end” becomes clearer.
Hours to Complete: 13
Cost: $49 USD
Key Skills: Innovation, Innovation Management, Social Network, Management
Promising review:
“This is one of my most rewarding courses. I must add that it can not be any more timely than now. Many people are becoming innovation think tanks in ways they could have never imagined. It was a tad bit challenging yet, the skills I have acquired are priceless.. I actually learned definitions for innovation, innovation management, strategies and disruptions. Great course!”
These rank among the best product management courses online for leadership.
13. Managing Talent
University of Michigan via Coursera
Talent management addresses a top CEO headache. The best ideas fail without the right team.
Dean Scott DeRue and colleagues teach this course. Sustainable talent management concepts are explored deeply.
Building talent pipelines complements innovation pipelines well. Coaching, evaluation, and feedback principles are covered.
Hours to Complete: 11
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Onboarding, Talent Management, Coaching, Recruitment
Promising review:
“A very good course for those who want a thorough understanding of how HR works in an organization. This course presents the role and responsibilities of HR functions from a strategic point and gives real time examples. The sound and video quality is very good. Recommended to all those who want to shape a career in strategic HR and who want to understand how HR functions work in an organization as a whole.”
14. Managing an Agile Team
University of Virginia via Coursera
Nearly every software team practices agile methodologies. Understanding agile is essential for digital PMs.
Instructor Alex Cowan cuts through most of the noise. Agile isn’t a religion, just an approach.
Scrum, kanban, sprints, and backlogs are covered practically. The “why” of agile is the focus.
Hours to Complete: 11
Cost: $79 USD per month
Key Skills: Agile Product Management, Backlog Management, Kanban, XP
Promising review:
“This course was a great overview and foundation of key principles and concepts in agile practices among teams. This course would benefit anyone that is managing agile projects or teams. Even if you understand agile principles, I would still recommend this course to gain a good understanding of the methodologies and practices that are popular today. I like the Coursera content that incorporates interviews with influencers in the industry.”
15. Managing G Suite
Google, via Coursera
Google via Coursera
Google G Suite runs entire businesses in the cloud. Product managers should know how to leverage it.
Google Drive, Calendar, and Vault are all covered. Multi-domain management through Gmail is explained.
Admin panels and back office spaces get orientation. Keep the Google Cloud under control effectively.
Hours to Complete: 8
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Google G Suite, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar
Promising review:
“Great overview and well taught—I love the hands-on way in which this course takes you through the management and execution of the competencies.”
16. Strategic Innovation: Managing Innovation and Initiatives
University of Illinois via Coursera
Innovation means no one has done it before. Traditional roadmaps may or may not work here.
Associate Professor E. Geoffrey Love provides frameworks. Coping with uncertainty in orderly fashion is taught.
Disruptive technologies require special attention and approaches. Team building around innovation is thoroughly covered.
Hours to Complete: 21
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Innovation, Disruptive Innovation, Innovation Management
Promising review:
“One of the best management classes I’ve had the opportunity to take. If you want to be better at leading teams, at implementing innovation effectively, whether a manager or a team contributor, this class will absolutely give you a leg up.”
These are among the best product management courses online for strategy.
17. Analyzing Product Opportunities with Creately
Coursera
Creately is a SaaS platform for visualizing products. Collaborative workflow design is its core strength.
Instructor Jasper Albert teaches hands-on exercises throughout. Product attractiveness analysis helps organizations decide direction.
Custom templates and the Ansoff Matrix are covered. Universal product analysis strategies emerge from training.
Hours to Complete: 2
Cost: $9.99 USD per month
Key Skills: Startup, Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Innovation
18. Managing Uncertainty in Marketing Analytics
Emory University via Coursera
Data-driven stakeholders often want guaranteed results. Professional marketers know that isn’t realistic.
Professor David Schweidel uses basic spreadsheets for teaching. Probability distributions and Monte Carlo simulations are covered.
Uncertainty modeling is essential for new products. Uncharted waters require special analytical approaches.
Hours to Complete: 13
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Probability Distributions, Monte Carlo Simulations, Uncertainty Modeling
Promising review:
“In one word: USEFUL. And that is a lot these days. I use the concepts (and excel tools) everyday!”
19. Budgeting and Scheduling Projects
UC Irvine via Coursera
Innovation work often overshadows budgeting and scheduling. Product managers must master these critical tasks.
Instructor Margaret Meloni covers practical, actionable details. Resource needs and activity durations get estimated.
Three methods for estimating project costs are explained. Responsibility matrices assign project tasks clearly.
Hours to Complete: 6
Cost: $49 USD per month
Key Skills: Schedule, Project Management, Budget, Budget Estimation
Hours to Complete: 6
Cost: $49 USD per month
Promising review:
“Great course going into important details on cost and budgeting. I really like the video portion which gives real-world examples that help reinforce and bring the concepts to an everyday audience.”
20. Bridging the Gap Between Design Strategy and Delivery
Brightline via Coursera
Many initial strategies barely resemble final delivery. Companies must adapt to change or risk losses.
Brightline’s 10 Guiding Principles bridge the gap effectively. Director Ricardo Viana Vargas shares real-world examples.
Private, public, and nonprofit sectors are all covered. Cross-functional team management skills are developed.
Hours to Complete: 19
Cost: $49 USD
Key Skills: Strategy Implementation, Business Strategy, Strategic Management, Leadership
Promising review:
“I strongly recommend this course! It’s a very well structured program with very interesting and useful contents for people that want to make a difference. It probably sounds obvious that strategies once developed need arduous execution to become a reality, right? Well. that’s not exactly what happens to most organizations nowadays. The 10 Guiding Principles, when effectively applied, bridge the gap between strategy definition and strategy delivery.”
21. DevOps Culture and Mindset
UC Davis via Coursera
DevOps often goes hand-in-hand with agile development. It unifies development and IT functions efficiently.
Nike VP Courtney Kissler guides you through fundamentals. Organizational models and value stream mapping are covered.
Continuous workflow and implementation are key concepts. Digital product managers need this essential knowledge.
Hours to Complete: 14
Cost: $49 USD
Key Skills: DevOps, Value Stream Mapping
How to Choose the Right Course
Start by identifying your biggest skill gaps first. Then match courses to your career goals.
Beginners should start with fundamentals courses first. Working PMs can focus on specialized topics.
These best product management courses online open new doors. A completed course can land you interviews.
Promising review:
“Excellent course. Rich on real-life examples that can help in understanding the DevOps principles and best practices. Highly recommended for IT leaders and management.”
Summary
While becoming a Product Manager is not as well-defined as becoming a Doctor or Lawyer, there are a number of skills directly relevant to the role. These courses offer a valuable opportunity to those interested in the field to learn skills such as market research, talking to customers, product-market fit, building and prioritizing a roadmap, managing software teams, iterating to improve, and effectively working with data — all knowledge potential employers look for. A completed course on your resume can be the difference between being passed on and receiving an interview!
Whether you’re aspiring to land your first role or want to continue your lifelong education as a Product Manager, a course from this carefully curated list could be exactly what you’re looking for.
