- Strategic Analysis
- Strategic Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Business Strategy
- Capabilities Analysis
- Competitive Position
- Industry Structure
- business competition
- Mergers And Acquisitions (M&A)
- innovation strategy
- growth strategy
- Strategy Implementation
Business Strategy Specialization
Steer Your Business to Success. Generate value and demonstrate global impact in four courses.
Offered By


What you will learn
How to evaluate industry evolution
How to build and sustain competitive advantage
How to formulate and assess business strategies
How to align efforts to organizational strategy
Skills you will gain
About this Specialization
Applied Learning Project
You will bring together all that you have learned in the foundational courses and employ your toolkit to develop a comprehensive Strategic Analysis. You will analyze the current state of the organization of your choice, strategic issues facing that organization and strategic paths it might pursue. Then you will make a recommendation of the best path for the organization to pursue, and write an Executive Summary. Your finished project will showcase your ability to conduct research on/within an organization, select and apply the most appropriate analytical tools, build a well-supported case for a specific position, and effectively communicate key points with executive leadership.
Some familiarity with business is helpful, but not required.
Some familiarity with business is helpful, but not required.
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 5 Courses in this Specialization
Foundations of Business Strategy
Develop your ability to think strategically, analyze the competitive environment, and recommend firm positioning and value creation. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, top-ranked faculty will help you explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy and provide the tools you need to understand that strategy: SWOT, Competitor, Environmental, Five Forces, and Capabilities Analyses, as well as Strategy Maps.
Advanced Business Strategy
Advance your strategic analysis skills in this follow-up to Foundations of Business Strategy. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, you'll learn the tools to analyze strategy across time (competitive dynamics), industries (corporate strategy), geographies (international strategy), and institutions (non-market strategy). Top-ranked faculty will introduce the tools you need to complete a comprehensive evaluation and understand the strategy dynamics of an industry: Competitive Lifecycle, Internationalization and Stakeholder Analyses, and Diversification Matrices.
Business Growth Strategy
Get the tools you need to analyze, evaluate and recommend specific actions organizations can take to grow their value and avoid common growth pitfalls. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and taught by top-ranked faculty, you will learn to determine how best to build value, whether by scaling existing markets, entering established markets or creating new markets through innovation and acquisitions.
Strategic Planning and Execution
Avoid the pitfalls of strategy planning and execution with the tools and skills from this course. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and taught by top-ranked faculty, you'll learn the pillars of strategy execution--analysis, formulation, and implementation--and how to use the 4A model to effectively approach strategy execution. Finally, a panel of leaders from entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and industry, share their expertise gleaned from years of successful strategy planning and execution.
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?
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
What background knowledge is necessary?
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
If I finish the Specialization, will it help me gain admission to Darden's MBA programs?
Are there any required readings?
Can I download materials to share with my colleagues?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.