Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?

We recommend taking the courses in the order presented, as each subsequent course will build on material from previous courses.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization?

Coursera courses and certificates don't carry university credit, though some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

What is the refund policy?

If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.

Can I just enroll in a single course?

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Can I take the course for free?

No, you cannot take this course for free. When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

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Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

Manage 21st Century Business Strategy. Develop and implement an innovative business approach in just three courses.

Instructors: Robert Austin

63,179 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Learn more

4 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.7

(3,882 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

1 month at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Earn a career credential

Share your expertise with employers

4 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.7

(3,882 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

1 month at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Earn a career credential

Share your expertise with employers

What you'll learn

This Specialization explores the evolving world of business strategy, focusing on the increasingly important roles of design, user experience, and innovation in shaping competitive advantage. You’ll learn about concepts such as goal setting, value creation, global integration, and diversification, and you’ll critique classic theories and frameworks in the context of new business realities. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll create and defend a holistic business strategy in response to a realistic case study prompt.

What’s included

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

39 practice exercises

Advance your subject-matter expertise

Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
Earn a career certificate from Copenhagen Business School

Specialization - 4 course series

Strategic Management

Course 111 hours4.7 (4,499 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

The world of business strategy is in transition. What used to work doesn't anymore -- not necessarily.

This course prepares you to think strategically in an age when companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have become more valuable (in market cap terms) than companies like Exxon. Today, business value and competitive advantage arise more often from consumer perceptions of what is "cool" than from physical assets or economies of scale. In this course -- the first of a three-course specialization tailored specifically for the age of creativity and innovation -- you will gear up for the challenges of strategy formulation and implementation in a 21st century business. After taking the course, you'll be able to: - Explain why "doing" strategy is considered "the high point of managerial activity" (Mintzberg); - Recognize and avoid the old, tired ideas about strategy that are still out there, so you can adopt fresher, better ideas; - Point out how doing strategy has changed because of advancing technology and globalization; - Prepare for the Capstone Project for the Strategic Management and Innovation Specialization

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Strategic Decision-Making

Category: Strategic Thinking

Category: Business Transformation

Category: Case Studies

Category: Technology Strategies

Category: Market Dynamics

Category: Business Strategies

Category: Global Marketing

Category: Strategic Leadership

Category: Strategic Planning

Category: Competitive Analysis

Strategy Formulation

Course 217 hours4.5 (1,492 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

The purpose of this course is to present, analyze and discuss the different facets of business strategy formulation. Emphasizing that strategy can be seen as a unified theme that provides coherence and direction to the actions and decisions of a firm, we will cover a variety of business strategy topics concerned with firm positioning in the context of different markets, industries and locations.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Competitive Analysis

Category: Organizational Strategy

Category: Strategic Decision-Making

Category: Market Opportunities

Category: Resource Management

Category: Strategic Leadership

Category: Market Dynamics

Category: Value Propositions

Category: Strategic Planning

Category: Business Planning

Category: Market Analysis

Category: Global Marketing

Category: Strategic Thinking

Strategy Implementation

Course 319 hours4.6 (937 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Even a thoroughly developed business strategy may fail if you don't pay enough attention to its implementation. This rings particularly true with strategies based on innovation or implemented in complex or fast-changing environments.

In the 20th century successful implementation leveraged stability and typically proceeded through hierarchy and control. Today the key is to stay vibrant and able to quickly respond to trends in competition and technology while not losing sight of the strategic objective. In this course we'll build a toolbox of techniques to execute today's business strategies to help them succeed. After completing this course, you'll be able to: - Create objectives and goals to guide strategy implementation - Identify organizational structures that fit particular strategies - Understand how to leverage company culture in implementation - Describe how to communicate the strategy so that the organization "gets" it - Detect and mitigate risks to implementation

Skills you'll gain

Category: Professional Networking

Category: Risk Management

Category: Culture Transformation

Category: Organizational Structure

Category: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Category: Cross-Functional Collaboration

Category: Organizational Change

Category: Goal Setting

Category: Influencing

Category: Organizational Strategy

Category: Change Management

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Performance Management

Category: Strategic Communication

Category: Strategic Planning

Strategic Management - Capstone Project

Course 48 hours4.7 (375 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

In this capstone project course, we revisit the strategy controversy at e-Types, introduced in the first course in this specialization, Strategic Management, and further analysed in each of the subsequent courses, Strategy Formulation and Strategy Implementation. After revealing, examining, and analyzing what happened at e-Types, we turn to a new set of strategy cases that range in terms of company size, geography, and focus. For your final project, we ask YOU to apply everything you have learned in this specialization to analyze your choice of one of these four situations.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Innovation

Category: Strategic Thinking

Category: Business Strategy

Category: Business Analysis

Category: Case Studies

Category: Organizational Strategy

Category: Strategic Decision-Making

Category: Competitive Analysis

Category: Plan Execution

Category: Business Planning

Category: Business Management

Category: Peer Review

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Robert Austin

Copenhagen Business School

4 Courses229,643 learners

Marcus Møller Larsen

Copenhagen Business School

2 Courses45,202 learners

Nicolai Pogrebnyakov

Copenhagen Business School

2 Courses36,042 learners

Offered by

Copenhagen Business School

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Frequently asked questions

Time to completion can vary based on your schedule, but most learners are able to complete the Specialization in about 4 months.

Each course in the Specialization is offered on a regular schedule, with sessions starting about once per month. If you don't complete a course on the first try, you can easily transfer to the next session, and your completed work and grades will carry over.

None! This Specialization is appropriate for anyone interested in learning more about strategic management.

You will be able to formulate, implement, and defend business strategy recommendations, taking into account evolving trends in global innovation and competition. You will understand a variety of theories and frameworks related to business strategy planning and execution, and you will be able to evaluate the applicability of frameworks to various business scenarios.