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Product Manager Certifications: Meet Your Career Goals

Product Manager Certifications: Meet Your Career Goals

emily rivers marketing & product expert

Emily Rivers

Marketing & Product

Apr 11, 2024

5m

TL;DR: There are product management certifications available for product managers of all levels, including those who want to learn about agile processes and scrum. While the certification from Product School is perfect for beginners, the Certified Product Manager Credential by AIPMM is best for managers looking to take the next step in product management. But keep in mind that real-life experience is one of the best ways to grow their careers and use product management certifications to boost their practical skills and knowledge.

Best for Aspiring Product Managers: Product Manager Certification (PMC) by Product School

The Product Manager Certification by Product School is perfect if you've just started or want to start a career in product management. Led by top Silicon Valley product leaders from tech companies like Google and Meta, you'll get hands-on experience through live lectures and real-world scenarios.

Course content

  • What makes great product managers

  • Understanding your customers

  • Strategic alignment

  • How to bring concepts to reality

  • How to create a go-to-market plan

  • How to win over hiring managers

Why Productlane recommends it

  • Get unlimited access to course materials for 2 years

  • Formal training in small online classes

  • Industry recognized certification

Course duration and cost

  • 30 hours, either part-time over 2 months on weeknights or weekends, or full-time over 5 days

  • From $1,760 per month

Prerequisites

  • None - no prior experience needed

Best for Improving Your Product Management Skills: Certified Product Manager Credential by AIPMM

The Certified Product Manager certification by AIPMM is ideal for product managers looking to take their career to the next level. Offering both online and in-person learning, this course helps you to learn key skills and strategies for marketing throughout the product life cycle and how to create a marketing plan for your product. There's a certification exam at the end to show off what you've learned.

Course content

  • Developing case study materials

  • Crafting business plans

  • Performing competitive analysis

  • Product life cycle modeling

Why Productlane recommends it

  • Learn at your own pace with live, on-demand and in-person teaching

  • Review program structure and video samples before you commit

  • Internationally recognized professional association for PMs

Course duration and cost

  • Up to 20 hours

  • From $125 for an AIPMM membership

  • $395 for self-paced study

Prerequisites

  • Recommended for product marketing managers and product owners with at least 3 years of experience

Best for Senior Product Managers: Product Strategy by Kellogg at Northwestern

The Product Strategy certification course is ideal for a senior product manager looking to step into leadership and strategy roles. It teaches a growth-oriented approach to product strategy, taking into account user research and techniques that cover the entire product roadmap. This product management course prides itself on giving PMs hands-on experience to help them progress in their careers.

Course content

  • Analyzing new product opportunities

  • Assessing the pros and cons of different business models

  • Creating buyer personas and other product marketing essentials

  • Using agile processes grounded in the jobs-to-be-done framework

Why Productlane recommends it

  • Helps project managers and product owners break into higher-paid product management roles

  • Has more of a focus on product marketing

  • Offers an applied learning project to help learners apply their new skills immediately

Course duration and cost

  • 2 months, 4-6 hours per week; mix self-paced and live online classes

  • $2,850

Prerequisites

  • Anyone can take this product management certification, but it's recommended that you have prior experience in product management from any point of a product's life cycle

Best if You Want to Learn About the Scrum Framework: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) by Scrum Alliance

Scrum Alliance's Certified Scrum Product Owner certification is ideal if you've got some experience in agile development but want to master Scrum. It teaches you how to maximize your product's value and how backlog grooming within the scrum framework can help you achieve more.

Course content

  • Product owner core skills

  • Goal setting and planning, including using sprints

  • Understanding your customers

  • Validating product assumptions

Why Productlane recommends it

  • Offers a professional product management certificate without an exam, which suits many learners

  • Helps you gain skills that you can apply immediately to your product process

  • Explains scrum in a simple-to-understand way to open the door for other opportunities

Course duration and cost

  • Approx. 16 hours over 2 days, online live

  • $895, but offers run regularly

Prerequisites

  • None, but it's recommended that you've been a product manager or project manager for at least 3 years

FAQs on Product Manager Certifications

What is PMC certification?

PMC means product management certification. Some people use the term to cover all product management certifications available, but others will only use it to describe the PMC provided by Product School. In general, PMCs help PMs, whether brand new or experienced, to gain practical and technical skills related to product management and also project management. Some courses will mean that you become a certified product manager at the end of it, after completing an exam.

What is PMC certification?

PMC means product management certification. Some people use the term to cover all product management certifications available, but others will only use it to describe the PMC provided by Product School. In general, PMCs help PMs, whether brand new or experienced, to gain practical and technical skills related to product management and also project management. Some courses will mean that you become a certified product manager at the end of it, after completing an exam.

What is PMC certification?

PMC means product management certification. Some people use the term to cover all product management certifications available, but others will only use it to describe the PMC provided by Product School. In general, PMCs help PMs, whether brand new or experienced, to gain practical and technical skills related to product management and also project management. Some courses will mean that you become a certified product manager at the end of it, after completing an exam.

Do I need a product manager certification?

While you don't need a certification for product management, it's a good idea to have one. If you're looking to start a new career in product management, you'll be up against plenty of PMs with certifications and experience in product management. Many entry-level product management certifications have a module dedicated to helping you learn how to stick out from the crowd to get your first PM job, so it makes sense to look into a product management program if you have high career aspirations.

Do I need a product manager certification?

While you don't need a certification for product management, it's a good idea to have one. If you're looking to start a new career in product management, you'll be up against plenty of PMs with certifications and experience in product management. Many entry-level product management certifications have a module dedicated to helping you learn how to stick out from the crowd to get your first PM job, so it makes sense to look into a product management program if you have high career aspirations.

Do I need a product manager certification?

While you don't need a certification for product management, it's a good idea to have one. If you're looking to start a new career in product management, you'll be up against plenty of PMs with certifications and experience in product management. Many entry-level product management certifications have a module dedicated to helping you learn how to stick out from the crowd to get your first PM job, so it makes sense to look into a product management program if you have high career aspirations.

How long does it take to get a product manager certification?

How long it takes to get a product manager certification depends on the course. Most courses are offered part-time, often in-person and online, so you can complete them around your job. They can take a few months over a couple of evenings a week or weekends. Some product management programs offer fast-track places of intensive 5-day courses, while others may take 2 full days.

How long does it take to get a product manager certification?

How long it takes to get a product manager certification depends on the course. Most courses are offered part-time, often in-person and online, so you can complete them around your job. They can take a few months over a couple of evenings a week or weekends. Some product management programs offer fast-track places of intensive 5-day courses, while others may take 2 full days.

How long does it take to get a product manager certification?

How long it takes to get a product manager certification depends on the course. Most courses are offered part-time, often in-person and online, so you can complete them around your job. They can take a few months over a couple of evenings a week or weekends. Some product management programs offer fast-track places of intensive 5-day courses, while others may take 2 full days.

What are the best qualifications for a product manager?

There are no best qualifications for a product manager, as there are no formal qualifications required. However, most top companies will want you to have a degree at least. Aspiring product managers should consider taking courses and certifications in product management so they have a solid foundation to build on when they get their first job.

What are the best qualifications for a product manager?

There are no best qualifications for a product manager, as there are no formal qualifications required. However, most top companies will want you to have a degree at least. Aspiring product managers should consider taking courses and certifications in product management so they have a solid foundation to build on when they get their first job.

What are the best qualifications for a product manager?

There are no best qualifications for a product manager, as there are no formal qualifications required. However, most top companies will want you to have a degree at least. Aspiring product managers should consider taking courses and certifications in product management so they have a solid foundation to build on when they get their first job.

Which product management certification is best?

Which product management certification is best is down to the stage you're at in your career, your style of learning and your career goals. If you're just starting out in product management, you may benefit the most from the Product School PMC, while if you want to become an agile certified product manager the Product Owner certification from Scrum Alliance may suit you best. Make sure you look carefully at the curriculum for each certification before you choose which one to enroll on.

Which product management certification is best?

Which product management certification is best is down to the stage you're at in your career, your style of learning and your career goals. If you're just starting out in product management, you may benefit the most from the Product School PMC, while if you want to become an agile certified product manager the Product Owner certification from Scrum Alliance may suit you best. Make sure you look carefully at the curriculum for each certification before you choose which one to enroll on.

Which product management certification is best?

Which product management certification is best is down to the stage you're at in your career, your style of learning and your career goals. If you're just starting out in product management, you may benefit the most from the Product School PMC, while if you want to become an agile certified product manager the Product Owner certification from Scrum Alliance may suit you best. Make sure you look carefully at the curriculum for each certification before you choose which one to enroll on.

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