Best Online Business Management Courses

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Contributor, Benzinga
October 13, 2020

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Are you an aspiring or current manager seeking ways to hone your skills? Business management courses are an ideal way to level up your knowledge and discover strategies to lead more effectively. 

There are multiple options to choose from for varying skill levels and price points. Let Benzinga help you find the perfect fit. 

Quick Look: Business Management Courses

Here’s a sneak peek at our top business management courses: 

What Makes a Business Management Course Great?

Keep these criteria in mind as you evaluate business management courses.

Taught by a Knowledgeable Leader

The course facilitator should be well-versed in business management techniques and strategies. It’s also important that they have management experience.

Take a look at the instructor’s professional biography to get a feel for their background. Also, read reviews to gauge their level of expertise and ensure they can convey vital concepts in a way that’s easy to understand. 

Includes Real-Life Scenarios 

To achieve success as a manager in the business world, you will need to venture beyond mundane strategies to optimize your performance and overcome challenges. You also need practice implementing innovative approaches to ensure you can handle executive leadership roles. 

So you want a course that includes real-life scenarios that are presented through projects and case studies. You can apply your knowledge and receive valuable feedback from your peers and instructors. 

Affordable 

Select a business management course that doesn’t break the bank. If money’s tight, begin with a free option to acquire foundational knowledge and transition to paid options as your budget permits. 

Business Management Courses for Beginners

These courses are most ideal for business management students and entry-level managers. 

Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management

Beginner • 27 videos • 1.4 hours
Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management
securely through Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management's website

1. Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management 

Who it's for: Beginners 

Offered by 365 Careers, this introductory course teaches you how to master business and marketing strategies. You will also learn how to become an effective leader and manage operations. It’s ideal for aspiring managers, corporate executives, business owners, students interested in entrepreneurship and MBA graduates. 

Business Fundamentals: Management and HR Management comprises 27 lectures on a variety of essential topics, like staffing, controlling directing, productivity management, value chain management, forecasting, recruitment, orientation, training and so much more. The lectures are categorized as follows: 

  • Getting Started
  • The Planning Function
  • The Organization Function
  • The Staffing Function: Pre-Hire Activities
  • The Staffing Function: Post-Hire Activities
  • The Leading Function

Register today for full lifetime access to 1.5 hours of on-demand video and 3 downloadable resources. You will also receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course. 

Enroll now

2. Management Foundations by LinkedIn Learning

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Who it's for: Beginners

Price: Included with the monthly membership 

In just 46 minutes, this introductory course pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to become a successful manager that your direct reports respect. Course material is delivered through a series of video lectures. You’ll also be tasked with completing chapter quizzes to assess your comprehension of essential concepts. 

Management Foundations by LinkedIn Learning teaches you how to select the right management style for you, effectively delegate tasks, deal with performance problems, resolve conflict, assist your employees with hitting performance targets and so much more. 

Leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry splits the class into 4 core segments:

  • The Manager’s Perspective
  • Managing Performance
  • Delegation
  • Doing Your Work 

Grab a free seat in the course with a 1-month LinkedIn trial membership. You can also purchase a seat and receive lifetime access to the material. 

Enroll now

3. Fundamentals of Management by the University of California, Irvine 

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Who it's for: Beginners

Price: Free

Fundamentals of Management caters to new managers and emerging professionals exploring leadership roles. It is a component of the Career Success Specialization from the University of California, Irvine. The class focuses on basic concepts and theories of management and the operational roles of managers in many types of organizations. 

Facilitated by Instructor Dave Nagy, this introductory course includes 4 modules: 

  • Managers vs. Leaders
  • Skills for Today’s Manager 
  • Planning
  • Management Styles and Networking 

Each module includes video lectures, readings and quizzes to enhance your knowledge. Ultimately, you will walk away understanding the difference between managers and leaders, the 5 functions of management, the importance of network-building and how to leverage SMART goal-setting to meet objectives. 

It’s free to enroll. Expect to spend 6 hours working through the course. 

Enroll now

Intermediate Business Management Courses

Consider these intermediate courses once you have a solid grasp on the foundations of business management. 

Practical Business Management: Strategy Business Game

Intermediate • 15 videos • 0.9 hours
Practical Business Management: Strategy Business Game
securely through Practical Business Management: Strategy Business Game's website

4. Practical Business Management: Strategy Business Game by Udemy 

Practical Business Management: Strategy Business Game allows you to sharpen your management skills through a simulated market. It includes 15 lectures condensed into 1 hour of on-demand video and 12 downloadable resources to help you get the most from the course. 

This intermediate class is structured as a fun-filled game that provides you with more in-depth knowledge of key concepts that top-performing managers implement consistently. Instructor Ricardo Spinelli incorporates competitor and product life-cycle analysis, production and stock management, pricing decisions and financial analysis in the game. 

Enroll with confidence knowing the class comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied for any reason. 

Have a basic understanding of financial analysis and business strategy before you register. 

Enroll now

5. Business Ethics for Managers and Leaders by LinkedIn Learning

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Who it's for: Intermediate students 

Price: Included with the monthly membership

Business Ethics for Managers and Leaders is an excellent resource for managers, executives and business owners seeking ways to build or refine ethical frameworks. Instructor Bob McGannon begins with a primer on business ethics and transitions to more in-depth discussions on why it’s crucial to your company’s success. 

The course spans a little over 1 hour and is divided into 3 segments: 

  • Ethical Leadership 
  • Ethical Issue Triggers
  • Ethical Processes 

It includes 4 chapter quizzes to test your knowledge. Plus, you will explore real-life scenarios involving ethics and learn how to resolve ethical issues in the workplace that don’t have clear solutions. 

Enrollment is free with a monthly LinkedIn membership. Or you can enroll for free by signing up for a 1-month trial. 

Enroll now

6. Preparing to Manage Human Resources by the University of Minnesota

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Who it's for: Intermediate students 

Price: Free

This intermediate course is a component of the Human Resource Management: HR for People Managers Specialization from the University of Minnesota. It provides foundational knowledge to help you leverage human resource management strategies to effectively manage employees. You will also learn how to tailor a unique approach to managing employees that allows you to be more successful.

Instruction is provided through a series of video lectures and readings. You will also be required to take quizzes to assess your comprehension of the material. 

Preparing to Manage Human Resources includes 4 modules: 

  • Alternative Approaches to Managing Human Resources
  • What Makes Employees Work? Money, of Course! 
  • What Makes Employees Work Revisited… Non-Monetary Motivations
  • The People Manager as Part of a Complex System 

The class is facilitated by John W. Budd, professor at the Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies. 

There’s no cost to enroll.

Enroll now

Advanced Business Management Courses

Seasoned leaders will find these courses useful. 

Exceptional Leadership: Leading at a Higher Level

Expert • 14 videos • 1.1 hours
Exceptional Leadership: Leading at a Higher Level
securely through Exceptional Leadership: Leading at a Higher Level's website

7. Exceptional Leadership: Leading at a Higher Level by Udemy 

Are you an emerging professional seeking ways to accelerate your career? Look no further than this advanced course from Udemy. It teaches you how to work your way up the leadership ranks and implement tactics to distinguish yourself from the competition. 

Exceptional Leadership: Leading at a Higher Level is presented by Ron Carucci, managing partner at Navalent. He provides detailed instruction through the following modules: 

  • The Challenges of Leading at Higher Levels
  • Planning Your Arrival at a Higher Altitude
  • The Four Dimensions of the Most Effective Leaders 

Register today in just minutes to unlock 1 hour of on-demand video and 6 downloadable resources. You will also receive a certificate of completion when you reach the finish line. 

Have leadership or supervisory experience before you enroll.

Enroll now

8. Foundations of Performance Management by LinkedIn Learning

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Who it's for: Advanced students 

Price: Included with the monthly membership

Are you interested in learning more about performance management to help boost your team’s performance while adhering to your company's mission and objectives? This advanced course from LinkedIn Learning will show you the ropes. 

Foundations of Performance Management is led by executive coach Nigel Cumberland. It includes a little under an hour of video instruction on several core topics, like:

  • Defining the Requirement of Each Job Position
  • Goal Setting
  • Giving and Receiving Feedback Well
  • Reviewing and Rewarding Performance
  • Defining the Learning Needs of the Team
  • Managing Poor Performance
  • Maintaining High Performance

You can enroll for free if you have a LinkedIn monthly membership. If not, take advantage of the 1-month trial membership from LinkedIn Learning. It only takes a few minutes to sign up and you can start learning right away. 

Enroll now

9. The Manager’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work by the University of London 

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Who it's for: Advanced students 

Price: Free

Offered by the University of London, The Manager’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work helps you understand how HR theories apply in the working world. The course's goal is to show managers how to improve their employee selection, motivation, conflict management, and overall leadership skills. 

It’s led by Dr. Chris Dewberry, lecturer and course director at the University of London International Programs. Here’s a quick breakdown: 

  • Introduction 
  • Interviews 
  • Leadership and Decision-Making
  • Performance Management 
  • Pay as a Motivator 
  • Managing Conflict at Work 

Enrollment is free. 

Enroll now

Find the Right Business Management Course for You

Ready to land an entry-level management role, move up the corporate ladder or manage your business more effectively? Consider our top options to get started. They’re taught by knowledgeable leaders, include real-life scenarios and are offered at a price you can afford. For more courses on business, check out our page Business Courses.

Continue reading: BEST ONLINE BUSINESS INSURANCE PROVIDERS

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