Strategic Management Courses

  • Social Sciences

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Practical Improvement Science in Health Care: A Roadmap for Getting Results

Learn the skills and tools of improvement science to make positive changes in health, healthcare, and your daily life.

Shackelton's group

Resilient Leadership

Develop the skills to lead with courage and conviction through challenging times with this free, 35-minute Harvard Business School (HBS) Online lesson.

A blurry hospital corridor.

Leading Digital Transformation in Health Care

This is a Harvard Medical School online executive education program designed to provide business leaders with the knowledge, tools and strategies to design and implement technology-enabled change initiatives in health care.

business workshop

Business Strategy: Evaluating and Executing the Strategic Plan

Explore the concepts and tools of strategic business management. Learn more about the organizational strategy within which managers make decisions and how it relates to competitive advantage.

strategic planning college course

Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

In Remote Work Revolution for Everyone, you will learn to excel in the virtual-work landscape. You will learn how to build trust, increase productivity, use digital tools intelligently, and remain fully aligned with your remote team.

business meeting

Advanced Business Strategy: Gaining a Competitive Edge

Learn a new framework for developing a business strategy that maximizes your competitive advantage and disrupts the competition.

Team brainstorming meeting

Strategy Execution

This course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online will equip you with the tools, skills, and frameworks to allocate resources, measure performance, and manage risk so you can successfully implement strategy within your organization.

Health Care Strategy

Health Care Strategy

Combine the best business strategies with the fundamentals of the health care sector.

Business meeting

Behavioral Decision Making

Gain the critical knowledge and tools you need to make smarter decisions for your organization—and yourself.

Customer willingness to pay compared to product price

Business Strategy

Start thinking like the top strategists with this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

A computer on a table. On the computer screen, there is an image of a man in a suit.

Disruptive Strategy

Strengthen your capacity to make innovation a reality, and unlock your potential to create executive-level strategies, organize for innovation, and discover customer jobs to be done in this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

Woman leading her team

Organizational Leadership

Elevate your leadership skills to take your organization to the next level in this course from Harvard Business School (HBS) Online.

Brainstorming session

Innovation and Strategy

Strengthen your organization’s capacity to drive innovation and achieve greater results.

African-American female executive and Asian-American female executive conversing with a male executive

Driving Nonprofit Performance and Innovation—Virtual

Systematically measure and manage performance in ways that enhance your nonprofit organization's ability to deliver on its mission.

work culture

Agile Leadership: Transforming Mindsets and Capabilities in Your Organization

Learn how you can harness the agile revolution to lead more flexible, innovative, and successful teams.

Business Strategy Programs at Harvard

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Contribute to Your Organization’s Success

Develop your ability to innovate, think strategically, and gain a competitive advantage for your organization through our intensive business strategy programs. Explore proven business theories and strategic tools through hands-on exercises, interactive lectures, and dynamic discussions.

Current Programs

Advanced business strategy training: gaining a competitive edge.

Learn a new framework for developing a business strategy that maximizes your competitive advantage and disrupts the competition.

Agile Leadership: Transforming Mindsets and Capabilities in Your Organization

Learn how you can harness the agile revolution to lead more flexible, innovative, and successful teams.

Artificial Intelligence in Business: Creating Value with Machine Learning

Leverage new technologies to build value for your organization.

Behavioral Decision Making

Gain the critical knowledge and tools you need to make smarter decisions for your organization — and yourself.

Beyond Strategic Planning: From Implementation to Sustainment

Successfully navigate the challenges inherent in making your organizational, departmental, and project-specific plans come to life.

Brand Revitalization: A Comprehensive Brand Strategy Course

Develop a brand strategy to harness your brand’s core purpose, help it stay fresh, and ensure customer loyalty.

Building Organizational Cultures: A Framework for Leaders

Critically assess how culture affects organizations and learn how to create an environment that promotes advancement of people.

Business Strategy: Evaluating and Executing the Strategic Plan

Explore the concepts and tools of strategic business management.

Creative Thinking: Innovative Solutions to Complex Challenges

Learn how to grow a culture of creativity to innovate competitive solutions.

Design Thinking: Creating Better Customer Experiences

Learn how the principles of design thinking can help fuel the success of your organization.

Foundations of Data-Driven Decision Making

Understand the characteristics and applications of data sets in order to communicate effectively with your teams and develop business strategies.

How to Build a Sustainable Organization: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies – 4 Week Course

Develop the tools and frameworks you need to incorporate sustainability practices into your business model.

Innovation and Strategy

Strengthen your organization’s capacity to drive innovation and achieve greater results.

Marketing Analytics Online Course: Strategies for Driving Business Results

Gain a deeper understanding of marketing analytics used in making strategic decisions across key functions.

Product Management Online Course: From Design to Launch

Learn the important business skills you need to be an effective product manager and build, launch, and grow successful products.

Real Estate Investments: Assets, Markets, and Current Trends, 2-day Session

Master the fundamentals and practicalities of real estate investing.

Starting and Building Your Consulting Business

Develop the critical skills you need to successfully launch and scale a thriving consulting business.

Strategic Project Management

Plan, manage, and execute projects that are essential to the success of your business.

Strategic Sales Management

Learn proven sales management strategies and techniques to lead yourself, your direct reports, and your organization.

Supply Chain Management: Frameworks for Resilient and Agile Supply Chains

Learn how to use supply chain analytics to reduce costs, manage inventory as consumer needs evolve, and make strategic decisions.

The Consultant’s Toolkit: Consulting Training

Refine your consulting abilities through proven techniques to improve organizational effectiveness.

Why Study Business Strategy at Harvard

Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill or hone an existing one we have programs that meet your business strategy needs. Our programs cover topics such as strategic planning, strategic decision making, and value creation using machine learning and offer you the opportunity to develop core business competencies.

When you take a professional development course with us, you’ll learn from industry experts alongside peers from around the world who bring a global perspective that can be invaluable in today’s interconnected business landscape. The instruction is dynamic, and interactive ensuring the application of concepts through activities, case studies and role-play. At the end of your program you will return to your office with new business strategies that can help you be more successful in your role and across your organization.

How Classes Work

We offer three different types of formats for programs: on campus, live online, and hybrid.

  • On-campus programs take place in our dedicated state-of-the-art classroom space on Harvard’s campus at One Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA.
  • Online programs are held via Zoom where you receive the same content online as on-campus, but from the convenience of your home or office.
  • Hybrid programs are available both live online and on campus. Online participants are fully integrated into the program with the ability to see, hear, contribute, and network alongside your in-person counterparts.

Who Should Enroll

Each business strategy course is designed to meet the needs of different industry leaders and professionals. Many of them are appropriate for a wide range of individuals, but some are specifically tailored to senior leaders, emerging leaders, or executives. More information about who should enroll in each program can be found on the program page.

What You Earn

After completing a program, you receive a Certificate of Participation from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, further validating your expertise in the field. Taking the step to earn a certificate from a professional development program can signal to your employer that you are open to new experiences and enthusiastic about continuing to learn and grow.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education Professional & Executive Development Certificate of Leadership Excellence.

Some business strategy programs may count toward a Certificate of Leadership Excellence (CLE) in Strategy and Innovation.

When Courses Are Offered

Many of our programs are offered multiple times a year in several formats. Miss the deadline to register? We bring popular programs back year after year — sign up to get notified when new dates are available .

The cost of a professional development program depends on the format you take it in and the length of the course. For more information about pricing, please visit your desired program page.

A 10% discount is available to participants taking more than one program, and discounts are also available for groups of two or more. To take advantage of our discounts, please email [email protected] for further instructions.

Business Strategy FAQs

What is business strategy.

Business strategy refers to a set of decisions and actions that outline how a company will achieve its long-term goals and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It involves identifying objectives, assessing resources, and formulating plans to achieve competitive advantage.

What are the benefits of taking a business strategy course at Harvard?

When you participate in a business strategy course at Harvard Professional Development, you are learning from instructors who are leading industry experts. Through a combination of theory, practice, and real-world examples, these courses will have you returning to the office equipped to move your own business strategy forward.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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  • Business Essentials
  • Leadership & Management

Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)

  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  • *New* Digital Transformation
  • Finance & Accounting
  • Business in Society
  • For Organizations
  • Support Portal
  • Media Coverage
  • Founding Donors
  • Leadership Team

strategic planning college course

  • Harvard Business School →
  • HBS Online →
  • Online Business Certificate Courses

Business Strategy

  • Digital Transformation
  • Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability

Develop the global perspective, quantitative background, and creative problem-solving skills to take your strategy from formulation to execution.

Are more self-assured at work

Return on investment with an average $17,000 salary increase

Acquired new skills that were immediately applicable

strategic planning college course

CLIMB enables new and experienced leaders to ignite their careers with a combination of vital and forward-looking business skills, self-reflection, and an immersive cohort-based learning experience with a diverse global network.

Certificate Courses (6)

strategic planning college course

Disruptive Strategy

Strengthen your capacity to make innovation a reality; unlock your potential to create winning strategies.

strategic planning college course

Start thinking like the top strategists.

strategic planning college course

Strategy Execution

Gain the tools, skills, and frameworks to successfully implement strategy within your organization.

strategic planning college course

Sustainable Business Strategy

Develop the tools and techniques to become a purpose-driven business leader.

strategic planning college course

Global Business

Gain the knowledge you need to thrive in today's interconnected, global economy.

strategic planning college course

Economics for Managers

See the world through the lens of economics and gain the knowledge and skills to craft successful business strategy.

What You Earn

Certificate of Completion

Certificate of Completion

Take any individual course to earn a Certificate of Completion and boost your resume.

Certificate of Specialization

Certificate of Specialization

Complete any three courses within this subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization and signify your deep expertise in Strategy.

Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business

Complete the year-long CLIMB program , including seven courses and a capstone project, to earn a Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business.

What Learners are Saying

I've been able to understand the macroeconomic policies that are being implemented by my country and the implications they have on our lives, equipping me to make better decisions.

strategic planning college course

Disruptive Strategy has given me confidence and clarity in my decisions, and I can already see the material impact of applying this model and mindset to our business and culture.

strategic planning college course

The course has completely changed me today. I feel like a new person, with a new thought process, driven by purpose, committed to doing the right thing.

strategic planning college course

What sets HBS Online apart?

Real-world cases, hbs online vs. other top business schools with online, asynchronous courses, related content.

strategic planning college course

Which HBS Online Strategy Course Is Right for You?

strategic planning college course

How to Formulate a Successful Business Strategy

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  • Wharton Online

Professional Certificate in Strategic Management

Offering high-quality products and services at competitive prices is no longer a sufficient business strategy. Increased competition and an evolving digital landscape demand more from organizations and their leaders.

Enhance your leadership capabilities and learn how to develop sustainable, successful business strategies with the Professional Certificate in Strategic Management from Wharton. Offering practical lecture knowledge and hands-on application of concepts, this program teaches you how to decrease costs, increase operational efficiencies, and improve customer experiences.

Created by world-renowned professors at the Wharton School, the Professional Certificate in Strategic Management walks you through how technology has changed the way businesses interact with customers and why this necessitates connected strategies. This program of business strategy courses is designed for managers and leaders of all industries who want to better identify, amplify, and sustain the competitive advantage of their businesses.

Why Study Strategic Management?

  • 61% of senior executives admit that their companies have a hard time bridging the gap between strategic planning and implementation. 1
  • Only 40% of employees strongly feel their managers comprehend the goals and strategy of their company. 2
  • Only 41% of employees feel their companies have the competent personnel necessary to execute strategic initiatives. 3

1 https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/why-good-strategies-fail-report.pdf 2 http://georgejamesltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/What-Employees-Really-Think-about-Todays-Workplace.pdf 3 https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/why-good-strategies-fail-report.pdf

Program Details

Start Dates: Enroll Immediately

Duration: 6 weeks per course

Commitment: 2-4 hours per week

Program Format: 100% Online

Program Tuition: $537.30 $199 (per individual course)

READY TO START?

Professional certificate in strategic management course descriptions, business strategy from wharton: competitive advantage, course description.

Price: $199 Duration: 6 weeks Hours: 3-4/week

What sets your organization apart from others? How can you maximize and sustain its impact over time? Understanding and maintaining your competitive advantage is no small task.

Business Strategy from Wharton: Competitive Advantage will give you the tools and frameworks necessary to execute a well-designed strategy. You’ll understand the drivers and barriers of competitive advantage so you can sustain your distinct advantage. You’ll also learn how to assess the impact of your competitors’ strategies.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to enhance your strategy to maximize your competitive advantage and drive revenue growth.

Course Modules

  • Analyze Your Firm’s Internal Fit
  • Analyze Your Firm’s External Fit
  • Maintaining Your Firm’s Dynamic Fit
  • Creating New Strategies and Initiatives

Participants Will Learn How To:

  • Evaluate your firm’s strategic environment
  • Distinguish between organizational effectiveness and strategic positioning
  • Identify barriers to organizational change and strategy implementation
  • Map central and supporting firm activities, understanding how they interact with each other
  • Engage in sustainable strategic management and planning

INTRODUCTION TO CONNECTED STRATEGY

Price: $199 Duration: 6 weeks Hours: 2-4/week

Technology has fundamentally changed the way businesses operate and how leaders engage in the strategic management of their firms. Understanding the customer journey has become essential to creating and executing connected strategies.

Connected Strategy examines how technology has evolved and changed the ways businesses interact with their customers. Professors Christian Terwiesch and Nicolaj Siggelkow will walk you through the connected customer experience and how connected delivery models are used in various industries. You’ll learn about connected strategy examples and analyze existing frameworks that can inform connected relationship design.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to identify, assess and implement connected strategies for your organization.

  • Connected Strategy and Value Proposition
  • Connected Customer Experience and Customization
  • Connected Producers and Connected Strategy Matrix
  • Revenue Model, Technology Infrastructure, and Disruptive Innovation
  • Analyze innovation frameworks and value propositions
  • Identify connected relationships and their potential for your firm
  • Examine customer experiences as they relate to the greater customer journey
  • Create customization strategies by leveraging positive customer feedback loops
  • Develop connection architecture and connected customer relationship strategies for your business

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT CAPSTONE

You understand connected relationships, but how can you apply this knowledge to excel the strategic management of your firm?

Connected Strategy Capstone Project provides you with the necessary tools to ideate, plan and execute a connected strategy for your business. Tailored worksheets and lecture videos from Professors Siggelkow and Terwiesch will guide you through each step of connected strategy creation. The final capstone project will be a combination of your worksheets and analysis of the strategy you created.

Throughout the capstone project, you’ll be able to reflect on your organization and develop actionable strategies.

  • Connected Customer Experience
  • Connected Customer Experience Strategy
  • Connected Delivery Model Strategy
  • Apply the concepts learned in the Connected Strategy course
  • Approach connected strategy planning and creation
  • Move beyond traditional customer interactions to create a new business model
  • Create a connected customer experience and connected delivery model for any organization
  • Envision and develop a connected strategy that can be directly applied to your business

Want it all? Take the complete program for $537.30.

Key certificate program takeaways, participants will learn how to:.

  • Identify business’ competitive advantages
  • Amplify competitive advantages and drive profits
  • Leverage connected strategies to create continuous customer relationships
  • Transcend traditional forms of customer interaction and adopt new business models
  • Achieve sustainable competitive advantage

Professional Certificate in Strategic Management Faculty

Christian Terwiesch photo

Christian Terwiesch

Andrew M. Heller Professor at the Wharton School Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions Professor of Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine Co-Director, Mack Institute of Innovation Management

Faculty Research Interests

He is a Professor in Wharton’s Operations, Information and Decisions department, co-director of Penn’s Mack Institute for Innovation Management, and also holds a faculty appointment In Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. His research on Operations Management and on Innovation Management appears in many of the leading academic journals ranging from Management Science to The New England Journal of Medicine. He is an award-winning teacher with extensive experience in MBA teaching and executive education.

Professor Terwiesch is the co-author of Matching Supply with Demand, a widely used text-book in Operations Management that is now in its third edition. Based on this book, Professor Terwiesch has launched the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in business on Coursera. By now, well over 250,000 students enrolled in the course.

His latest book, Innovation Tournaments, was published by Harvard Business School Press. The novel, process-based approach to innovation outlined in the book was featured by BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, and the Sloan Management Review and has lead to innovation tournaments in organizations around the world.

Professor Terwiesch has researched with and consulted for various organizations. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, he has helped companies become more innovative, often by implementing innovation tournament events and by helping to restructure their innovation portfolio.

Most of his current work relates to healthcare and innovation management. In the healthcare space, some of Professor Terwiesch recent projects include the design of patient centered care processes in the VA hospital system, the impact of emergency room crowding on hospital revenues and the patient experience at Penn Medicine, and the usage of patient portals and remote patient monitoring.

In addition to his teaching and his research, Professor Terwiesch is experimenting with a new career as a host of a national radio show on Sirius XM 132. Also, after 20 years of Ironman racing, he is trying to become a competitive rower, a transition that unfortunately turns out to be harder than expected.

"View profile"

Nicolaj Siggelkow

David M. Knott Professor Professor of Management Co-Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management

He studied Economics at Stanford University and earned an M.A. in Economics from Harvard University. He received a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University and the Harvard Business School. Professor Siggelkow has been the recipient of multiple MBA and Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Awards, including the Class of 1984 Award presented to the faculty member with the highest teaching rating in the MBA classroom, the Helen Kardon Moss Anvil Teaching Award, the Wharton Award, and the Wharton Graduate Association Student Choice Award. His research has been published in the leading management journals, including Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Industrial Economics, Management Science, Organization Science, and Strategic Organization. In 2008, he received the Administrative Science Quarterly Scholarly Contribution Award for the most significant paper published in ASQ five years earlier. Nicolaj is a member of the Editorial Review Boards of Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Organization, and Academy of Management Perspectives.

His current research focuses on the strategic and organizational implications of interactions among a firm’s choices of activities and resources. In particular, his research has focused on three broad questions: How do firms develop, grow and adjust their set of activities over time? How does organizational design affect a firm’s ability to find high-performing sets of activities? What role do interactions among a firm’s activities play in creating and sustaining competitive advantage? To address these questions, he has employed a range of methodological approaches, including in-depth field studies of individual firms, econometric methods for large-scale data sets, formal modeling, and simulation models.

Download Our Guide: Learning to Lead Multi-Generational Teams

This free downloadable eBook offers expert insights and practical advice on how to talk to, motivate, and manage Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers.

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The Wharton School is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.

The Wharton School is accredited by IACET

Strategic Management Graduate Certificate

Get Started

No Application Required

Online and On Campus Options

Help contribute to the big picture at your organization using key business and management principles.

Remain competitive in today's global marketplace by building a solid understanding of the foundations of strategic management.

What You'll Learn

  • Align the basic direction and goals of an organization; analyze an environment’s social, political, technological, economic, and global factors; evaluate industry and market structure; and assess organizational strengths and weaknesses.
  • Understand the essentials of business management in a global economy, such as corporate responsibility and ethics; organizational efficiency; and decision-making frameworks for competing strategic priorities.
  • Leverage knowledge in corporate sustainability strategy, human resource management, strategic resource allocation, crisis management, and marketing management.

Our Community at a Glance

It may seem daunting to tackle schoolwork while maintaining a job, but you won’t be alone. You’ll bring challenges you face at work or in your community into the classroom to consult with faculty and peers on new, innovative solutions. Test a fresh concept or framework in the workplace and see immediate results.

Average Age

Working Full Time

Students Outside the U.S.

Average Time to Complete

Certificate Courses

The professional graduate certificate in Strategic Management requires five courses:

  • Economics, Accounting, or Finance course (choose one course from select group)
  • Marketing course (choose one course from select group)
  • Organizational Behavior course (choose one course from select group)
  • Elective (choose one course from select group)
  • Strategy course (choose one course from select group; this is your final certificate course)

Search for Courses

You can browse courses by term — fall, spring, or summer — in the DCE Course Search & Registration platform.

Earning Your Certificate

To meet the requirements for the certificate, you must:

  • Complete the  five certificate courses for graduate credit .
  • Earn at least a  B grade  in each course.
  • Complete the courses within three years .

Learn more about  pursuing a certificate  and the process of  requesting your certificate .

The experience I had at HES was truly world-class, shaping and transforming me in ways I never thought possible.

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

This graduate certificate stacks to the following degrees:

  • Management Master’s Degree Program

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Certificate in Business Strategy & Decision-Making

Forge a Strategic Path to Meet Today’s Pressing Challenges

Program Details

  • Location: Online
  • Duration: 8 months
  • Times: Evenings
  • Cost: $3,897

Next start date:

September 2024

About this Program

A global pandemic. A climate crisis. A social justice movement that is demanding companies and organizations reimagine how they do business. The challenges facing today’s business leaders are formidable and complex. Successful leaders need to be able to develop and implement strategies that meaningfully address these pressing issues in ways that align with the company’s goals and core values. This dexterity will set you apart as a leader who can contribute to organizational planning and lead others in the development and execution of strategic plans.

This three-course certificate program will prepare you to address today’s most pressing business challenges. We’ll discuss the circumstances and considerations that leaders need to account for when creating a business strategy. You’ll work in small teams to take a business strategy through its various stages — initiation, implementation, performance evaluation and future recommendations. You’ll gain the tools you’ll need to confidently lead your team, no matter what hurdles you encounter.

▸ Related Article: Why Good Business Strategy is Your Roadmap to Success

Designed For

Early and mid-career professionals who are looking to advance to more senior positions and professionals who either have some experience leading teams or aspire to do so in their next career move.

See Requirements

Requirements

Admission requirements.

To apply, you must have:

  • Two years of college education
  • Three years of work experience in a business-related role 
  • Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office applications or their equivalent 

Time Commitment

Including time in class, you should expect to spend about five to seven hours each week on coursework.

English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, you should have at least intermediate English skills to enroll. To see if you qualify, make sure you are at the B2 level on the CEFR self-assessment grid . To learn more, see English Language Proficiency Requirements – Noncredit Programs .

International Students

Because this offering is 100% online, no visa is required and international students are welcome to apply. For more information, see Admission Requirements for International Students .

Technology Requirements

You must have access to a computer, and we recommend a high-speed internet connection.

Earning the Certificate

You earn a certificate of completion by successfully completing all required courses. For more information, see Earning the Certificate .

Video Overview

Instructor Adam Grupp talks about the importance of becoming skilled in all aspects of decision-making and how this program helps you learn self-management and the role you play as a leader.

What You'll Learn

  • Decision analysis frameworks for developing and adapting strategies
  • How to use frameworks and planning tools to collect key inputs and involve stakeholders in the strategic planning process
  • How to uncover opportunities and develop meaningful goals, identify required resources, track and evaluate success, and adapt to unpredictable disruptions

Get Hands-On Experience

  • Create a strategic plan or plan of record for an existing organization
  • Participate in team-based case projects involving simulation exercises, class presentations and post-mortem analyses

OUR ENROLLMENT COACHES ARE HERE TO HELP

Connect with an enrollment coach to learn more about this offering. Or if you need help finding the right certificate, specialization or course for you, reach out to explore your options .

Program Overview

Complete the courses listed below to earn the certificate. You may be able to take individual courses without enrolling in the certificate program; check the course pages for details.

Foundations of Business Strategy & Planning

Business strategy implementation, business strategy evaluation & managing disruptions.

Approved by the  UW Foster School of Business .

View this program's advisory board .

Advisory Board

Each of our programs uses an advisory board to review content, guide design and recommend updates to ensure the program remains current as the field of study evolves. By tapping the minds of the top thinkers, doers and leaders in the field, we offer a transformational learning experience. The following individuals serve as the advisory board for this program.

John Downey , CEO, Crux Advisors

Adam Grupp , Instructor & Principal, Woodhaven Advisors

Lisa Hillmann , Director-Digital, Kaiser Permanente

Andrew Lear , CFO, Digital Global Services

Clayton Nelson , VP Strategic Partnerships, Expedia

Dean Pettit , Principal, DKP Bioconsulting

Kapil Sharma , Corporate Strategy, T-Mobile

Paul Warn , VP/GM Head of Americas, LAC & Global Partner Markets, Qualtrics

“The program was great because there were other people who were in career transition, like I was, and really pivoting into a brand new world. So it was a great way for me to network with other people.”

— nicole bowers, certificate graduate, learning format.

Online With Real-Time Meetings

Online With Real-Time Meetings

Combine the convenience of online learning with the immediacy of real-time interaction. You’ll stream courses online and interact with your instructors and fellow students via video conferencing or chat, both in real time. Learn More »

Program Sessions

September 2024 noncredit, closed sessions, october 2023 noncredit, autumn 2023, winter 2024, spring 2024, cost of program: $3,897, program fees, want to get the latest.

Sign up to get updates about this program, including info sessions and application deadlines.

Get Program Updates

By submitting my information, I consent to be contacted and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the privacy policy .

Instructor Adam Grupp

Founder, Woodhaven Advisors

Instructor Kapil Sharma

Kapil Sharma

Related articles, where to find scholarships for your certificate program.

Find out how you can fund your certificate program through scholarships from your school, field of study or community.

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Why Good Business Strategy is Your Roadmap to Success

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Learn the tools needed to guide sophisticated projects involving cross-functional teams. Study a curriculum that covers Predictive and Agile methodologies.

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Study the full life cycle of digital product development. Learn how to manage the process, guide a team and bring a product to market successfully.

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Build the skills needed to orchestrate all stages of a program, from development to closure. Study material that aligns with the Program Management Professional (PgMP)® certification exam.

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The strategy and c onsulting concentration is designed for those students who seek the core foundational skills you need to thrive in an increasingly disrupted and evolving business environment. 

From those fundamentals , you will have the ability to define the concentration to support your specific career interests. 

Where the Strategy & Consulting Concentration Will Take You

What is strategic management and why study it? It’s about using the critical thinking and problem-solving skills employers highly value.

In the strategy and consulting concentration , you will take strategic planning courses and learn about strategic problem solving, decision making, and execution as well as pursue multi-disciplinary electives that enable you to customize your concentration to fit your career interests. Students who pursue this concentration go on to work in corporate strategy, strategic planning, business strategic management, management consulting, technology, marketing, data analytics consulting, and finance, among many other opportunities.   

What You Will Study in Your Strategy & Consulting Courses  

In choosing you r courses to fulfill the strategy and consulting concentration requirements, we encourage you to craft your portfolio based on your interests , in addition to choosing from business planning courses and strategic ma nagement courses. The consulting concentration starts with students selecting at least two courses from an offering of strategy ele ctives which enables you to develop a depth in strategic problem solving and consulting ,     You then select from a portfolio of courses that span organizational behavior, economics, marketing, operations , information management and of course strategy. As such, the strategy and consulting concentration is Babson’s only true cross-discipline, market-focused concentration.     From understanding the basics to analyzing into case studies from around the world, you also have the opportunity to engage in real-world consulting-based courses such as our Management Consulting Field Experience (MCFE) program or through internationally-based consulting courses.

Foundation: Strategic Problem Solving and Consulting

Choose at least two courses from a portfolio of strategic management courses and e lectives to deepen your skills in strategic problem solving, strate gy execution, and consulting. Sample courses include:  

This course will provide you with a deeper understanding of how a strategic approach to “moonshot” innovations can solve significant societal challenges. You will explore several historical examples, focusing on the original and emergent strategies and technologies, the characteristics of successful teams, and the role of strategic problem solving.

Few business schools teach problem solving rigorously. The course will help you learn how to think insightfully and become a skilled problem solver. Wicked problems are messy, multifaceted, lack sufficient information, and are difficult to solve. Acquiring this skill will differentiate you in the job market, prepare you for doing well in case interviews, and position you for success in your career of choice.

What is what is strategic management? Come find out! Elite armies of management consultants are at work advising companies ranging fro m the Fortune 500 to mid-sized Private Equity portfolio companies across all industries (and government). This course will introduce students to this industry as we review the content and process frameworks and methodologies used by leading consulting firm s, examine the client/consultant relationship when addressing challenging business issues, and consider some of the career and lifestyle issues inherent in a consulting career. 

In our strategy and consulting concentration, students then choose an additional two courses to fit their specific career interests. There are over 25 electives students can choose from that will enable you to deepen your understanding of strategy, to enhance your leadership and teamwork skills, or to build a broader understanding of the functional area in which you want to focus.

Sample courses include:

This course is designed to make you think about managing people (or human resources) in new ways. The purpose of the course is to help you learn how organizational systems and processes impact how jobs are designed, who gets hired, and how individuals are developed (or not) within an organization. In addition to these topics, you will discuss performance management, employee engagement, and employee separation. Overall, the course is designed to create comfort with the language of human resources management and understand how individuals, managers, and entrepreneurs ideally respond to human resource-related concerns.

This course will help you learn how to manage collaboration and networks for organizational performance and personal success. It will focus on ways in which successful leaders think about, analyze, and develop collaboration networks that help drive strategic advantage, innovation, and well-being in organizations. The course will also equip you with a range of network tools and frameworks that not only can make you a more effective leader and team member but give you a competitive advantage in the job market.

In this course, you will learn critical skills for leading cross functional teams using up-to-date PM best practices, methodologies, and tools. This course is applicable across career paths such as consulting, information technology, entrepreneurship, new product development and many others. Students will be exposed to both the technical and behavioral skills required to effectively lead project teams—whether as an official “Project Manager” or an unofficial leader temporarily charged with leading a project implementation.

Explore the entire list of strategy and consulting courses

You Will Learn From the Best

At Babson, our faculty are experts, innovators, and forward thinkers in their chosen fields. The power of the Babson education comes from learning from faculty whose expertise come from both research and practice. Here are just some professors sharing their expertise and support with our students in the strategy and consulting program.

Bret Bero, Assistant Professor of Practice, Management Division

Bret Bero teaches strategy, strategic problem solving, management consulting, leading business turnarounds, and disruptive change and business transformation. He was previously managing director at American Capital, Ltd. and has more than 18 years of leadership experience in world class consulting firms.

Gaurab Bhardwaj, Associate Professor, Management Division

Gaurab Bhardwaj

Gaurab Bhardwaj researches, teaches and writes about solving the big problems that confront societies. He also teaches strategy and uses field research and the methods of historians to develop rich narratives of decision making and create decision making frameworks.

Mark Carr, Assistant Professor of Practice, Management Division

Mark Carr teaches courses on strategy, CEO leadership and consulting practicums. He also consults with organizations on strategic planning and on growth issues, including new market entry, innovation programs, opportunity evaluation, brand sharpening, and insight development.

Peter Cohan, Associate Professor of Practice, Management Division

Peter Cohan

Peter Cohan teaches strategy and entrepreneurship and developed and teaches Foundations of Entrepreneurial Management for undergraduate transfer students. He also serves on the Babson faculty senate and as coordinator for Strategic Problem Solving, the required capstone strategy course for undergraduates.

strategic planning college course

Alia Crocker

Alia Crocker teaches Strategic Problem Solving and her teaching interests include strategic management, organizational theory, and international business. Dr. Crocker’s research interests include strategic human capital, social networks, multilevel theory, microfoundations of strategy, and behavioral theory.

Yamlaksira Getachew, Assistant Professor, Management Division

Yamlaksira Getachew

Yamlaksira Getachew’s research focuses on the interplay between businesses and sustainable development (with particular emphasis on Africa, economic institutions, and inequality) and examines topics in strategic management, international business, and entrepreneurship areas.

Madeline Kneeland, Assistant Professor, Management Division

Madeline Kneeland

Madeline King Kneeland’s research spans strategy and organizational theory and answers questions related to social networks, network dynamics, and innovation. Her research also explores how individuals and firms are able to create unusual and technologically distant innovation.

Jonathan Sims, Associate Professor, Management Academic Division

Jonathan Sims

Jonathan Sims’ research centers on open innovation communities and teaching pedagogy. His courses include Moonshot Innovations, Strategic Problem Solving, Introduction to the Entrepreneurial Experience, and Contemporary Strategic Issues in Chile. Dr. Sims has served as faculty advisor for Glavin Global Fellows and the Weissman Scholars program.

Richard Wang, Associate Professor, Management Division

Richard Wang

Richard Wang’s research specializes in competitive strategy, innovation management, and the interaction between business and government policy. His current research projects include competition in the Chinese satellite TV industry, digital book publishing on Amazon Kindle, and the impact of recreational marijuana laws on local businesses in Washington State.

Have Questions?

Faculty Contacts: Richard Wang and Danna Greenberg Sponsoring Division: Management

Get Connected

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Strategic Decision Making Cornell Course

Select start date, strategic decision making, course overview.

The ability to make effective and timely decisions is an essential skill for successful executives. Mastery of this skill influences all aspects of day-to-day operations as well as strategic planning. In this course, developed by Professor Robert Bloomfield, Ph.D. of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management, you will hone your decision-making skills by following a methodology based on tested actions and sound organizational approaches. You will leave this course better equipped to confidently tackle any decision large or small, and you'll do so in a way that creates the optimal conditions for success.

Key Course Takeaways

  • Respond decisively and consistently when faced with situations that require a decision
  • Determine the most important features of the decision you need to make, based on the setting and the context 
  • Rec ognize and compensate for psychological factors in yourself and in others that affect decision quality
  • Incorporate available information into decisions, with an awareness of the limitations of that information
  • Establish responsibilities and accountabilities to ensure effective follow­through on decisions made

strategic planning college course

Download a Brochure

How it works, course author.

Robert Bloomfield

  • Certificates Authored

Since coming to the Johnson Graduate School of Management in 1991, Robert J. Bloomfield has used laboratory experiments to study financial markets and investor behavior. He has also published in all major business disciplines, including finance, accounting, marketing, organizational behavior, and operations research. Professor Bloomfield served as director of the Financial Accounting Standards Research Initiative (FASRI), an activity of the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and is an editor of a special issue of Journal of Accounting Research dedicated to Registered Reports of empirical research. Professor Bloomfield has recently taken on editorship of Journal of Financial Reporting, which is pioneering an innovative editorial process intended to broaden the range of research methods used in accounting, improve the quality of research execution, and encourage the honest reporting of findings.

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Who Should Enroll

This course is intended for mid- to upper-level managers, high potentials, and senior leaders with over three years experience. Learners may come from every continent and from a diverse range of organizations, including for profits large and small, NGOs, and governmental agencies.

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background

Strategy and Organizational Planning Course

Strategy and Organizational Planning examines how organizations set strategy and planning as key drivers of organizational success. In any domestic or international setting, the functions of strategy and planning are valuable resources in maintaining or expanding the competitive position. This course encourages learners to take a long-term view of the roles of strategy and planning whose concepts form the foundation for the practice of strategic management. Key topics covered include strategy analysis, strategic planning, and strategy implementation and evaluation. Both strategy and planning are boundaryless functions, thus allowing learners to examine these topics from the perspective of organizations operating in emerging markets.

Course level

Undergraduate

Course duration

max. 8 weeks

Estimated time per week

10-15 hours

Course prerequisites

Leadership Management, and Teams,Applied Leadership and Management

Course credits

Relevant jobs

Strategy and Organizational Planning Course Overview

Examine the process of strategic analysis, strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation

Identify the different types of strategic planning tools and techniques

Delineate the steps in the strategic planning process and the rationale for developing a strategic plan

Identify internal and external environmental factors key to effective strategy formulation, and the constraints that impact strategy execution

Apply strategic management tools from an organizational perspective to solve a complex business challenge or opportunity

Strategy and Organizational Planning Course Skills

How will i learn, learning experience.

Your course starts on the first of the month. The course consists of 6 modules, and is designed to take you eight weeks to complete. Nexford’s learning design team has purposefully created courses to equip you with competencies mapped to the skills employers are looking for. Each course has 5-7 learning outcomes based on the skills employers need. Everything you learn gives you measurable skills you will use to succeed in today’s world of work.

Nexford courses are not live or recorded lectures. Instead, they’re reading, videos, interactive elements, quizzes and relevant case studies. Programs include assessments, peer-to-peer discussions, and a final project to practice what you’ve learned in a real-world context. Program content is available 24/7 during the course, and you have opportunities for collaboration and networking with learners during and after your program. Our global community of learners work at top companies such as Microsoft, Deloitte, and Google .

You'll have 24/7 access to success advisors to support you. Faculty also provide you world-class support. Book appointments with them, get individual feedback, and attend regular optional webinars.Nexford courses are rigorous and they encourage critical thinking - because we care about what you know how to do not what you know you have regular hands-on assessments reflecting the business world.

Course Outline

How will i be graded.

View the catalog to learn about how this course is graded.

What will I get after completing the course?

You'll get real skills you can use at work, straight away.

Once you've taken one course, you can take more. Using stacked credentials, you’re able to take enough courses to make a certificate, and take enough certificates to build a degree.

If you apply for a Nexford certificate or degree, you'll get credit for each course you take.

What support will I receive?

When you have a dedicated team on your side, you'll never be alone studying at Nexford. Hailing from many different countries and with online education expertise, our faculty provides you world-class support. Ask them questions during one-to-one office hours or live chat , email them any time, and get individual feedback on your assessments.

While you’re learning, you’ll also have full access to the Nexford online library, which includes access to millions of full-text articles, industry reports and key sources such as the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and The Economist.

strategic planning college course

LinkedIn Learning: unlimited access with Nexford

Support your Nexford goals with access to LinkedIn Learning during your program, at no additional cost. Explore the learning hub of the globe’s biggest professional networking platform to:

  • Power your career: choose from over 16,000 expert-led courses, from remote working to data science
  • Show off your skills: earn a certificate when you complete a course
  • See what’s trending: LinkedIn Learning adds 25 new courses each week
  • Tailor your learning: choose relevant courses based on your experience, LinkedIn profile and goals
  • Test what you’ve learned: use LinkedIn Learning assessments

strategic planning college course

Questions? We’re here to help

Frequently asked questions

Strategy and Organizational Planning Course Testimonials

When I started at Nexford I found a direction.

Each course is like a door opening.

Jethro Tucay

My weekly reflective journal is my Nexford highlight. Thanks to faculty support, I continually apply principles to my enterprise – and I've been able to scale beyond considerable measure.

Siramene Teeh Ngbor

I don't have to spend a fortune to earn a high-quality MBA.

Rebecca Ebokpo

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5 Steps To Highly Effective Strategic Planning In Higher Education (FREE template)

Download our free Higher Education Strategy Template Download this template

A crystal clear strategic plan can be the big difference between becoming the leading university… VERSUS ending up at the bottom. You know - where you struggle to attract students, the right staff members or even funds to support your institution.

So, in order to achieve your university’s goals, you need to learn how to build an effective strategic plan. 

In this blog post, we will reveal:

  • The #1 reason university strategies fail
  • The overlooked role of a strategic plan for higher ed
  • The 5-step process you can follow to build a plan with your team

Free Template Download our free Higher Education Strategy Template Download this template

What is strategic planning in higher education? 

Strategic planning is the process an institution follows to realize its vision of its ideal future state. It’s a roadmap for getting there. Your vision becomes a reality through the process that defines specific goals, needs, and actions. It helps you to structure and contextualize information leading to important decisions. 

Sounds obvious, right? 

So, the question is:

Why do so many universities fail at strategic planning?

Because they forgot what the main role of a strategic plan is.

Most universities and colleges work on some form of strategic planning, but they usually come out as a 28-page PDF. They create an impressive presentation with shiny headings, upload it to their website and consider themselves successful. 

The end result is a ‘strategic plan’ that serves more as a marketing brochure and less like a roadmap to success.

strategic planning in higher education

What’s wrong with this usual approach?

Most vice-chancellors and vice presidents are not even aware of what they are losing. Staff members and faculty members work in silos with no focus on the big picture. Departmental plans are unaligned with the overall strategic plan. This leads to inefficiency, wasted resources, and things getting missed.

Clearly, this approach lacks the organization and accountability necessary for success. As a result, some institutions are losing their reputation, while others are losing program accreditation, experiencing declining student success, or having fewer funds available.

Sometimes all of the above. 

Strategic planning goes beyond ambitious and attractive presentations that describe the organization’s state in the next 5, 10 or more years.

Now let's take a closer look...

What is the real purpose of the strategic plan in higher education?

Your first and foremost goal should be to stay true to the promises you made to your stakeholders.

Think of your strategic plan as the foundation to achieve your long-term goals.

It’s supposed to help you translate high-level ambitions into tangible actions at a departmental level. Furthermore, it organizes everyone so that they can do those actions and report on them in a systematic and transparent manner. 

It serves as a guiding light for your staff, allowing them to focus on the things that drive real progress towards the university's strategic goals. 

On top of that, it’s an important resource for planning your yearly budget allocation. Even in the most difficult financial times, integrating strategic planning and budgeting throughout the organization creates opportunities for success.

It's obvious, isn't it? You need to stop treating your strategic plan as merely a glorified marketing document.

What are the 5 steps in the strategic planning process?

This five-step process will help you to craft a strategic plan that goes beyond marketing and delivers on promised results.

1. Understand your current situation

An effective planning process starts with a thorough understanding of your current situation. 

You can start by asking these questions: 

  • What are our core competencies?
  • Which important KPIs are trending over the last few years upwards? 
  • Where do we notice a drop in performance? What led to this drop?
  • Where do we want to be in 5 or 10 years?
  • Do we need to develop new programs?
  • How do we get there? 
  • What external factors can impact us in the future?

Search for answers and go deep into every department and aspect of your institution. From financial health and university rankings to student enrollment, retention rates, and placement rates.

Next, understand the expectations and needs of your internal and external stakeholders.

Remember, top-down approach doesn’t work for universities. Higher education institutions are highly interconnected with their community and shouldn’t neglect its interest when making strategic decisions.

Collect feedback from every stakeholder group whose expectations affect your performance:

  • Alumni members
  • Faculty members & campus community
  • Community groups
  • Senior administrators
  • External partnerships

Include their input into planning and translate it into the institution’s major goals. Embrace this collaborative approach and prevent too many unexpected "buts" in the future.

Don’t forget that you’re only collecting information at this stage, not brainstorming solutions or action plans. 

‍ Cascade tip:

The SWOT analysis framework  is still one of the most effective methods for evaluating internal operations and the external environment. Be honest and thorough in your evaluation. You can use it numerous times through strategic planning but you should start early in the planning process.

2. Lead with vision and values

Your university's vision is a part of its identity and a powerful latent tool.

Higher ed institutions of any size can utilize it, but they usually don’t. They don’t believe that people care about the big picture or that it affects the university's daily operations.

However, a clear and unique vision statement will set you apart from the competition and make you more memorable to potential students. They will know exactly what to expect from studying at your university and why they should come. 

At the same time, it gives a strong sense of pride and belonging to current students, faculty, and alumni. It becomes an emblem that attracts the right students, staff members, and funding opportunities. 

Here’s  an example  of a vision statement for the university: 

We will work as one Oxford bringing together our staff, students and alumni, our colleges, faculties, departments and divisions to provide world-class research and education.

- University of Oxford

You can take it one step further and include your institutional mission statement. 

And don’t forget about the values. They define your university’s culture. They determine how people act, which behaviors are praised and which are condemned. 

When you build a culture intentionally, then everyone inside and outside your school knows what you stand for, reinforcing all the benefits of a harnessed vision.

Cascade tip:

One of the biggest blockers to the successful execution of a strategic plan is the attempt to accomplish too much at once.  Creating a Vision Statement  will help you to avoid that trap right from the start. It becomes your north star guiding your strategy. It will be easier for you to identify what is relevant and worthy of your attention versus what isn't.

3. Concentrate your strategic planning efforts on key areas

There's a problem most presidents and strategic planning committees face: they don't define the real focus of their plans. 

You see, you can’t achieve everything, everywhere, all at once.

Your resources are limited, and you should prioritize accordingly. 

I’m glad you followed the first two steps. Now you have all the information you need to identify the biggest and most urgent challenges your university faces.

Clarifying the obstacles ahead of time helps you prioritize your strategic goals and develop focused efforts to achieve them.

For example, let’s say you’re creating a 5-year strategic plan. Here are some key focus groups you might want to focus on: 

  • Provide superb undergraduate experience 
  • Ensure graduate education and lifetime learning 
  • Increase community engagement 
  • Increase research excellence 
  • Optimize financial resources

Focus areas help you decide what falls outside the university's priorities and prioritize your strategic planning efforts. 

We usually suggest creating between 3 to 5 Focus Areas. Any fewer and they will probably be too vague. Any more, and well..... you lose your focus. Dive deeper into focus areas with this  guide . 

4. Translate plan into tangible actions

This is the part that turns your strategic plan into reality. 

If you ever want to achieve your goals, you need to break down the plan into smaller, granular pieces specific to each department. Start by adding strategic objectives to your focus areas. 

The secret to  writing great strategic objectives  is simplicity and specificity. Avoid jargon and use a verb to indicate action. Accompany it with a deadline and preferably an owner (or two).

Here is an example:

Increase citations per faculty by 5% by May 2024, owned by Jane Doe.

The next step is to migrate from goal-setting to action-planning with projects. Projects describe what you’ll do to accomplish your objectives.

Projects  articulate a set of actions within a certain timeline. They include specific tasks, milestones, dependencies and dates (deadlines). Every objective should include at least one project or action-like event. Otherwise, you’ll never achieve any progress towards it.

Of course, nothing is so linear, but this process forces you to come up with action plans to support every strategic initiative and allocate funds and your staff’s time appropriately.

One of the most important steps in the planning process is to take the high-level plan and break it down into tangible actions at the departmental level. 

Cascade  helps you to achieve that with  planning models completely customizable  to your strategic planning approach. 

You can create a university-wide strategic plan and then break it down into  portfolio or departmental plans.  Clarify their goals, projects and key metrics. Collaborate with your teams to build multiple inter-connected plans and tie them back to the overall plan.

higher education strategic alignment

You get complete  visibility into how different plans or projects are connected  and contribute to the overall strategic plan. 

5. Don’t forget to measure progress

There is no perfect strategic planning for higher education (or anywhere for that matter). 

Every plan can be derailed by events beyond our control (such as a pandemic, change in public policy, or an unstable economic environment on a global scale). There is, however, disciplined execution through regular reviewing habits. The secret lies in the way you measure your progress and the frequency of reviewing it.

Determine the indexes that you want to improve and then  set key performance indicators (KPIs)  to drive and measure your performance against set targets. 

Here are some examples of KPIs you might want to keep track of:

  • University ranking
  • Post-graduation placement rate
  • Number of students involved in undergraduate research
  • Fundraising ROI

Establish the KPIs you will be reporting on in advance, and always end your reviews with a "next steps" discussion.

Create dashboards to measure progress in real-time.  Cascade’s customizable dashboards  help you to quickly identify areas that are underperforming and act before it’s too late.

Zoom your screen in on the screenshot below to check out Cascade's beautiful dashboards!

higher education kpi dashboard

Extra tip:  Use Cascade reports to help you demonstrate your success in a transparent way and attract more investments in the key areas of your university. 

What’s next for your university?

Most university’s failure to reach their strategic goals isn’t because of bad strategy, but because strategy is constrained by PowerPoint. Kept miles from those who can make it happen. The best in Advancement, the finest HR, the most profound ideas - they’re all framed in slides rather than shaping every day’s activities for everyone across the university.

Remember, a strategic plan isn’t just a glossy presentation to attract new students or to get that accreditation approval for your academic program. It’s a manifesto for every employee to embrace and enact in whatever they do at your university. 

So, the next step is to transform your strategy from an intellectual exercise to an executable plan. It’s just a matter of shifting your approach and using the right tools. 

And once you make that shift, you’ll be able to create  an organized and aligned approach  to make your strategic goals happen.

Do that and get your plan to everyone, and your competition will be choking in your dust.

Are you ready to create your plan and start executing it? Turn your strategic plan into a competitive advantage with our 100% free, battle-tested strategic plan template , built for teams in higher education. 

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Your toolkit for strategy success.

strategic planning college course

Strategic Planning: Charting a Course

strategic planning college course

Embarking on a new strategic plan is an opportunity to amplify strengths and identify new opportunities. This moment is particularly important as we chart a course for our profession in a post-pandemic world. For ACHE, this means elevating what makes us unique as a leadership organization and forging new pathways to leverage our vision, mission and values: integrity, lifelong learning, leadership, and diversity and inclusion.

As Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, Chair of the ACHE Board of Governors and regional president, Northern California, Kaiser Permanente, noted during our strategic planning development process, we have much to be proud of in navigating one of the most challenging eras in our nearly 90-year history. Yet, we must evolve ACHE to meet our members’ needs in an ever-changing landscape.

The Board’s “deep dive” last year into ACHE’s Strategic Plan considered perspectives both inside and outside the organization, seeking diverse input from thought leaders across the country from a variety of disciplines and settings. Our members, Regents and chapters also gave voice to the plan. The feedback provided a striking consensus on the near-term priorities for ACHE and our role to support, advance and diversify the leadership workforce.

The Board articulated a set of ambitions, as stated below, to capture these priorities. Each ambition has added tactics and guidelines to leverage our roles as catalyst , connector and trusted partner during the next three years:

As a Catalyst, achieve our highest calling to advance health by leading through the lens of equity . To achieve this, ACHE will commit to leading for equity and safety. As always, we will look at new strategies that will advance equity and diversify our field. As a champion for safety, we will continue providing tools to help leaders achieve zero preventable harm, while also discovering new ways to amplify the importance of safety.

As a Connector, grow our professional community of leaders across the healthcare continuum by leveraging our partnerships with chapters and other organizations . We know our chapter network is the lifeblood of ACHE and vital to the execution of our mission. We will elevate our collaboration with chapters to deliver education, networking and other benefits in new and impactful ways. By embracing leaders across the care continuum, we will grow our community, broaden our perspective and be more prepared to realize the full promise of health and well-being.

To expand our role and influence as a Trusted Partner to help leaders reach their highest potential to lead . We are committed to deepening our engagement with members and the healthcare community through education, networking and career services that inspire and cultivate leaders to advance health. In doing so, we will provide unparalleled face-to-face and digital learning experiences. We will also ensure these resources help employers develop a strong, capable and resilient workforce.

Effective healthcare leadership requires a clear road map that empowers professionals to deliver safe and equitable care for patients and communities. Our Strategic Plan sets forth that road map, but the journey to advance ourselves, our teams and organizations requires us to evolve the plan as we learn and grow. Our ultimate intent is to help leaders reach their highest potential to lead. We are confident that ACHE’s 2022–2024 Strategic Plan will help support your career and achieve your goals.

As we revisit the plan annually, we will look for your feedback to ensure the plan is an effective and relevant guide that will serve our profession well. We hope you are as excited as we are to set out on this path together. I invite you to learn more at ache.org/Strategy .

Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, is president and CEO of the American College of Healthcare Executives ( [email protected] ).

strategic planning college course

Saint Paul College A Community & Technical College

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Our instructors make your success their top priority; their powerful combination of industry knowledge, academic expertise and first-hand experience provides you with the education you need to achieve your goals.

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Quite simply, there is no one more important than YOU. We are here to help you become successful in your academics, career and your life.

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You’ll find much more here than classes – you’ll find a wide variety of resources to help you achieve success in your education and career. Be sure to take advantage of all the student services we have to offer.

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With more than a dozen student clubs and associations offered through Student Life, finding your place here couldn’t be easier. Joining gives you the opportunity to develop leadership skills, network in your career area, be active in the community, make friends and have fun!

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We offer personal enrichment courses, professional development, and career and technical training so you can become a better employee or life long learner.

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We take pride in preparing students for high-demand careers and outstanding four-year degree programs. With more than 500 industry partners and community organizations, we provide invaluable opportunities for learning in the classroom and countless real-world settings.

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​Strategic Planning

Launched in September 2023 after a year-long collaborative effort involving various stakeholders, Creating a Stronger Future 2025 (CSF2025) is a three-year plan that leverages our century-long dedication to delivering quality education to our community. Positioned to adapt to the dynamic demands of today's workforce, this strategic plan is imbued with our commitment to anti-racism and trauma-informed practices. CSF2025 outlines four strategic directions to chart the College's course to 2025 and beyond.

To explore our progress, strategies, and the impactful changes we aspire to make, delve into these key three resources:

  • News Story from Launch: Uncover the beginnings of our strategic plan, Creating a Stronger Future 2025 (CSF2025), through this news story that captures the excitement and collaborative effort that marked its launch in September 2023.
  • Annual Progress Report: Delve into the details of our achievements, strategies, and the impactful changes we aspire to make by reviewing our 2023 Annual Progress Report

CSF2025 - Strategic Directions

Strategic Direction One: Develop as an anti-racist, trauma-informed college.

  • Demonstrate the public institutional commitment of Saint Paul college to becoming an anti-racist, trauma informed institution and internally embed this commitment through vertical and horizontal institutional structures
  • Review the policy manual through an anti-racism, trauma informed lens and change policies that provide barriers to equity
  • Attract, hire, and retain BIPOC faculty and staff while supporting and expanding the goals outlined in the college's affirmative action plan
  • Develop and sustain an employee base of anti-racist trauma informed professionals through initiatives that increase the knowledge, skills, and abilities of all college employees.
  • Provide resources for enacting equity priorities
  • Embed the colleges commitment throughout the academic experience and improved teaching and learning through culturally responsive anti racist trauma informed curriculum and pedagogy
  • Provide support for understanding where efforts should be focused as well as benchmarking progress and all priority areas

Strategic Direction Two: Cultivate a student-centered learning environment promoting and supporting academic excellence and personal development.

  • Maximize the academic portfolio through strengthening academic programs and promoting innovative instruction and programming
  • Create and sustain a clear, coherent and inspiring academic environment for all students, supporting their journey from orientation to commencement and on to employment.
  • Build and enhance holistic support that contributes to educational success.
  • Revise and implement strategic enrollment practices to enhance our commitment to increase educational opportunities for underrepresented students and serving students with diverse academic needs
  • Increase efforts to retain, facilitate transfer, and graduate students

Strategic Direction Three: Strengthen the organizational culture by encouraging collaboration, transparent communication, and optimizing operations.

  • Strengthen organizational culture to prioritize a positive and engaging environment that nurtures innovation and creativity; encourages contributions; and develops compassion and respect towards other’s ideas and views.
  • Provide development opportunities that strengthen employee roles as leaders, mentors, educators, and enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
  • Optimize operations that improve space utilization, employ innovative technologies, and increase data-fluency that prioritize student success.
  • Enhance communication across campus departments, divisions, and teams through intentional, respectful sharing of ideas

Strategic Direction Four: Build, enhance, and sustain relationships with community partners that respond to the changing economic and workforce needs of our community and contribute to a more socially just world.

  • Enhance and grow strategic partnerships
  • Increase market share of surrounding high school districts by developing positive and sustained relationships with K- 12 allies
  • Utilize a comprehensive and focused strategy to develop, support, and promote community engagement and philanthropy
  • Advance public awareness of Saint Paul College through innovative, comprehensive, and dynamic branding, marketing, and promotion strategies

Annual Planning

Annual planning allows each department to establish specific objectives and actionable tasks that outline how the department plans work to support the goals of the strategic plan and illustrate how the staff and faculty play a role in achieving the goals.

Division and Operational Plans

Saint Paul College engages in systematic divisional and operational planning. Divisional and operational plans align with the College’s strategic plan, Creating a Stronger Future, 2025. Each division or operational area has identified key activities to complete and outcomes to measure to assist Saint Paul College in meeting its goals.

Integrated Planning and Budgeting

Planning at Saint Paul College occurs in an integrated manner across academic and non-academic units and takes into account long-range and yearly needs. On an annual basis, all academic programs, academic support units, student services, and administrative units participate in an integrated planning and budget process which is designed to gather and collect input from all levels of the college.

Integration is evident through:

  • Processes—The planning processes integrates the strategic plan, operational plans, and annual work plans with program review, assessment of student learning, and institutional and external data.
  • Finances--The budgeting process is aligned with our planning process and develops budget priorities based on the strategic plan priorities, operational plan priorities, and annual work plans.
  • Structures--The integration process occurs across academic and non-academic units.
  • People- Input, feedback, and collaborative decision making is woven throughout the entire planning and budgeting cycle with multiple opportunities for participation.

Strategic Planning Online (SPOL)

Saint Paul College uses an integrated planning process supported by a comprehensive software system, known as Strategic Planning Online (SPOL) . SPOL is an electronic planning system that allows for the full integration and alignment of the strategic plan, annual planning priorities, assessment and program review data, budget requests as well as priorities of the Minnesota State system. SPOL tracks the implementation and progress of improvements to education programs, services, and operations in an ongoing and continuous improvement cycle.

Budget Plan

The annual operating budget is an organizational plan stated in monetary terms. Saint Paul College prepares budgets, plans expenses and allocates funds consistent with Board policies and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system procedures.

The Saint Paul College Finance Department seeks to provide excellent customer service in support of the College’s mission through a budget process that links strategic and financial planning to insure the long-term financial health of the College.

  • FY21 Budget
  • Additional information relating to the colleges budget can be found here
  • Planning + Budget Portal

Planning and Budget Principles

The College will make planning, budgeting, and decisions based on a commitment to the College’s budget planning principles:

  • Principle 1: The annual budget is informed by the annual priorities established by the College. For the budget process to be strategic, decisions related to resource allocation must be grounded in the annual planning process and support the identified college priorities.
  • Principle 2: Budget development utilizes and prioritizes decision made from a data-informed process. The budget must be balanced. The planning of the annual budget must be done in a way that anticipated expenditures do not exceed anticipated revenue. Annual evaluation of spending patterns including a critical review of past spending decisions and the impact on strategic priorities is considered.
  • Principle 3: All final budget decisions are based on a fair and equitable evaluation of both cost and strategic prioritization. Once budgets are approved, departments are expected to operate within the annual budget, unless unforeseen circumstances arise (e.g., state appropriations reductions, enrollment changes, unfunded mandates etc.) occur during the year. If costs arise that were unplanned and/or unexpected, departments are expected to evaluate how the costs could be absorbed with current, available resources prior to requesting additional funds.
  • Principle 4: Maintain transparent, timely, factual, and honest communication throughout the college community. The College will provide timely information and updates about the budget and planning process including Shared Governance Committees, college-wide town hall discussions and department/division feedback.
  • Principle 5: Focus on long-term strategic outcomes. Budget and planning requires a multi-year perspective on attaining strategic objectives, priorities and goals.
  • Principle 6: Minimize the impact cost to students whenever possible. The budget is planned to limit the additional costs to students that may occur as a result of new initiatives and services/programs. Use of one-time funds to off-set these expenses are made whenever possible.

Budget Resources

Please see the following budget resources for more information:

  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Finance Division
  • Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Budget

If you have questions or comments about the Saint Paul College Budget process, please send an email to Scott Wilson .

One Click Away From Your Future

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College of Nursing

Driving change: a case study of a dnp leader in residence program in a gerontological center of excellence.

View as pdf A later version of this article appeared in Nurse Leader , Volume 21, Issue 6 , December 2023 . 

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published the Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Practice Nursing in 2004 identifying the essential curriculum needed for preparing advanced practice nurse leaders to effectively assess organizations, identify systemic issues, and facilitate organizational changes. 1 In 2021, AACN updated the curriculum by issuing The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education to guide the development of competency-based education for nursing students. 1 In addition to AACN’s competency-based approach to curriculum, in 2015 the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL) released Nurse Leader Core Competencies (updated in 2023) to help provide a competency based model to follow in developing nurse leaders. 2

Despite AACN and AONL competency-based curriculum and model, it is still common for nurse leaders to be promoted to management positions based solely on their work experience or exceptional clinical skills, rather than demonstration of management and leadership competencies. 3 The importance of identifying, training, and assessing executive leaders through formal leadership development programs, within supportive organizational cultures has been discussed by national leaders. As well as the need for nurturing emerging leaders through fostering interprofessional collaboration, mentorship, and continuous development of leadership skills has been identified. 4 As Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nurse leaders assume executive roles within healthcare organizations, they play a vital role within complex systems. Demonstration of leadership competence and participation in formal leadership development programs has become imperative for their success. However, models of competency-based executive leadership development programs can be hard to find, particularly programs outside of health care systems.

The implementation of a DNP Leader in Residence program, such as the one designed for The Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence, addresses many of the challenges facing new DNP leaders and ensures mastery of executive leadership competencies and readiness to practice through exposure to varied experiences and close mentoring. The Csomay Center , based at The University of Iowa, was established in 2000 as one of the five original Hartford Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence in the country. Later funding by the Csomay family established an endowment that supports the Center's ongoing work. The current Csomay Center strategic plan and mission aims to develop future healthcare leaders while promoting optimal aging and quality of life for older adults. The Csomay Center Director created the innovative DNP Leader in Residence program to foster the growth of future nurse leaders in non-healthcare systems. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the development and implementation of the Leader in Residence program, followed by suggested evaluation strategies, and discussion of future innovation of leadership opportunities in non-traditional health care settings.

Development of the DNP Leader in Residence Program

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle has garnered substantial recognition as a valuable tool for fostering development and driving improvement initiatives. 5 The PDSA cycle can function as an independent methodology and as an integral component of broader quality enhancement approaches with notable efficacy in its ability to facilitate the rapid creation, testing, and evaluation of transformative interventions within healthcare. 6 Consequently, the PDSA cycle model was deemed fitting to guide the development and implementation of the DNP Leader in Residence Program at the Csomay Center.

PDSA Cycle: Plan

Existing resources. The DNP Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership Program offered by the University of Iowa is comprised of comprehensive nursing administration and leadership curriculum, led by distinguished faculty composed of national leaders in the realms of innovation, health policy, leadership, clinical education, and evidence-based practice. The curriculum is designed to cultivate the next generation of nursing executive leaders, with emphasis on personalized career planning and tailored practicum placements. The DNP Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership curriculum includes a range of courses focused on leadership and management with diverse topics such as policy an law, infrastructure and informatics, finance and economics, marketing and communication, quality and safety, evidence-based practice, and social determinants of health. The curriculum is complemented by an extensive practicum component and culminates in a DNP project with additional hours of practicum.

New program. The DNP Leader in Residence program at the Csomay Center is designed to encompass communication and relationship building, systems thinking, change management, transformation and innovation, knowledge of clinical principles in the community, professionalism, and business skills including financial, strategic, and human resource management. The program fully immerses students in the objectives of the DNP Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership curriculum and enables them to progressively demonstrate competencies outlined by AONL. The Leader in Residence program also includes career development coaching, reflective practice, and personal and professional accountability. The program is integrated throughout the entire duration of the Leader in Residence’s coursework, fulfilling the required practicum hours for both the DNP coursework and DNP project.

The DNP Leader in Residence program begins with the first semester of practicum being focused on completing an onboarding process to the Center including understanding the center's strategic plan, mission, vision, and history. Onboarding for the Leader in Residence provides access to all relevant Center information and resources and integration into the leadership team, community partnerships, and other University of Iowa College of Nursing Centers associated with the Csomay Center. During this first semester, observation and identification of the Csomay Center Director's various roles including being a leader, manager, innovator, socializer, and mentor is facilitated. In collaboration with the Center Director (a faculty position) and Center Coordinator (a staff position), specific competencies to be measured and mastered along with learning opportunities desired throughout the program are established to ensure a well-planned and thorough immersion experience.

Following the initial semester of practicum, the Leader in Residence has weekly check-ins with the Center Director and Center Coordinator to continue to identify learning opportunities and progression through executive leadership competencies to enrich the experience. The Leader in Residence also undertakes an administrative project for the Center this semester, while concurrently continuing observations of the Center Director's activities in local, regional, and national executive leadership settings. The student has ongoing participation and advancement in executive leadership roles and activities throughout the practicum, creating a well-prepared future nurse executive leader.

After completing practicum hours related to the Health Systems: Administration/Executive Leadership coursework, the Leader in Residence engages in dedicated residency hours to continue to experience domains within nursing leadership competencies like communication, professionalism, and relationship building. During residency hours, time is spent with the completion of a small quality improvement project for the Csomay Center, along with any other administrative projects identified by the Center Director and Center Coordinator. The Leader in Residence is fully integrated into the Csomay Center's Leadership Team during this phase, assisting the Center Coordinator in creating agendas and leading meetings. Additional participation includes active involvement in community engagement activities and presenting at or attending a national conference as a representative of the Csomay Center. The Leader in Residence must mentor a master’s in nursing student during the final year of the DNP Residency.

Implementation of the DNP Leader in Residence Program

PDSA Cycle: Do

Immersive experience. In this case study, the DNP Leader in Residence was fully immersed in a wide range of center activities, providing valuable opportunities to engage in administrative projects and observe executive leadership roles and skills during practicum hours spent at the Csomay Center. Throughout the program, the Leader in Residence observed and learned from multidisciplinary leaders at the national, regional, and university levels who engaged with the Center. By shadowing the Csomay Center Director, the Leader in Residence had the opportunity to observe executive leadership objectives such as fostering innovation, facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration, and nurturing meaningful relationships. The immersive experience within the center’s activities also allowed the Leader in Residence to gain a deep understanding of crucial facets such as philanthropy and community engagement. Active involvement in administrative processes such as strategic planning, budgeting, human resources management, and the development of standard operating procedures provided valuable exposure to strategies that are needed to be an effective nurse leader in the future.

Active participation. The DNP Leader in Residence also played a key role in advancing specific actions outlined in the center's strategic plan during the program including: 1) the creation of a membership structure for the Csomay Center and 2) successfully completing a state Board of Regents application for official recognition as a distinguished center. The Csomay Center sponsored membership for the Leader in Residence in the Midwest Nurse Research Society (MNRS), which opened doors to attend the annual MNRS conference and engage with regional nursing leadership, while fostering socialization, promotion of the Csomay Center and Leader in Residence program, and observation of current nursing research. Furthermore, the Leader in Residence participated in the strategic planning committee and engagement subcommittee for MNRS, collaborating directly with the MNRS president. Additional active participation by the Leader in Residence included attendance in planning sessions and completion of the annual report for GeriatricPain.org , an initiative falling under the umbrella of the Csomay Center. Finally, the Leader in Residence was involved in archiving research and curriculum for distinguished nursing leader and researcher, Dr. Kitty Buckwalter, for the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, the University of Pennsylvania Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, and the University of Iowa library archives.

Suggested Evaluation Strategies of the DNP Leader in Residence Program

PDSA Cycle: Study

Assessment and benchmarking. To effectively assess the outcomes and success of the DNP Leader in Residence Program, a comprehensive evaluation framework should be used throughout the program. Key measures should include the collection and review of executive leadership opportunities experienced, leadership roles observed, and competencies mastered. The Leader in Residence is responsible for maintaining detailed logs of their participation in center activities and initiatives on a semester basis. These logs serve to track the progression of mastery of AONL competencies by benchmarking activities and identifying areas for future growth for the Leader in Residence.

Evaluation. In addition to assessment and benchmarking, evaluations need to be completed by Csomay Center stakeholders (leadership, staff, and community partners involved) and the individual Leader in Residence both during and upon completion of the program. Feedback from stakeholders will identify the contributions made by the Leader in Residence and provide valuable insights into their growth. Self-reflection on experiences by the individual Leader in Residence throughout the program will serve as an important measure of personal successes and identify gaps in the program. Factors such as career advancement during the program, application of curriculum objectives in the workplace, and prospects for future career progression for the Leader in Residence should be considered as additional indicators of the success of the program.

The evaluation should also encompass a thorough review of the opportunities experienced during the residency, with the aim of identifying areas for potential expansion and enrichment of the DNP Leader in Residence program. By carefully examining the logs, reflecting on the acquired executive leadership competencies, and studying stakeholder evaluations, additional experiences and opportunities can be identified to further enhance the program's efficacy. The evaluation process should be utilized to identify specific executive leadership competencies that require further immersion and exploration throughout the program.

Future Innovation of DNP Leader in Residence Programs in Non-traditional Healthcare Settings

PDSA Cycle: Act

As subsequent residents complete the program and their experiences are thoroughly evaluated, it is essential to identify new opportunities for DNP Leader in Residence programs to be implemented in other non-health care system settings. When feasible, expansion into clinical healthcare settings, including long-term care and acute care environments, should be pursued. By leveraging the insights gained from previous Leaders in Residence and their respective experiences, the program can be refined to better align with desired outcomes and competencies. These expansions will broaden the scope and impact of the program and provide a wider array of experiences and challenges for future Leaders in Residency to navigate, enriching their development as dynamic nurse executive leaders within diverse healthcare landscapes.

This case study presented a comprehensive overview of the development and implementation of the DNP Leader in Residence program developed by the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence. The Leader in Residence program provided a transformative experience by integrating key curriculum objectives, competency-based learning, and mentorship by esteemed nursing leaders and researchers through successful integration into the Center. With ongoing innovation and application of the PDSA cycle, the DNP Leader in Residence program presented in this case study holds immense potential to help better prepare 21 st century nurse leaders capable of driving positive change within complex healthcare systems.

Acknowledgements

         The author would like to express gratitude to the Barbara and Richard Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence for the fostering environment to provide an immersion experience and the ongoing support for development of the DNP Leader in Residence program. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The essentials: core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf . Accessed June 26, 2023.
  • American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Nurse leader core competencies. https://www.aonl.org/resources/nurse-leader-competencies . Accessed July 10, 2023.
  • Warshawsky, N, Cramer, E. Describing nurse manager role preparation and competency: findings from a national study. J Nurs Adm . 2019;49(5):249-255. DOI:  10.1097/NNA.0000000000000746
  • Van Diggel, C, Burgess, A, Roberts, C, Mellis, C. Leadership in healthcare education. BMC Med. Educ . 2020;20(465). doi: 10.1186/s12909-020-02288-x
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Plan-do-study-act (PDSA) worksheet. https://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Tools/PlanDoStudyActWorksheet.aspx . Accessed July 4, 2023.
  • Taylor, M, McNicolas, C, Nicolay, C, Darzi, A, Bell, D, Reed, J. Systemic review of the application of the plan-do-study-act method to improve quality in healthcare. BMJ Quality & Safety. 2014:23:290-298. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2013-002703

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