Governance Courses

Governance encompasses the rules and processes used to make and execute decisions within an organization. This term is perhaps most familiar in the realm of political governance, where governments at the local, state, and national level create and enforce laws. However, it is also an important concept for businesses and nonprofits, where sound governance principles can have a decisive impact on long-term success.

As in political governance, a top priority of corporate governance is to ensure the integrity and transparency of decision-making processes to preserve the trust and confidence of customers, investors, and other stakeholders. In today’s unpredictable world, it is also important to have resilient risk governance and change management principles in place to enable organizations to thrive even during times of disruption and unexpected circumstances.

Above all, good governance should establish a sense of purpose within an organization and a culture of accountability in performance towards its goals. Whether led by elected officials or a board of directors, principled strategic leadership can inspire alignment throughout an organization in pursuit of a common vision.‎

Having a firm grasp of the principles of good governance as well as an understanding of how to establish them within an organization are important assets for management roles of all types. Whether you are the director of a non-profit, the CEO of a corporation, or the mayor of a town, the ability to define shared goals and set a clear framework for achieving them is an essential skill.

A strong background in governance is thus valued highly in any organization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for general and operations managers in May 2019 was $100,780, and the median annual wage for chief executives was $184,460.‎

Yes! Whether you are working in government, business, or the nonprofit sector, an understanding of governance can help you take your career to the next level. Coursera offers a range of courses to help you learn about the application of governance principles across each of these areas from top-ranked universities including the University of Minnesota, The State University of New York, and Macquarie University. Regardless of your focus, you can complete coursework on a flexible schedule that lets you fit online learning into your existing work or family life.‎

Learning governance is typically right for you if you’re in the position of leading something or you hope to be in the future. This can be a nonprofit agency, a government agency, a business, or a city. If you’re comfortable with high levels of responsibility and accountability, studying governance could be a good fit for you. You should also typically be comfortable with being transparent in your actions and complying with legal parameters when making decisions for your organization. Additionally, if you enjoy strategic thinking and working to reach a consensus, this area could be right for you.‎

Management and corporate governance are two common career paths for someone in governance. Administrative services and information managers are two other career paths that are typically expected to adhere to strict governance and procedures. Cities, states, and countries have requirements that include governance, so there can be opportunities at almost any level of government for people who work in governance. Almost any work that requires regulatory compliance and recordkeeping procedures, such as quality control specialists for manufacturing facilities and medical staff in hospitals, includes aspects of governance.‎

Sustainability, leadership, and corporate change management are some key topics you can study that are related to governance. Storytelling and social issues are also things you could study that are related. Data management, recordkeeping, and ethics are some other options of study topics that are related to governance. You could also study some of the ways your chosen field of work applies governance, such as engineering, accounting, financial management, or health care. Additionally, you could study political science, environmental issues, or IT and apply governance concepts to those fields.‎

"Nonprofit agencies and government offices typically hire people who have governance backgrounds. Manufacturing facilities can hire people with governance experience to work in quality control and administrative positions. Banks, educational facilities, and debt collection agencies may hire people who have a good understanding of governance to manage accounts and data. Technical and security companies can sometimes hire governance specialists for jobs like information managers and analysts. Accounting agencies can hire governance professionals to help ensure compliance and privacy for customers. Large restaurant chains and retail facilities can also hire in this field to ensure corporations remain in compliance with global regulations when doing business in other countries.‎