10 Best Management Courses to Boost Your Career in 2024

Take your management career to the next level.

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

management course and qualification in progress

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Regardless of industry, career progression is something that most of us strive for. Getting strong feedback, impressing the boss and taking on more responsibility are just some of the ways we try to distinguish ourselves.

But to be taken seriously as a potential leader, employees have to demonstrate that they’re suitable candidates for management. And this is where the right management qualifications can set you apart!

With a wealth of options to choose from and different factors to take into account, knowing which scheme offers the best returns could be invaluable. So, if you’re ready to take that next pivotal step in your career, read on.

These are the top 10 management courses in the world!

The best management courses

With hundreds of thousands of courses out there, it can be difficult to choose the right one. So, we reviewed some of the best management courses, based on a variety of factors including cost, quality and duration, to help you with your decision. (Read more about our methodology.)

10. Management Skills Training for New & Experienced Managers

Management Skills Course

CareerAddict rating: 3.6/5

The management training course by best-selling author and leadership coach Lawrence M Miller is among the most popular on Udemy for this subject. In it, you’ll learn how to create a highly engaged and motivated team, resolve conflicts, train team members, and develop a lean management approach for continuous improvement.

The course is divided into 14 sections, such as “Team Formation and Organization and Communication” and “Boundaries and Delegation”, and gives you access to over 30 downloadable resources. Its structure makes it suitable for aspiring managers, individuals with no previous management experience, and managers looking to enhance and renew their skill set.

Once all assignments have been completed and sent off to the instructor, learners are awarded with the Green Belt certification issued by the Institute for Leadership Excellence.

  • Price: $89.99
  • Time to complete: 12 hours
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Institute for Leadership Excellence certification

Some sections might lack depth

Wide range of topics

Video and audio quality could improve

Suitable for new and experienced professionals

Prone to repetition

9. Management Skills — Team Leadership Skills Masterclass

Team Leadership Course

CareerAddict rating: 3.6/5

Mark Timberlake and Stephen Mather have extensive experience in training and coaching teams on streamlining their processes and improving efficiency. Their masterclass comes with 19 hours of on-demand video and just under 100 downloadable resources, and teaches learners the principles of successful management.

In it, you’ll learn how to influence the people around you, manage culture change, train your team, make data-backed decisions, and utilize lean management techniques to yield results. By the end of the course’s 13 modules, you’ll have all you need to further your managerial career.

  • Price: $89.99
  • Time to complete: 19 hours
  • Requirements: Basic experience as a manager
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Mobile access

Some sections might lack depth

Great introduction to management

Not suitable for experienced managers

Provides access to useful tools

Prone to repetition

8. Leading People and Teams Specialization

Leading People Course

CareerAddict rating: 3.8/5

This University of Michigan specialization* on Coursera comprises five separate courses and is designed to teach you a range of skills, including vision alignment, talent management, goal setting and communication. The courses are: “Inspiring and Motivating Individuals”, “Managing Talent”, “Influencing People”, “Leading Teams” and “Leading People and Teams Capstone”. The final course opens for enrolment once you’ve completed the previous ones.

Like with other courses on the online learning platform, there’s an option to apply for financial aid, which knocks off up to 75% of the cost. This makes the course a bargain, given that you’re taught by Ross School of Business faculty members, which is among the top schools in the US for management and business.

  • Price: $49 per month
  • Time to complete: 5–6 months, 3 hours per week
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Financial aid available

Might be lengthy for some

Flexible schedule

Courses follow a fixed order

Includes hands-on projects

Doesn’t translate into university credits

7. Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

Strategic Leadership Course

CareerAddict rating: 3.8/5

The Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization* on Coursera is offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and taught by seven professors. It comprises seven courses, starting from foundational course “Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader” and finishing with more focused ones like “Corporate Strategy”.

Some of the skills you’ll gain through this course are strategic management, ethical decision making, navigating growth and change in teams, and creating space for diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging.

Much like the University of Michigan management specialization on Coursera, learners signing up for this course can apply for financial aid.

  • Price: $49 per month
  • Time to complete: 8 months, 3 hours per week
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Flexible schedule

Might be lengthy for some

Includes hands-on projects

Courses follow a fixed order

Can count towards the university’s iMBA

Costly for some if no aid

6. People Management Skills

People Management Course

CareerAddict rating: 3.8/5

This FutureLearn course on management helps you discover your personal leadership style, teaches you how to adapt your management style when necessary, and how to maximize your team’s efficiency, performance and wellbeing. By the end, you’ll also know how to assess labor market conditions and trends, address shortfalls in productivity, and apply best practices in both recruitment and induction.

The course was designed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an association for human resources management professionals. Its materials range from short-duration videos and articles to audio files and practical exercises — and this variety is great for making sure the new information “sticks”.

  • Price: $134
  • Time to complete: 5 weeks, 3 hours per week
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Great introduction to management                

Not suitable for experienced managers

Courses developed by the CIPD

Certificate awarded, regardless of learner’s efforts

Ability to interact with other learners

Some sections might lack depth

5. MicroMasters Program in Business Leadership

MicroMasters Course

CareerAddict rating: 4/5

This graduate-level course by the University of Queensland on edX is built on the principle that effective leadership relies heavily on self-insight — perhaps even more heavily than it does on having a thorough understanding of the organization and the people in it.

Taught by four professors of the institution, the MicroMasters will teach you the strengths and weaknesses of various leadership styles, how to develop your decision-making skills, how to better engage teams, and how to lead effective change initiatives.

Located in the third-most populous city in Australia, the University of Queensland currently ranks among the top 50 globally out of 1,500 institutions.

  • Price: $1,497
  • Time to complete: 11 months, 8–10 hours per week
  • Requirements: Postsecondary education
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Graduate-level instruction

Might be lengthy for some

Can count towards the university’s master’s program

Not in everyone’s budget

Flexible schedule

Significant time commitment per week

4. Leadership and Management Certificate Program

Leadership Management Course

CareerAddict rating: 4.2/5

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has developed a program for executives looking to reach new levels of success. The program is made up of four individual courses (also available separately for $995 each): “Leadership in the 21st Century”, “Managing and Motivating Talent”, “Managing the Global Firm”, and “Strategic Management: Competitive and Corporate Strategy”.

Whether managing a small group of people or an organization with hundreds of employees, the course will teach you new strategies to manage your workload and team. By the end, you’ll know how to better engage and motivate your colleagues, optimize your organizational architecture, and navigate outsourcing, acquisitions and alliances.

It’s worth mentioning that Wharton School is among the top business schools in the US — currently third in the nation according to US News — meaning you’ll be learning from world-class faculty.

  • Price: $3,600
  • Time to complete: 4–5 months, 2–4 hours per week
  • Requirements: Mid- to senior-level professionals
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Flexible schedule

Not in everyone’s budget

Certificate from top business school

Not suitable for inexperienced managers

Well-developed and thorough

Might be lengthy for some

3. Oxford Executive Leadership Programme

Oxford Executive Leadership Course

CareerAddict rating: 4.2/5

Oxford University’s Saïd Business School offers an online program on executive leadership that’s certified by the UK Continuing Professional Development Service. The program is divided into eight modules that teach you what makes an effective leader, how leaders engage and connect with others, and how they deal with decisions and change.

It’s designed for professionals looking to define their purpose and vision as a leader, explore the concepts of power and influence, and learn how to apply leadership qualities to further their organization’s success.

Oxford University currently ranks ninth in the world for business and management according to QS World University Rankings, in a list of more than 570 higher education institutions.

  • Price: $3,047
  • Time to complete: 8 weeks, 7–10 hours per week
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Flexible schedule

Requires MS Office suite

Certificate from prestigious university

May require additional software installations

Well-developed and thorough

Not in everyone’s budget

2. Leadership Principles

Leadership Principles Course

CareerAddict rating: 4.4/5

Harvard Business School’s Leadership Principles is an online course made to help you establish your own leadership style to boost your team’s performance. It will teach you how to handle stressful situations and how to coach your colleagues so they develop and deliver better. As it targets new and aspiring leaders, the course will also show you how to best navigate the challenges that arise when transitioning from your current position to a leadership role.

Leadership Principles consists of four modules: the first on self-perception and mindset, the second on leading a team, the third on motivating others, and the fourth on influencing your team with or without authority.

  • Price: $1,750
  • Time to complete: 6 weeks, 5–7 hours per week
  • Requirements: Video-recording equipment
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Flexible schedule

Some assignments require video uploads

Certificate from prestigious university

Not in everyone’s budget

Well-developed and thorough

Significant time commitment per week

1. Management Essentials

Management Essentials Course

CareerAddict rating: 4.4/5

Harvard Business School offers an eight-week course on management essentials, suitable for aspiring, new and seasoned managers. Its four modules cover four vital areas of management, namely decision making, implementation, organizational learning, and change management.

Each course presents you with real-life case studies and a set of exercises to help you gain and practice your skills, ranging from giving feedback to delegating, conducting reviews, and small group consulting simulations. Case-based examples are presented by industry leaders in companies like Uber and Amgen pharmaceuticals.

If you complete another three online Harvard courses on leadership and management, you’ll get a certificate of specialization in addition to your certificate of completion of Management Essentials.

  • Price: $1,750
  • Time to complete: 8 weeks, 4–7 hours per week
  • Requirements: None
  • Certificate upon completion: Yes

Pros

Cons

Flexible schedule

Not in everyone’s budget

Certificate from prestigious university

Significant time commitment per week

Suitable for new and experienced professionals

Doesn’t translate into university credits

Tips for completing a management course

Signing up for a management course means you’ll be devoting both money and time to learning something new. Here’s how you can ensure that you get the most from your course:

1. Have a clear objective

Some of the courses on this list provide more in-depth instruction, while others will give you a broader introduction to management. Taking into account any previous experience or knowledge on the subject, consider what you wish to take away from your course as well as the timeframe in which you want to achieve it.

2. Ask for recommendations

Besides doing your own research, it’s good to ask friends, colleagues and people in your network for recommendations. Nothing beats a tried-and-tested account of the quality of the materials, instruction and overall value of a course. If you’re an aspiring manager, especially, your network might even suggest additional resources, like books, that can help.

3. Consider the cost

Management courses vary largely in cost. More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better, however; you should always make a choice based on what your needs are and how much time you’re able to devote. Taking everything into account, and using our rankings as a guide, pick the course that will return the most value for its price.

4. Choose according to your needs

To get the most out of your course, pick one that’s tailored to your experience and knowledge. If you’re a complete beginner, for example, one of the more specialized courses might seem enticing, but might be unsuitable for you. The last thing you want is to have to take a second course just to fill in the gaps.

5. Be patient

Juggling work with studying will likely require some trial and error. Figuring out what times of the day your mind concentrates best and getting used to your new schedule can take time. So, don’t get too frustrated if initially you’re feeling more tired than usual or a little overloaded with information.

Final thoughts

The transition from your current position to a managerial role can be challenging. Experiencing self-doubt is very common among first-time managers. So, should you find yourself there, remind yourself that what you’re feeling is normal — and temporary!

Just how no college student finishes their studies and becomes a confident employee right after graduation, no working professional picks up and crushes a new endeavor overnight. By investing time and effort in the short term, however, you can achieve the career progression you dream of and become the business management expert you desire to be.

To summarize, some self-insight is needed to find the course that’s most appropriate for you, so think about what you hope to get out of your course and how much time you’re able to spare. Be realistic, give yourself time, and stay focused on your goals: if you’re consistent and committed to furthering your career, you will get there!

Have you ever signed up for an online course intended for professionals? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments section below.

Methodology: The first step we took to create this list of management courses was to look for the most highly rated courses on learning platforms and university websites. Then, we evaluated each course using five criteria: how much it costs, how long it takes to complete, how interactive the lessons and activities are, the quality of the materials and tools provided, and how specialized its contents are. We then gave them a rating out of 5, selecting the top 10 courses to form this list.

Originally published on August 24, 2018.