In 2012, there was a new sensation in our town — bubble tea. Word was, every bubble burst in your mouth, they had one in a bubble gum flavor (the pink stood out on Instagram), and people stood in lines to get it (just one tiny cart served it).
A month after hearing the hoo-ha, I went too. It was…weird. I didn’t know if I was drinking it or eating it — either way, it was taking way too much time to gulp some dull-flavored tea.
This wasn’t just my experience. The lines got shorter, and the cart was out of business within a year.
Viral marketing, over-the-top ideas, and even customer service can’t save a business whose product doesn’t hit the spot.
This is why product managers are paid the highest in California (Silicon Valley). Startups rely on them to identify customer needs and build a product that fits them.
But one in five products fail. So, results matter. And so do certifications.
You don’t need to have experience in management to land a job. You can also transition from a software role, an analytics position, or a project management role. But you have to understand the field, be able to collaborate with your team, nail customer expectations, run simulations, and much more.
This list of product management courses aligns with these areas (plus, an expert interview on how to get hired as a PM today).
Shortcuts
- Which Skills Do You Need as a Product Manager?
- Expert Insights — What Does it Take to be a Product Manager?
- How Have I Chosen These Courses?
- The Best Product Management Courses
- Why Trust Us?
The Best Product Management Courses
Which Product Manager Skills Do You Need?
The average salary of a product manager is around $110,000, some companies even pay $200,000. This number is high because founders often hire product managers to:
- Add structure to product development
- Take accountability for the end-to-end product process
- Get relief from uncertainty
- Focus on more strategic tasks
By ensuring a product connects with a customer’s needs, a product manager can earn the company 60% more profits, grow revenue 3.5 times faster, and cut company costs with customer retention. This explains the demand.
There are 12,000 product manager jobs on LinkedIn today. And the number of product managers has reached 700,000, as opposed to 150,000 in 2014.
As a product manager, you’re responsible for the entire lifecycle of a software project—ideation, development, launch, growth, maturity, and retirement.
Plus, with AI in the picture, a product manager is expected to adapt to analytics and AI for decision-making. This is why I’ve included some product management courses that have an AI aspect to them.
Before we get to them, let’s understand how employers hire product managers today and which skills can get you hired faster from Taras Tymoshchuk, the CEO and co-founder of Geniusee.
Expert Insights—What Does it Take to be a Product Manager?
Generally, how are product managers hired? Are they internally promoted or hired externally, like a freelancer, or hired as an employee?
External hiring is one of the most common ways companies find product managers, especially at the middle or senior level. We look for profiles on LinkedIn and on job platforms, such as Djinni, Glassdoor, etc. Sometimes we turn to a recruiting company, but mostly we like to do it ourselves. We’ve also hired internally if employees were from related roles (marketing, analytics, development).
What kind of candidates have you hired?
Many strong product managers come from startup environments where they have a wide area of responsibility. Such candidates are very valuable because they have the skills that all companies need, so they are sold like hotcakes. They have a deep strategic vision, the ability to act quickly, launch from scratch, are used to multifunctionality – managing UX, analytics, marketing, and even finance, and are ready to work in an environment of uncertainty, where you need to independently shape the process.
How many years of experience should a person have to become a product manager?
According to me, a technical PM should have 3 years in IT development. For a marketer or business analyst, good courses and some work experience are enough. In general, 3–5 years is ideal for the transition to product management.
Today, what core technical skills and professional skills should product managers have?
You need to highlight basic knowledge of SQL or analytics, and knowledge of A/B testing and data-driven decision-making. Understanding SDLC (software development life cycle) is also important for companies like ours, and if the candidate has experience in working with roadmaps and writing technical documentation (PRD, BRD), that’s great.
Soft skills are equally important, empathy being one of them. We work with people, so we must understand their pain points and respond to them. Also, the ability to lead a team without formal authority, and the ability to effectively manage processes. Product managers shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help when needed, and that also makes communication another important skill.
Do certifications matter when you’re hiring a product manager?
Yes, they definitely do! Certificates are important because they are a direct confirmation of your knowledge. This is an additional advantage for employers when selecting candidates. Even if you don’t have any real experience yet, but the employer likes you, a certificate can be the thing that “opens the door for you”. Recruiters also often use the presence of certificates as a quick way of assessment — that is, as a filter at the screening stage.
What kind of product management courses will you encourage aspiring product managers to take?
I would recommend Scrum Product Owner Certification (CSPO). If the product works in an agile environment, this certificate will help you better understand the role of the product owner in the Scrum team.
Also, generalized programs in product strategy or product leadership help. This will help you understand whether this profession is right for you. Such courses emphasize the practical application of PM processes, too.
Now, let’s see how I’ve curated this list.
How Have I Chosen These Courses?
I’ve picked these product management courses because they have:
- Industry-recognized certifications: Since certification matters, I’ve (mostly) included globally recognized certificate courses.
- Premium pricing: While some courses are free to audit and affordable, I’ve also included courses that are expensive because of the value they and their certification bring.
- Hands-on experience: Most of the courses will teach you skills through exercises, and some even teach through simulations because product management is a dynamic field.
- Intermediate to advanced-level learning: Most courses are helpful for those who are existing professionals and want to transition into a product management role. They are not for students or new hires.
- Community-recommended content: I’ve gone through Reddit comments and learner reviews and chosen courses that are recommended.
Best Paid Product Manager Certification (Product School)
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Duration: 35 hours (part-time or full-time)
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
This is a beloved choice by many! If you want to break into product management at top Silicon Valley companies, this product management course can be your fast track for many reasons.
One, it’s taught by product leaders from Google, Netflix, and Amazon. Two, this isn’t a theoretical course; you’ll build actual products using tools like Figma, Mixpanel, and AB Tasty while working with real case studies. Three, the program covers everything from customer research and product-market fit to building roadmaps and launching products.
By the end of the course, you’ll complete a portfolio-ready project and be prepared for the field with mock interview prep.
What sets it apart?
- Live instruction from current product leaders at FAANG companies
- Hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like Sprig, Mixpanel, and Gainsight
- Small cohort sizes for personalized attention and quality networking
- Access to an alumni community of over 14,000 product professionals
- Portfolio project you can show to potential employers
- Flexible payment options available (pay in installments/pay after you earn, etc)
What you might not like
The pricing is steep, but it offers intensive training, a portfolio, and interview prep that will help you transition smoothly.
Who is it for?
- Career changers who want to land PM roles at tech companies
- Current PMs who want to advance in their career and have a budget for premium training
Best University-Offered Product Management Professional (University of Maryland) (edX)
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Duration: 60 hours
- Cost: Free to audit (individual courses only)
- Certification: Yes (paid)
edX courses are known to be rigorous, so if you want university-level product management education that prepares you for the role, choose this program. Built by the University of Maryland, it combines theory with practical application across the entire product lifecycle.
The program covers the skill sets for the entire product lifecycle and emphasizes hands-on application through wireframing, prototyping, MVPs, and data-driven decision-making.
The curriculum bridges engineering and business perspectives, giving you the technical depth that’s often missing from other PM courses. You’ll learn to translate product ideas into tangible assets by creating 3D renderings, prototypes, and minimum viable products to test assumptions and validate customer interests.
What sets it apart?
- University-backed credential with academic rigor
- Comprehensive coverage of the entire product lifecycle
- Integration of design thinking and systems engineering
- Focus on both customer experience and technical feasibility
- The academic approach combined with practical application
What you might not like
The course is theory and practice-heavy. It’s not for absolute beginners because the course content might be overwhelming.
Who is it for?
- Professionals seeking university-backed credentials while transitioning to product management roles
- Career transitioners wanting a comprehensive foundation in the field
Best for Certified Scrum Owner (CSPO) Certification (Scrum Alliance)
- Level: Beginner
- Rating: Varies
- Duration: 16 hours
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
This intensive 2-day product management course focuses on actionable approaches to being successful with Scrum, teaching core skills to define and manage a prioritized product backlog, make trade-off decisions, and create accurate and realistic product and release plans.
The highly interactive, virtual, live online course includes exercises, games, and stories to help you learn about the Scrum Framework and agile product management techniques.
You can choose the instructor you want, but all of them have years of experience in product management and are passionate about helping teams design and develop better, more impactful products. The classes are highly interactive and focus on practical applications.
What sets it apart?
- Hands-on learning through breakout sessions, games, and real-world scenarios
- 100% money-back guarantee if not satisfied with the class experience
- Includes 2-year Scrum Alliance membership, 16 PDUs/SEUs, ongoing video tips, and access to weekly Agile QuickTips Series
- Flexible scheduling (weekend and weekday options)
- Access to the ThinkLouder Alumni community for networking and collaboration beyond the class
- Flexible payment options (split payments)
What you might not like:
Some learners have mentioned minor issues (last-minute changes to sessions, changes in instructors, etc).
Who is it for?
- Product owners, product managers, and business analysts are responsible for defining product requirements and priorities
- Professionals working in Scrum teams who need to understand the product owner role
- Managers who want a globally recognized Scrum certification to advance their careers
Best Product Owner Certification Training (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner
- Rating: 4.7 (4,938 ratings)
- Duration: 10 hours
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
This Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO I) certification preparation course covers the complete Scrum framework. It includes 113 lectures covering Scrum events, artifacts, accountabilities, and commitments.
Vladimir Raykov is a certified Scrum Master and Product Owner with 5 Scrum certifications, and you’ll get advice and tips from him with practical examples, case studies, and multiple practice exams.
The course is an unofficial preparation for Professional Scrum Product Owner Level 1 (PSPO I) certification with 270 practice questions and detailed explanations. While you’ll master Scrum basics, you’ll also learn product owner responsibilities like managing the Product Backlog, Sprint Planning, and stakeholder collaboration.
What sets it apart?
- 270 randomized practice questions with detailed explanations for exam preparation
- Comprehensive coverage of 2020 Scrum Guide updates and latest frameworks
- Downloadable resources: diagrams, slides, audio, articles, and more
- Real-world product owner scenarios with challenging situations
- Introduction to JIRA for practical workflow management
- Vladimir Raykov has ten years of experience teaching online and has guided over 160,000 students
What you might not like
It’s an unofficial course, so it’s not endorsed by Scrum.org, but it aims to prepare you for the PSPO certification exam at an affordable rate.
Who is it for?
- Aspiring product owners preparing for PSPO certification
- Team members of a product team who are new to Scrum
Best AI Product Manager Professional Certificate (Coursera)
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Rating: 4.8 (46 ratings)
- Duration: 120 hours
- Cost: Free to audit
- Certification: Paid
Over 2 million companies use MS Office 365, and an MS course will help if you want to join any of them to build B2B (business-to-business) products.
This five-course program introduces you to Microsoft tools like Copilot, Power BI, and Azure. You’ll learn data-driven decision-making, cloud strategy, product launch planning, and enterprise UX/UI using Fluent Design System.
The curriculum offers you practical activities involved in the product lifecycle such as analyzing markets, designing interfaces, strategizing launches, and more. You’ll also work on a real-world project to apply your knowledge.
What sets it apart?
- Specialized focus on Microsoft’s AI and cloud tools ecosystem
- Enterprise-focused approach covering security and compliance requirements
- Hands-on projects with real-world enterprise scenarios
- Integration of AI insights through MS tools like Copilot
- Microsoft’s brand recognition and industry credibility
What you might not like
- Its focus on Microsoft tools may limit your broader tool knowledge
- It’s helpful for those in the B2B sector, not much for those who want to build consumer products
Who is it for?
- Professionals targeting enterprise B2B product management roles
- Product managers joining Microsoft-heavy organizations
- Product managers interested in advancing to AI product management
Best Agile Scrum Product Owner Certification Training (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner
- Rating: 4.7 (1,057 ratings)
- Duration: 7-8 hours
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
This is another comprehensive course that prepares you for the Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I) certification. You’ll learn the Scrum framework, craft compelling product visions, manage product backlogs effectively, and collaborate with Scrum teams and stakeholders.
The course includes over 400 practice questions and PSPO I “Sniper Lectures” with insider tips to help you pass the certification exam on your first attempt. Through real-world examples and proven learning techniques, you’ll get actionable insights on product planning, advanced release management, and tackling complex product challenges with confidence.
What sets it apart?
- Proven track record with high exam pass rates
- 400+ practice questions and PSPO “sniper lectures”
- Focus on real-world applications beyond exam preparation
- Taught by Dr. Mirko Perkusich, instructor of Udemy’s bestselling PSM I course.
What you might not like
It’s primarily focused on Scrum certification rather than broader product management.
Who is it for?
Product managers seeking PSPO I certification
Best Paid Industry-Recognized Product Management Certification (Pragmatic Institute)
- Level: Intermediate
- Duration: 1 week
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
Pragmatic Institute is the gold standard in product management education — it’s been trusted by over 250,000 professionals since 1993. This industry-recognized certification equips you with its proprietary framework to master market analysis, strategic product planning, and building products that customers actually want to buy.
Through hands-on training with proven templates and real-world case studies, you’ll learn to identify market opportunities, create data-backed product strategies, and develop roadmaps that drive measurable business results.
Many Fortune 500 companies rely on Pragmatic’s market-driven approach to build breakthrough products. This course will teach you the ropes.
What sets it apart?
- The industry-leading institute that has built successful products for decades
- Market-driven framework that’s become the industry standard
- Access to an alumni community of over 36,000 active product professionals
- Strategies that have helped Fortune 500 companies build profitable
- Globally accepted and recognized certification
What you might not like
The program is expensive, but if you’d like hands-on training and to learn impenetrable product strategies, it will help.
Who is it for?
- Experienced product managers seeking industry recognition with certification
- Managers and professionals at enterprise companies who will look after end-to-end product development
Best Product Management Simulator (GoPractice)
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Duration: 100+ hours
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: No
If you want to prepare to make real decisions, you should practice with this simulator. Instead of watching videos, you’re pushed into the role of a PM with actual data, stakeholders breathing down your neck, and consequences for every choice you make.
The course teaches you to use the right tool to solve each problem, from data analysis tools to qualitative methods like interviews when you don’t have the numbers. You’ll work through hundreds of real cases using actual databases, making the same decisions that crushed or boosted products at companies like Facebook and Google.
The format is gaming-meets-MBA. You’ll progress through increasingly complex scenarios, where you start as a junior PM and earn your way to senior-level strategic decisions.
What sets it apart?
- Unique gamified learning approach with gaming-style progression
- Hands-on experience with real product analytics tools
- Created by product management veterans from Facebook, Google, and other top companies
- Interactive simulation environment with real product data and SQL queries
- Created by Oleg Yakubenkov (Facebook, MSQRD acquisition, API.AI/Google) and Sean Ellis (Dropbox growth expert)
- Systematic framework for data-driven decision making across product lifecycle stages
- Used at Yale School of Management and adopted by companies as mandatory training
What you might not like
It has premium pricing, but the simulator prepares you for the day-to-day pressures of a product manager, and it builds you for challenging situations.
Who is it for?
- Experienced PMs wanting to sharpen quantitative skills and improve their decision-making
- Aspiring PMs seeking hands-on experience with analytics tools
Best Product Management Course for Job Prep (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Rating: 4.4 (61,977 ratings)
- Duration: 13 hours
- Cost: Paid
- Certification: Yes
Over 4,000 students who have taken this product management course have gotten jobs as Product Managers at companies like Google, Airbnb, Wal-Mart, Dell, Booking.com, and more!
It delivers a complete roadmap from zero experience to landing your first PM role. You’ll learn the skills that make up the entire PM job and process: from ideation to launch.
The course also covers underrated essentials like wireframing, prototyping, scoping, consumer interviews, and leadership. It sets you up for a job with core skills — technical communication with engineers, stakeholder management with executives, understanding APIs and development frameworks, and the soft skills that separate great PMs from mediocre ones.
What sets it apart?
- Proven job support track record with 4,000+ students hired
- Comprehensive technical education including APIs, databases, and development concepts
- Real interviews with current product managers from top companies
- Complete job search and interview preparation guide
- Practical experience from instructors at major tech companies
What you might not like
- This course is for absolute beginners. Some learners have found that it’s better for those who don’t know much about the field.
- Some reviews also claim that the course quality deteriorates in the middle, but many have shared that it’s very insightful.
Who is it for?
- Career changers targeting product management roles
- Professionals wanting a comprehensive technical understanding
- Job seekers needing interview preparation
Best Theory and Practical Product Management Course (Udemy)
- Level: Beginner to Intermediate
- Rating: 4.5 (2,745 ratings)
- Duration: 11-12 hours
- Cost: Paid
A user on Reddit recommended this one. The course covers the complete PM lifecycle using templates and frameworks that students can immediately apply in their jobs. You’ll work through practical exercises that demonstrate how top technology companies like Amazon and Google design, develop, and deliver products.
The program includes template workbooks, filled examples, and step-by-step coaching through real product challenges. The course addresses why most product teams struggle and what the top-performing ones do differently.
After the course, some students have secured product manager positions at companies including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Flipkart, and Ola.
What sets it apart?
- Good job placement rate — 15% of students have landed PM roles
- Entirely hands-on approach with practical exercises
- Ready-to-use template workbooks and frameworks for immediate workplace application
- Real case studies from Fortune 500 companies and successful startups
- Focus on modern product management practices used by Silicon Valley’s top performers
- Students consistently rate it as “the most practical PM course” they’ve taken
What you might not like
A few learners have mentioned that the course is more theoretical than it seems.
Who is it for?
- Product managers who want to advance their skillset with real-world studies and practice
- Career transitioners who want to prepare for the field and its challenges
Why Trust Us?
At Class Central, we’ve built a global online course database with 250,000 courses, and we’ve helped 100 million learners find their next course!
Finding the “perfect” course can be a long journey. We aim to make it shorter by getting all under one roof. Coursera, Udemy, edX — you can find courses from every platform with one search.
And we don’t just list courses or create Best Courses Guides; we also track the latest trends in online education and deliver fresh, original insights to you via The Report.
For this list, I’ve checked 25+ product management courses and 10+ platforms to select learning paths that will offer you hands-on learning, a dive into the actual role, and insights into trending skills.
Whether you’re transitioning into a PM role or you’re in on one, these product management courses will sharpen your decision-making, bring you closer to your customers and teams, and help you build products that people actually want and pay for.
Did this list help? We’ve got 200+ more for you. Check our Best Courses Guides to find your next course!
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