Strategic ManagementNegotiationLeadershipBusiness StrategyGroup Decision-MakingManaging motivationIndividual decision-makingCommunication In Small GroupsPerformance ManagementChange Managementconflict resolutionOrganizational Structure
Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization
Leadership and Business Skill for Immediate Impact. Apply practical strategies to becoming an effective organizational leader.
Offered By
Strategic Leadership and Management SpecializationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignSkills you will gain
About this Specialization
40,865 recent views
Enhance leadership and business skills for immediate impact. Practice everyday leadership, manage people, learn and apply concepts and techniques to effectively manage organizations through organizational design, and formulate and implement strategy.
Through the courses in this specialization, you will learn the fundamentals to effectively lead people and teams, manage organizations as well as tools to analyze business situations and develop strategies. The Specialization covers the strategic, human resource, and organizational foundations for creating and capturing value for sustainable competitive advantage – including how to manage people and organizations, analyze the competition, and develop strategies both within a business and across a portfolio of businesses.
The capstone is a strategic leadership and management plan where you’ll apply what you will learn to an actual business situation with participation by one or more focal companies. The deliverable will be designed to create value from the perspective of potential employers while achieving pedagogical and experiential goals for learners.
This Specialization is part of the University of Illinois Masters of Business Administration degree program, the iMBA. Learn more about the admission into the program here and how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into the program. You can also start with for-credit courses within the Illinois iMBA degree program.
Learner Career Outcomes
83%
Started a new career after completing this specialization.
25%
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
No prior experience required.
Approx. 8 months to complete
Suggested 3 hours/week
English
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish
Learner Career Outcomes
83%
Started a new career after completing this specialization.
25%
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
No prior experience required.
Approx. 8 months to complete
Suggested 3 hours/week
English
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Spanish
There are 7 Courses in this Specialization
Foundations of Everyday Leadership
3,926 ratings
In this course you will learn about the “head and heart” of everyday leadership, individual decision making, group decision making, and managing motivation. The objectives are to understand why and how leadership skills are so critical to organizational success, and learn the foundations of effective leadership skills.
Applications of Everyday Leadership
1,696 ratings
This course covers the following topics: negotiation, feedback and coaching, conflict management, and leading change. The objectives are to learn how to use leadership skills to work more effectively with others, how to use leadership skills to organize others to work more effectively together, and to apply the foundations of effective leadership skills to everyday situations faced by leaders.
Designing the Organization
1,159 ratings
Organizations are complex and can be difficult to manage well. So managers need tools to help them better understand and deal with the many complexities and challenges associated with organizational life. In this course, you will learn theories, principles, and frameworks that will help you to design more effective organizations. We will view organizations from different perspectives that we will use as lenses to help us bring common organizational challenges, and solutions to those challenges, into focus. Some of these common challenges include clarifying the organization’s purpose, setting up effective governance systems, measuring organizational effectiveness, choosing an appropriate organizational structure, dealing with growing pains, and responding to changes outside the organization. As you learn and apply the principles from this course, you will be better prepared to effectively navigate the challenges that you face in your own organization.
Managing the Organization
944 ratings
This course is intended to help you become a better manager by helping you to more fully understand and deal with some of the complexities and challenges associated with managerial life in organizations. In this course, you will learn theories, principles, and frameworks that will help you to more effectively manage and lead the organizations that you belong to. We will view organizations from different perspectives that we will use as lenses to help us highlight common managerial challenges and point us toward solutions to those challenges. Some of these common challenges that we will explore in this course include using power effectively, implementing organizational change, understanding and managing organizational culture, decision-making including decision-making pitfalls and ethical traps, and leadership. As you learn and apply the principles from this course, you will be better prepared to navigate some of the complex challenges that you face as a manager.
Offered by
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
Start working towards your Master's degree
This specialization is part of the 100% online Master of Business Administration (iMBA) from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
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.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Time to completion can vary widely based on your schedule, most learners are able to complete the Specialization in 3-6 months.
How often is each course in the Specialization offered?
Each course in the Specialization is offered on a regular schedule with sessions starting about once per month. If you don't complete a course on the first try, you can easily transfer to the next session, and your completed work and grades will carry over.
What background knowledge is necessary?
No background knowledge is required. This Specialization is designed for anyone interested in becoming a better manager, team member, or leader.
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. Some courses do list other courses as prerequisites. In the Capstone Project, you will have the opportunity to synthesize your learning in all six courses and apply your combined skills in a final project.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
iMBA courses in Coursera do not carry University of Illinois credit on their own. Each course has an enhanced for-credit component. You can earn academic credit if you combine an iMBA Coursera course with the enhanced for-credit component offered on the University of Illinois platform. Some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
• You will know how to lead people and teams, how to manage conflict and lead change in an organization.
• You will be able to build effective decision-making infrastructures by diagnosing organizational issues.
• You’ll learn about tools to analyze strategy and its implementation integrated across industry, firm, and corporate levels.
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.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
