• For Individuals
  • For Businesses
  • For Universities
  • For Governments
Coursera
  • Online Degrees
  • Careers
  • Log In
  • Join for Free
    Coursera
    • Browse
    • Strategic Planning

    Strategic Planning Courses Online

    Learn strategic planning for organizational growth. Understand how to set goals, allocate resources, and measure performance.

    Skip to search results

    Filter by

    Subject
    Required
     *

    Language
    Required
     *

    The language used throughout the course, in both instruction and assessments.

    Learning Product
    Required
     *

    Build job-relevant skills in under 2 hours with hands-on tutorials.
    Learn from top instructors with graded assignments, videos, and discussion forums.
    Learn a new tool or skill in an interactive, hands-on environment.
    Get in-depth knowledge of a subject by completing a series of courses and projects.
    Earn career credentials from industry leaders that demonstrate your expertise.
    Earn career credentials while taking courses that count towards your Master’s degree.
    Earn your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree online for a fraction of the cost of in-person learning.
    Earn a university-issued career credential in a flexible, interactive format.
    Graduate level learning within reach.

    Level
    Required
     *

    Duration
    Required
     *

    Skills
    Required
     *

    Subtitles
    Required
     *

    Educator
    Required
     *

    Explore the Strategic Planning Course Catalog

    • U

      University of Michigan

      Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making

      Skills you'll gain: Market Data, Loans, Finance, Microsoft Excel, General Finance, Corporate Finance, Mortgage Loans, Financial Analysis, Equities, Investments, Financial Market, Business Valuation, Investment Management, Capital Budgeting, Capital Markets, Financial Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Business Mathematics, Financial Planning, Cash Flows

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.2K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      Università Bocconi

      Financing and Investing in Infrastructure

      Skills you'll gain: Project Finance, Risk Analysis, Capital Budgeting, Financial Analysis, Credit Risk, Risk Management, Investments, Loans, Contract Management, Banking

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • K

      Kennesaw State University

      Managing Cybersecurity

      Skills you'll gain: Network Security, Incident Response, Network Administration, Vulnerability Management, Cybersecurity, Contingency Planning, Cyber Governance, Cyber Attacks, Disaster Recovery, Computer Security Incident Management, Cyber Security Policies, Security Management, Firewall, Network Monitoring, General Networking, Cyber Security Strategy, Crisis Management, Vulnerability Assessments, Cyber Security Assessment, Risk Management

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • I

      IESE Business School

      Corporate Finance Essentials

      Skills you'll gain: Corporate Finance, Capital Budgeting, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Financial Market, Return On Investment, Investments, Business Valuation, Portfolio Management, Cost Accounting, Risk Management

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.5K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      Y

      Yale University

      Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

      Skills you'll gain: Health Disparities, Motivational Interviewing, Medication Therapy Management, Mental and Behavioral Health, Patient Education And Counseling, Patient Evaluation, Psychiatry, Patient Treatment, Psychotherapy, Treatment Planning, Chronic Diseases, Pharmacology, Health Policy, Care Management, Risk Analysis

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.9K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of California, Irvine

      Project Management Project

      Skills you'll gain: Project Risk Management, Project Schedules, Work Breakdown Structure, Timelines, Peer Review, Budgeting, Project Planning, Scheduling, Project Management, Project Implementation, Project Scoping, Project Documentation, Matrix Management

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.2K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • I

      Institute for the Future

      Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking

      Skills you'll gain: Forecasting, Innovation, Proactivity, Strategic Thinking, Creative Thinking, Optimism, Systems Thinking, Cognitive flexibility, Trend Analysis, Professional Development, Adaptability, Analysis

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.3K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of California, Irvine

      Fundamentals of Management

      Skills you'll gain: Goal Setting, Professional Networking, Business Management, Staff Management, Leadership and Management, Operations Management, People Management, Business Administration, Business Planning, Customer Service, Organizational Leadership, Organizational Strategy, Leadership, Change Management

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.9K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

      Fundamentos Estratégicos Empresariales

      Skills you'll gain: Business Planning, Strategic Marketing, ISO 9000 Series, Marketing, Quality Management, Organizational Strategy, Business Strategies, Governance, Financial Analysis, Marketing Planning, Corporate Strategy, Financial Statements, Quality Management Systems, Operations Management, Organizational Structure, Working Capital, Market Analysis, Market Research, Financial Controls, Product Quality (QA/QC)

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.5K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • D

      Duke University

      Data-Driven Decision-Making for Agile Organizations

      Skills you'll gain: Strategic Decision-Making, Dealing With Ambiguity, Performance Analysis, Customer Analysis, Performance Measurement, Adaptability, Decision Making, Dashboard, Strategic Thinking, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Business Metrics, Agile Methodology, Business Analytics, Real Time Data, Business Intelligence, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Complex Problem Solving, Management Reporting, Analytics, Business Transformation

      4.4
      Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      10 reviews

      Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • S

      SkillUp EdTech

      Certified Project Manager

      Skills you'll gain: Stakeholder Engagement, Project Management Life Cycle, Resource Management, Risk Management, Earned Value Management, Stakeholder Management, Project Risk Management, Team Motivation, Project Schedules, Resource Planning, Project Management Institute (PMI) Methodology, Stakeholder Communications, Project Management, Negotiation, Project Planning, Resource Allocation, Leadership and Management, Leadership, Scheduling, Cost Management

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      721 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • K

      Kennesaw State University

      Career Discovery

      Skills you'll gain: Professional Networking, LinkedIn, Mentorship, Professional Development, Interviewing Skills, Social Media, Relationship Building, Social Media Strategy, Planning, Strategic Communication, Communication, Social Skills, Adaptability, Collaboration, Business Research, Negotiation, Leadership Development, Writing, Lifelong Learning, Goal Setting

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.7K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    Strategic Planning learners also search

    Strategic Thinking
    Business Analysis
    Market Research
    Economic Policy
    Marketing Analytics
    Business Statistics
    Business English
    Business Calculus
    1…293031…289

    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular strategic planning courses

    • Foundational Finance for Strategic Decision Making: University of Michigan
    • Financing and Investing in Infrastructure: Università Bocconi
    • Managing Cybersecurity: Kennesaw State University
    • Corporate Finance Essentials: IESE Business School
    • Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers: Yale University
    • Project Management Project: University of California, Irvine
    • Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking: Institute for the Future
    • Fundamentals of Management: University of California, Irvine
    • Fundamentos Estratégicos Empresariales: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
    • Data-Driven Decision-Making for Agile Organizations: Duke University

    Skills you can learn in Business Strategy

    Modeling (25)
    Market (economics) (21)
    Plan (19)
    Planning (16)
    Strategic Management (16)
    Business Model (13)
    Operations Management (13)
    Analytics (12)
    Evaluation (12)
    Project Management (11)
    Supply Chain (10)
    Decision-making (9)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Strategic Planning

    Strategic planning is the process by which an organization sets its goals, defines its path for achieving them, and allocates required resources accordingly. This process of creating a business strategy is important because it establishes agreement around the common goals of an enterprise and provides a shared framework for evaluating progress. Thus, beyond simply helping to guide the annual budget, strategic planning is an important leadership and management tool.

    The strategic planning process can be broken down in a variety of ways, but generally has three phases: strategic analysis, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation. The analysis phase requires a capabilities analysis of the business as well as consideration of its competitive position within the industry structure it operates in. Formulation takes these insights as a basis for setting achievable goals and deciding on appropriate courses of action to achieve them.

    Of course, the most challenging phase of strategic planning is implementation. As any manager knows, even the most careful planning process can never anticipate all the complexities the future holds - particularly considering the rapid changes occurring in our world today. Strategic management means knowing how to adapt to changing circumstances as the business moves forward while continuing to rely upon the goals set in the strategic planning process for guidance.‎

    Every manager in an organization must understand strategic planning, as this process is typically central to setting annual budgets and reporting for each department. Thus, Human resources (HR) managers, sales and marketing managers, financial managers, and other department heads need to be able to provide useful inputs into the planning process as well as participate in its ongoing implementation.

    Strategic planning skills are especially important for top-level executives, such as chief executive officers (CEOs), chief operating officers (COOs), chief financial officers (CFOs), and other “C-suite” positions in a company. These executives are responsible for devising the overarching strategy for the company, establishing the policies required to meet them, and ensuring that managers understand and follow through on their implementation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, chief executives earned a median salary of $184,460 in May 2019, making this a very highly compensated skill set.‎

    Yes. Coursera offers a wide range of business courses as well as Specializations online, including opportunities to learn about strategic planning specifically from top-ranked schools like the University of Virginia and Copenhagen Business School. You can even learn about this skill as part of Coursera’s full-fledged online MBA programs offered by schools like the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Macquarie University.

    Regardless of what your career goals are, or the educational strategy you’re pursuing to achieve them, Coursera lets you learn online on a flexible schedule. Thus, you can learn about strategic planning while continuing to work at your existing job, making this an excellent choice for mid-career professionals as well as business-minded students that want a high-level skill set as they begin their career.‎

    The skills and experience that you might need to already have before starting to learn strategic planning may include experience with organizational management work, assessing company practices and methods, and helping executives to make decisions that could help them guide their organizations in more focused ways. In much the same way that a financial planner helps people understand their investments and how to make the most of their return, strategic planners can help companies set corporate priorities, focus the company’s energy and resources into potentially high ROI activities, and help to strengthen overall operations. Being able to have these skills and experience before learning strategic planning may make you a valuable asset to a team.‎

    The kind of people that are best suited for work that involves strategic planning are those people who display good analytical characteristics for business vision, have leadership confidence, are strong with data and numbers, are computer literate, and can communicate well. People in strategic planning roles usually work in analyzing and assessing business environments to come up with a strategic formulation to organize business units. To do this high-level work, they often are smart, detail-oriented, have agreeable personalities, and can get the job done. These people may also have a bachelor's or master’s degree in accounting, business, finance, or economics.‎

    You might know if learning strategic planning is right for you if you have enthusiasm for directing the level of change in a group, a team, a business, or a corporate organization. Learning about strategic planning can take on many facets, from understanding the basics of a more human resources focus for employee changes to a more technology-based focus for a company-wide change to digital transformation methods. Learning strategic planning can be a strong stepping stone to staying abreast of changes in business processes and practices. Strategic planning is a large field of opportunity for a creative, detail-focused, innovative individual to take, and if this is interesting to you, you may find this to be a rewarding new career path.‎

    Online Strategic Planning courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Strategic Planning skills. Choose from a wide range of Strategic Planning courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Strategic Planning, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

    Other topics to explore

    Arts and Humanities
    338 courses
    Business
    1095 courses
    Computer Science
    668 courses
    Data Science
    425 courses
    Information Technology
    145 courses
    Health
    471 courses
    Math and Logic
    70 courses
    Personal Development
    137 courses
    Physical Science and Engineering
    413 courses
    Social Sciences
    401 courses
    Language Learning
    150 courses

    Coursera Footer

    Technical Skills

    • ChatGPT
    • Coding
    • Computer Science
    • Cybersecurity
    • DevOps
    • Ethical Hacking
    • Generative AI
    • Java Programming
    • Python
    • Web Development

    Analytical Skills

    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Big Data
    • Business Analysis
    • Data Analytics
    • Data Science
    • Financial Modeling
    • Machine Learning
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Power BI
    • SQL

    Business Skills

    • Accounting
    • Digital Marketing
    • E-commerce
    • Finance
    • Google
    • Graphic Design
    • IBM
    • Marketing
    • Project Management
    • Social Media Marketing

    Career Resources

    • Essential IT Certifications
    • High-Income Skills to Learn
    • How to Get a PMP Certification
    • How to Learn Artificial Intelligence
    • Popular Cybersecurity Certifications
    • Popular Data Analytics Certifications
    • What Does a Data Analyst Do?
    • Career Development Resources
    • Career Aptitude Test
    • Share your Coursera Learning Story

    Coursera

    • About
    • What We Offer
    • Leadership
    • Careers
    • Catalog
    • Coursera Plus
    • Professional Certificates
    • MasterTrack® Certificates
    • Degrees
    • For Enterprise
    • For Government
    • For Campus
    • Become a Partner
    • Social Impact
    • Free Courses
    • ECTS Credit Recommendations

    Community

    • Learners
    • Partners
    • Beta Testers
    • Blog
    • The Coursera Podcast
    • Tech Blog
    • Teaching Center

    More

    • Press
    • Investors
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Help
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Articles
    • Directory
    • Affiliates
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Do Not Sell/Share
    Learn Anywhere
    Download on the App Store
    Get it on Google Play
    Logo of Certified B Corporation
    © 2025 Coursera Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Coursera Facebook
    • Coursera Linkedin
    • Coursera Twitter
    • Coursera YouTube
    • Coursera Instagram
    • Coursera TikTok