People often ask me how to learn business planning and business strategy without spending multiple years getting an education in this area. 

And the answer has always been online courses. Let me elaborate. 

Online courses are the perfect middle ground between looking for information yourself and getting formal education in this specialty. 

But which courses, in particular, should you take? 

To tackle this question, I decided to compile a list with a selection of courses on business planning and strategy that I think are worth your attention. 

Without further ado, let’s jump in! 

1. Strategic Planning and Execution from the University of Virginia 

This is a four-week course that will teach you strategy analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, as well as show you some practical perspectives. Apart from primary lecturers, it also involves guest speakers—real entrepreneurs and people from the industry who’ll share their knowledge and experience. This course is a part of the Business Strategy specialization that consists of five courses. Completing all of them requires six months. 

2. Essentials of Management and Strategic Planning from the University of California, Irvine 

This course is one of three parts of the Introduction to Business specialization. This program is aimed at beginner learners, introducing them to the basics of running a business and implementing strategies to improve profits and growth. The course starts with an introduction to management and then gradually moves on to explain what strategy is and how to use strategic planning for development. 

3. Business Strategy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

This four-week course will help you understand how to coordinate resources, systems, and functional areas. It will also teach you to recognize strategic management frameworks and tools and apply them in real-life conditions. If you’re want to learn more, you can take the full six-course Strategic Leadership and Management specialization. 

4. Strategic Management specialization from the Copenhagen Business School 

This program consists of four courses. First, you’ll learn about general strategic management. Then, you’ll move on to study strategy formulation. After that, you’ll find out everything about strategy implementation. Finally, you’ll get to a capstone project, where you’ll be able to apply all your new knowledge. 

5. Business Planning to Grow Successful Companies from the University of Kent 

This four-week course will help you understand what makes a decent business idea and how you can develop one. It will teach you to control the organization’s environment through a competitive audit, plan your company’s finances, and apply strategies to enter the international market. 

These are some of the online courses that I’d recommend taking if you want to learn the basics of business strategy and business planning. 

Of course, there are many more learning materials on the topics available online. But the selection above will get you started, providing the base knowledge you need to begin. After that, you’ll be free to pick whichever other courses you like because you’ll understand the path you want to take.