What are the starting requirements?

None. No prior knowledge of management concepts and no formal application are needed. All you need is a web browser.

What does the course cost?

With the current discount, this course costs US$12, including the full course content and your personal certificate. There are no additional costs.

How do I get my certificate?

Work through the 9 chapters and pass the course quiz, which is multiple choice with free retakes and no time limit. The certificate is issued instantly as a digital PDF with a unique ID that employers can verify online.

What is the value of the certificate?

IBMI holds its programs to the same high standards applied by traditional educational institutions, and its certificates are acknowledged by employers worldwide as professional certificates. IBMI does not award academic titles or degrees.

Basics of Strategic Management — IBMI (preview)

All courses

Basics of Strategic
Management

4.7course rating

Every strong business decision starts with strategy — the ability to see the bigger picture and choose where to focus. In about two hours, you'll learn how strategy is built, analyzed, and put into action, so you can plan like a leader.The core ideas and tools of strategic management — analysis, planning, and execution — in about two hours.

What you will learn

Strategic management comes down to a handful of ideas and tools you can actually learn — and this course covers the ones that matter most. Whether you're shaping your first strategy or want to make sharper decisions, you'll leave able to analyze, plan, and act with a clear sense of direction.

Core skills

Understand how strategy is formed and why it matters
Turn analysis into clear, actionable plans
Apply core strategic frameworks (SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, PESTEL, etc.)

More details

This isn't theory for its own sake. Across nine focused chapters you'll work through what strategic thinking really involves — reading the environment, weighing your options, and setting a clear direction — with frameworks you can put to use the same day.

Why this matters

70%

of employers rank analytical thinking as an essential core skill in 2025 — the single most in-demand skill in the global workforce, and the foundation of every strategic decision.

Source: WEF

Across nine short chapters, you'll move from what strategy actually means to how it's analyzed, formed, and carried out. You'll explore the levels of strategy, the internal and external forces that shape it, and how leaders translate a vision into concrete action.

It's designed for a wide audience and open to everyone, with no prior experience required. It's especially valuable if you want to grow professionally, take on more responsibility, and advance your career — whether you're an aspiring manager, a founder, or simply curious about how businesses win.

The course takes about two hours in text and audio, is fully self-paced, and comes with lifetime access and no prerequisites. Pass the short final exam to earn a verifiable certificate.

What we will cover

9 focused chapters that build from the fundamentals to the tools you’ll actually use — each grounded in practical, real-world examples.

9chapters

~2hself-paced

Text & audioread or listen

See the full curriculum

Introduction

Strategic Management Process
Tool: GSOT
Types of Strategies

About Gap
Gap: Examples

About PESTLE
Example: Starbucks

About Porter's Five
Example: Volkswagen

About SWOT
Example: Tesla

About BCG
Example: Google

About Ansoff
Example: Coca-Cola

Conclusion

Course Quiz & Your CertificateMultiple choice · free retakes · no time limit · certificate issued instantly on passing

Learn your way

Read or listen at your own pace, on any device — and yours to keep forever.

ibm-institute.com

Chapter 3 of 9Gap Analysis

3:20 / 6:00

In this chapter we follow a project from kickoff to delivery — how scope, time, and people interact, and why even well-planned projects drift without active management.

In this chapter

Plans are delegated, work is executed, results are reviewed — and every review sharpens the next plan. Master the loop and you master delivery.

Using real project scenarios, you will learn to plan the critical path and spot the early warning signs that a deadline is at risk.

You will leave knowing exactly which three questions to ask before committing to any deadline.

PreviousNext chapter

Progress

48% complete

Content

Introduction

Strategy Essentials

Gap Analysis

PESTLE Analysis

5 Porter's Five Forces

6 SWOT Analysis

7 BCG Matrix

8 Ansoff Matrix

ibm-institute.com

Chapter 4 of 9PESTLE Analysis

3:20

In this chapter, we take what you have learned so far and apply it at the negotiating table — preparing your position, reading the other side, and trading concessions without giving away value.

Deal outcomes+38%

Through practical examples from different industries, you will see how skilled negotiators adapt their approach to every counterpart.

PreviousNext chapter

62% complete

No app neededIn your browser
Any devicePhone to laptop
Auto-savedContinue anytime
Stay focusedDistraction-free

Certificate

A certificate you can
actually use

Instantas a digital PDFPDF download
Includedno extra fees
Lifetimeno expiry
ShareableLinkedIn & CV

Verifiableunique ID number

Demo verification

IBMI-BM-8F3K2

Valid certificateBasics of Strategic ManagementIssued by IBMI Berlin to David Fischer · 15 July 2025

Check any real certificate ID on our verification page.Check any real certificate ID here.

Ratings & feedback

Rated 4.7/5.0 by our users

The average rating from users who’ve taken this course.

"Went in curious and came out genuinely engaged — the whole thing is laid out so logically that it just clicks."

LLiam A.

New Zealand★★★★★

"Each module is short enough to finish in one sitting yet packed with useful takeaways; a rare balance to get right."

WWei A.

Singapore★★★★★

"Strategic management sounded abstract before, but this course grounds it in real examples that made the concepts easy to grasp."

SSophie C.

United Kingdom★★★★★

"The clarity of the explanations really impressed me; nothing felt rushed or glossed over at any point."

EEthan D.

United States★★★★★

"Perfect for someone juggling a full-time job — I studied at my own pace and never once fell behind."

PPetra N.

Czechia★★★★★

"A well-structured introduction with plenty to offer — I'd have welcomed a little more detail here and there, but for the price it's great value."

DDiego A.

Mexico★★★★☆

"Finally a strategy course that connects theory to day-to-day decisions; I actually use the frameworks in meetings now."

CChidi B.

Nigeria★★★★★

"Presentation is clean and the flow makes sense — you're never left wondering what comes next."

AAmira F.

Egypt★★★★★

"Earning the certificate was a nice bonus, but the real value was how confident the course left me feeling about the material."

WWanjiku M.

Kenya★★★★★

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Quotes from verified users. Selected and shortened for length; wording unchanged.
You can also find independent reviews on our Trustpilot profile.

Featured in

Program

This course is part of
a larger credential

It’s a required course in the Strategic Management program — and it counts toward that program certificate at no extra cost.

Strategic Management

4 courses

Finish all 4 courses and your program certificate is issued automatically — at no extra cost.

Explore the program →

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Add the course to your cart and create your student account during checkout. You can start right after payment — and you keep lifetime access, so breaks and retakes are always possible.

It’s a focused short course — 9 chapters and 17 topics, about 2 hours in total, 100% online and self-paced. Read the content or listen to the audio on your computer, tablet, or phone, and pick up exactly where you left off. No additional reading material required.

None. This course is designed for students and non-students alike — no prior knowledge and no formal application. All you need is a web browser and some motivation.

With the current discount, this course costs US$1212 €£12CHF 12SAR 45AED 44₹1,140₱760Rp215.000EGP 640MAD 118MX$220R200R$61Rs 3,300₦16,000₺590QAR 44. That includes the full course content and your personal certificate — there are no additional costs.

Work through the 9 chapters and pass the course quiz — multiple choice, with free retakes and no time limit. Your certificate is issued instantly as a digital PDF that you can download, print, share on LinkedIn, and that employers can verify online via its unique ID.

IBMI holds its distance learning programs to the same high standards applied by traditional educational institutions, and our certificates are acknowledged by employers around the world as professional certificates. Please note we do not award academic titles or degrees.

The full course — audio and text — is in English. You can also read the course text in 100+ other languages via automatic (machine) translation, so you can follow along in whichever language you’re most comfortable with. See available languages →

Yes. Alongside your course certificate, this course counts toward the Strategic Management program certificate — at no extra cost. Finish the required courses in a program and you earn its certificate too.

More questions? Visit the Help Center →

Short course, fast results

From start to certificate
in about 2 hours

Start Enroll & start instantly

Checkout takes a minute — chapter one opens right away.

2 hours Read or listen to the content

Compact topics and real case studies, at your own pace.

The quiz Take the course quiz

Multiple choice, free retakes, no time limit.

Finish Certificate in hand

Issued instantly — add it to your CV and LinkedIn.

Basics of Strategic Management

Start now and get certified today

~~US$3030 €£30CHF 30SAR 113AED 110₹2,850₱1,890Rp538.000EGP 1,600MAD 295MX$550R500R$151Rs 8,300₦39,900₺1.480QAR 109~~US$1212 €£12CHF 12SAR 45AED 44₹1,140₱760Rp215.000EGP 640MAD 118MX$220R200R$61Rs 3,300₦16,000₺590QAR 44−60%

Self-paced online courseOnline course · Personalized certificate
One-time payment · Lifetime access

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