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

It is recommended that the courses in the Specialization be taken in the order outlined.In the Capstone Project, you will have the opportunity to synthesize your learning in all courses and apply your combined skills in a final project

I’m interested and have more questions about the iMBA. Where do I go for more information?

Please find more information at https://www.coursera.org/course/imba and http://onlinemba.illinois.edu/, or email your questions to onlineMBA@illinois.edu.

Can I take the 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 only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

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.

Where can I learn more and ask questions about earning credit or a degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?

Please find more information at https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/graduate-hub/online or email your questions to giesonline@illinois.edu

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.

Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization

Leadership and Business Skill for Immediate Impact. Apply practical strategies to becoming an effective organizational leader.

Instructors: Jeff Flesher

Included with Coursera Plus

Learn more

7 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.8

(7,050 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 months at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Earn a career credential

Share your expertise with employers

7 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

4.8

(7,050 reviews)

Beginner level

No prior experience required

2 months at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Earn a career credential

Share your expertise with employers

What you'll learn

Through this 6-course Specialization in Strategic Leadership and Management, you will learn the fundamentals of effectively leading people, teams, and organizations and develop tools to analyze business situations. In addition to building a conceptual framework for leadership, learners will develop and practice strategies for immediate impact. The Specialization covers the strategic, human resource, and organizational foundations for creating and capturing value for sustainable competitive advantage both within a single business and across a portfolio of businesses.

The specialization culminates in a capstone: a leadership and management plan where you’ll apply what you’ve learned to a business situation. With participation by one or more focal companies, the experiential and hands-on deliverable will provide valuable practice and create value from the perspective of potential employers. This Specialization is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admissions into the program and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into the program here.

What’s included

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

82 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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Specialization - 7 course series

Leading Teams: Developing as a Leader

Course 114 hours4.8 (6,493 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Define leadership in a way that facilitates personal leadership growth,.
Discover the role of understanding yourself to grow as a leader,.
Explore interpersonal interactions that are core to effective leadership.
Utilize a framework to further your own leadership development.

Skills you'll gain

Leadership, Self-Awareness, Courage, Decision Making, Trustworthiness, Emotional Intelligence, Negotiation, Relationship Building, Conflict Management, Curiosity, Growth Mindedness, Leadership Development, People Development, Strategic Leadership, Team Leadership, and Business Ethics

Leading Teams: Building Effective Team Cultures

Course 213 hours4.8 (2,429 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Articulate a conceptual understanding of team culture and why it matters for team success.
Identify and evaluate elements of psychological safety and the correlation to team performance.
Identify and evaluate ways to engage team members to work collaboratively to solve problems.
Create a practice for crafting cultures of problem solving to encourage teams to learn and grow with the changing dynamics of business needs.

Skills you'll gain

Adaptability, Creativity, Team Motivation, Diversity and Inclusion, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Problem Solving, Team Performance Management, Team Management, Motivational Skills, Organizational Change, Workplace inclusivity, Innovation, Team Building, Growth Mindedness, Team Leadership, Safety Culture, and Leadership Development

Designing the Organization

Course 313 hours4.7 (1,748 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Identify and explain many of the common organizational design challenges faced by organizations
Apply theory and principles to more effectively deal with these organizational design challenges in your own professional life
Analyze the effectiveness of organizational design choices in various organizations
Make organizational design recommendations to increase organizational effectiveness

Skills you'll gain

Organizational Structure, Growth Strategies, Organizational Strategy, Innovation, Governance, Organizational Change, Strategic Thinking, Systems Thinking, Business Management, Strategic Leadership, Organizational Effectiveness, and Decision Making

Managing the Organization

Course 413 hours4.8 (1,524 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Identify and explain common challenges faced by managers in organizations.
Apply theory and principles to become a more effective manager in your own professional life.
Analyze the effectiveness of managerial decisions in various organizations.
Make managerial recommendations to increase organizational effectiveness.

Skills you'll gain

Business Leadership, Leadership, Change Management, Decision Making, Business Ethics, Culture, Organizational Change, People Analytics, Strategic Thinking, Strategic Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Business Management, Strategic Decision-Making, Management Training And Development, and Organizational Effectiveness

Business Strategy

Course 518 hours4.8 (2,042 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Explain how different functions and activities fit together in a firm and how they align with the environment to create overall business performance.
Describe and employ important strategic management tools and frameworks for business models.
Apply strategic management tools and frameworks to business contexts in an appropriate manner to arrive at insights for strategic decision making.
Develop a coherent and actionable strategic plan by critically analyzing and processing abundant and diverse business and industry information.

Skills you'll gain

Business Strategy, Competitive Analysis, Business Modeling, Organizational Strategy, Market Analysis, Business Management, Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Analysis, Strategic Decision-Making, Strategic Thinking, and Value Propositions

Corporate Strategy

Course 610 hours4.7 (1,167 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Explain how corporations create and capture value as multi-business enterprises.
Analyze complex strategic business situations and formulate coherent corporate strategies.
Use tools and frameworks to make choices regarding corporate scope, corporate transactions and global strategy.
Apply strategic analysis to corporate governance and stakeholder management for long run strategic success.

Skills you'll gain

Corporate Strategy, Governance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Resource Allocation, Stakeholder Management, Business Strategy, Strategic Partnership, Business Ethics, Business, Corporate Sustainability, Global Marketing, Environmental Social And Corporate Governance (ESG), Strategic Decision-Making, Innovation, Value Propositions, Strategic Thinking, Organizational Strategy, Growth Strategies, New Business Development, and Corporate Finance

Strategic Leadership and Management Capstone

Course 711 hours4.7 (375 ratings)View course

What you'll learn

Demonstrate knowledge of concepts, theories, and approaches learned in Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization courses.
Apply Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization course related tools, techniques, and approaches to realistic business situations.

Skills you'll gain

Organizational Structure, Strategic Leadership, Process Improvement and Optimization, Organizational Strategy, Team Leadership, Leadership and Management, Team Building, Market Opportunities, Leadership Development, Team Management, Business Priorities, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Strategic Decision-Making, Business Strategy, Leadership, Operational Efficiency, Change Management, Business Planning, Business Leadership, and Growth Strategies

Earn a career certificate

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

Build toward a degree

This Specialization is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹