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Agile Development Specialization
Drive to Value with Agile Methods . Master an adaptive approach to product development
Offered By
Agile Development SpecializationUniversity of VirginiaWhat you will learn
How to determine what's valuable to a user early by focusing your team on testable narratives and creating a strong shared perspective
How to drive a focus on outcomes over outputs by facilitating a culture of experimentation and a test-driven, results-driven approach to agile
How to charter and focus an analytics (and data science) program that enhances your core objectives
How to iteratively identify and test the right agile practices from leading frameworks like scrum, XP, and kanban to your team's work
Skills you will gain
About this Specialization
14,842 recent views
Beyond practices and beyond principles, you'll learn the applied skills that enable an agile team to succeed. While applying an evidence-based approach across the four courses, you'll practice what you've learned by creating an actionable, adaptive focus for a digital product team.
Applied Learning Project
You will apply agile practices to a project of your choice or to a provided venture concept. Over the course of the Specialization, you will define what's valuable to the user, design end to end testing, and charter your team with an adaptive view of the right agile practices that make sense for them. You’ll finish the Specialization with a portfolio-building design brief that demonstrates your learning and specialized skills in agile product development.
Learner Career Outcomes
67%
Started a new career after completing this specialization.
11%
Got a pay increase or promotion.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online courses
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible Schedule
Set and maintain flexible deadlines.
Beginner Level
Some familiarity with software development is helpful, but not required.
Approx. 4 months to complete
Suggested 3 hours/week
English
Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish
Learner Career Outcomes
67%
Started a new career after completing this specialization.
11%
Got a pay increase or promotion.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online courses
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Flexible Schedule
Set and maintain flexible deadlines.
Beginner Level
Some familiarity with software development is helpful, but not required.
Approx. 4 months to complete
Suggested 3 hours/week
English
Subtitles: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish
There are 4 Courses in this Specialization
Agile Meets Design Thinking
2,168 ratings
Despite everyone's good intentions, hard work and solid ideas, too many teams end up creating products that no one wants, no one can use, and no one buys. But it doesn't have to be this way. Agile and design thinking offer a different--and effective--approach to product development, one that results in valuable solutions to meaningful problems. In this course, you’ll learn how to determine what's valuable to a user early in the process--to frontload value--by focusing your team on testable narratives about the user and creating a strong shared perspective.
Hypothesis-Driven Development
544 ratings
To deliver agile outcomes, you have to do more than implement agile processes- you have to create focus around what matters to your user and constantly test your ideas. This is easier said than done, but most of today’s high-functioning innovators have a strong culture of experimentation.
Agile Analytics
117 ratings
Few capabilities focus agile like a strong analytics program. Such a program determines where a team should focus from one agile iteration (sprint) to the next. Successful analytics are rarely hard to understand and are often startling in their clarity. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, you'll learn how to build a strong analytics infrastructure for your team, integrating it with the core of your drive to value.
Managing an Agile Team
818 ratings
While agile has become the de facto standard for managing digital innovation teams, many wonder if they’re doing it ‘right’. Twitter is full of jokes about how teams say they do agile but don’t ‘really’ do it. The reality is that getting the most out of agile is less about observing specific procedures and more about how a team focuses and measures their progress.
Offered by
University of Virginia
A premier institution of higher education, The University of Virginia offers outstanding academics, world-class faculty, and an inspiring, supportive environment. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University is guided by his vision of discovery, innovation, and development of the full potential of students from all walks of life. Through these courses, global learners have an opportunity to study with renowned scholars and thought leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
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, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. 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, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
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.
I completed the Digital Product Management Specialization, what do I have to do to finish the Agile Development Specialization?
The Digital Product Management Specialization is a superset of the Agile specialization- you've already earned it.
Can I earn Product Management Institute (PMI) professional development units (PDUs)?
You may earn Project Management Institute (PMI) professional development units (PDUs) and Contact Hours for completing courses in the specialization. To do so, log in to PMI to access your account and submit a report.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
At the end of the specialization, you’ll be able to:
- Explain how key agile methods fit into best current practices across software engineering, general business, and product design; and how those matter for your particular project
- Apply product design best practices to your project through user stories, prototypes, and narrative collaboration
- Focus your work on outcomes (vs. output) with hypothesis-driven development
- Introduce agile practices to your team & customers on an incremental, success basis
- Integrate your activities across development, QA, and operations
- Conduct phase-appropriate usability testing
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
We suggest you take the courses in the order presented to get maximum benefit from the materials.
What background knowledge is necessary?
While no specific background knowledge is needed, learners might find it helpful to have a basic understanding of digital product development.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
Coursera courses don't carry university credit, though some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
If I finish the Specialization, will it help me gain admission to Darden's MBA programs?
Admission to Darden is highly competitive and based on a number of requirements, including undergraduate record and degree, GMAT scores, and work experience. Successful completion of the Specialization is in no way a guarantee of admission, but please do mention this achievement in your application.
Can I download materials to share with my colleagues?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
