IBM
IBM Program Manager Professional Certificate

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IBM

IBM Program Manager Professional Certificate

Get job-ready as a program manager in 2 months. Build in-demand skills and prepare for the PMI-PgMP certification exam. No experience required.

John Rofrano
IBM Skills Network Team
Daniel C. Yeomans

Instructors: John Rofrano

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Earn a career credential that demonstrates your expertise
4.8

(156 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 months at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Earn a career credential
Share your expertise with employers
Earn a career credential that demonstrates your expertise
4.8

(156 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 months at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Earn a career credential
Share your expertise with employers

What you'll learn

  • Stay current with the latest principles, tools, and terminology used by program managers in their day-to-day roles.

  • Develop skills to effectively track and manage programs and adapt to challenges throughout the program management lifecycle.

  • Implement Agile with adaptive planning, iterative development, and continuous improvement to deliver value and boost customer satisfaction.

  • Apply your knowledge to real-world projects, creating a portfolio that highlights your skills while preparing for the PMI-PgMP certification exam.

Overview

What’s included

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English
Recently updated!

April 2025

61 practice exercises

Professional Certificate - 7 course series

What you'll learn

  • The basics of the program management lifecycle, domains, terminologies, and stakeholder collaboration in just 2 weeks.

  • About program manager career options and supporting certifications, plus you’ll create a skills development plan to help you toward your goal.

  • A good understanding of program manager roles and responsibilities and the skills and knowledge required for a successful career.

  • Introductory program management skills reinforced through interactive exercises and a final project.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Program Management
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Change Management
Category: Project Management Office (PMO)
Category: Governance
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Communication
Category: Leadership
Category: Project Management
Category: Benefits Administration
Category: Project Management Life Cycle
Category: Team Management
Category: Resource Management

What you'll learn

  • Essential, highly sought-after program manager skills for aligning strategic program initiatives with organizational goals.

  • The three phases of the program lifecycle, program manager responsibilities, and how to create a comprehensive, effective program management plan. 

  • What a program manager does with respect to framework, strategy, and planning, including benefits realization and value creation processes.

  • Risk management strategies that minimize program uncertainties, reinforced through practical hands-on labs and interactive exercises.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Program Management
Category: Governance
Category: Benefits Administration
Category: Risk Management
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Risk Analysis
Category: Project Management Life Cycle
Category: Strategic Planning
Category: Portfolio Management
Category: Decision Making
Category: Project Closure
Category: Change Management
Category: Project Management

What you'll learn

  • Adopt the 5 practices of Agile, a subset of DevOps: small batches, minimum viable product, pair programming, behavior- and test-driven development.

  • Write good user stories, estimate and assign story points and track stories using a kanban board. Incorporate Scrum artifacts, events, and benefits.

  • Create and refine a product backlog using the sprint planning process. Produce potentially shippable product increments with every iteration.

  • Create burndown charts to forecast the ability to meet a sprint goal. Use metrics to enhance performance, productivity, and client satisfaction.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Agile Methodology
Category: Sprint Planning
Category: User Story
Category: Performance Metric
Category: Sprint Retrospectives
Category: Kanban Principles
Category: Backlogs
Category: Prioritization
Category: Agile Software Development
Category: Continuous Improvement Process
Category: Agile Project Management
Category: Estimation
Category: Team Oriented
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Performance Measurement
Category: Lean Methodologies

What you'll learn

  • Key skills in program manager stakeholder engagement and program governance in just one month that will catch the eye of employers

  • How to analyze stakeholder needs, develop communication strategies, and ensure alignment across the program and team

  • How to effectively manage the financial aspects of program management, including budgeting, cost control, and resource allocation

  • The principles of effective governance and how to adhere to the PMI’s ethical standards

Skills you'll gain

Category: Governance
Category: Procurement
Category: Program Management
Category: Stakeholder Engagement
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Earned Value Management
Category: Change Management
Category: Financial Planning
Category: Ethical Standards And Conduct
Category: Financial Analysis
Category: Resource Allocation
Category: Communication Planning
Category: Communication Strategies
Category: Cost Management
Category: Budgeting
Category: Resource Management
Category: Team Building
Category: Project Management Institute (PMI) Methodology

What you'll learn

  • Get valuable hands-on program management experience you can talk about in interviews and showcase in your portfolio.

  • Demonstrate your ability to effectively plan a program to include scope, schedule, budget, communications, risk, and benefits

  • Apply a scenario to develop supporting program delivery and closure documents

  • Get tips and guidance on how to enhance your resume, develop your personal portfolio, and improve your job search outcomes

Skills you'll gain

Category: Program Management
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Risk Management
Category: Communication Planning
Category: Resource Management
Category: Benefits Administration
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Project Closure
Category: Professional Networking
Category: Project Planning
Category: Project Management Life Cycle
Category: Portfolio Management
Category: Project Management

What you'll learn

  • Get expert test-taking strategies and tips Program Managers need to pass the PMI-PgMP certification exam

  • Understand the eligibility criteria, application process, and exam structure, plus how program management performance domains are covered in the exam

  • Discover key information resources and additional channels that will help you prepare effectively for the exam

  • Test your readiness for the exam with practice questions and a full-length mock paper to give your confidence a final boost

Skills you'll gain

Category: Program Management
Category: Stakeholder Engagement
Category: Risk Management
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Project Portfolio Management
Category: Performance Management
Category: Project Management Life Cycle
Category: Governance
Category: Project Management

What you'll learn

  • Job-ready GenAI skills that program managers need to enhance decision-making, risk management, and benefits realization in program management

  • How to leverage GenAI for strategic alignment, stakeholder engagement, and governance using AI-driven tools

  • Gain hands-on experience with generative AI tools through labs and projects, applying AI across Program Definition, Delivery, and Closure.

  • Explore ethical considerations in AI-driven program planning, execution, and decision-making for responsible AI adoption

Skills you'll gain

Category: Risk Management
Category: Program Management
Category: Generative AI Agents
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Benefits Administration
Category: Project Management
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Generative AI
Category: Governance
Category: Project Management Life Cycle
Category: Business Risk Management
Category: Business Ethics
Category: Requirements Analysis
Category: Project Management Institute (PMI) Methodology
Category: Data-Driven Decision-Making
Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Organizational Strategy

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

IBM Skills Network Team
IBM
83 Courses1,469,526 learners
Daniel C. Yeomans
SkillUp
29 Courses140,564 learners
SkillUp
SkillUp
96 Courses294,235 learners
John Rofrano

Top Instructor

IBM
8 Courses298,190 learners

Offered by

IBM
SkillUp

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¹ Median salary and job opening data are sourced from Lightcast™ Job Postings Report. Content Creator, Machine Learning Engineer and Salesforce Development Representative (1/1/2024 - 12/31/2024) All other job roles (9/1/2024 - 9/1/2025)