University of Virginia
Business Strategy Specialization
81,369 enrolled
University of Virginia

Business Strategy Specialization

Steer Your Business to Success. Generate value and demonstrate global impact in four courses.

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Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

(2,917 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
1 month at 10 hours a week
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Share your expertise with employers
Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

(2,917 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
1 month at 10 hours a week
Earn a career credential
Share your expertise with employers

Overview

  • How to evaluate industry evolution

  • How to build and sustain competitive advantage

  • How to formulate and assess business strategies

  • How to align efforts to organizational strategy

What’s included

Shareable certificate

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Taught in English
17 practice exercises

Advance your subject-matter expertise

  • Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
  • Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
  • Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
  • Earn a career certificate from University of Virginia

Specialization - 5 course series

What you'll learn

  • How to use the SWOT, competitor, and environmental analysis tools

  • How to assess an industry's structure and how the competitive dynamics in an industry affect profitability

  • How to complete a capabilities analysis and how to use this analysis to guide decision making

  • How to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four generic competitive positions

Skills you'll gain

Category: Competitive Analysis
Category: Business Strategy
Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Market Analysis
Category: Analysis
Category: Market Dynamics
Category: Value Propositions
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Business Economics

What you'll learn

  • The dynamics of competition, the competitive life cycle, and strategies to survive and thrive through industry disruption

  • Internationalization strategies, how, where, and when to enter foreign markets, and foreign direct investment

  • How businesses compete across industries, the value of being in different markets, and the right degree of diversification

  • Stakeholder management and how engaging with non-capital stakeholders can create value

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Strategy
Category: Competitive Analysis
Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Stakeholder Management
Category: Corporate Strategy
Category: Global Marketing
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Market Analysis
Category: Innovation
Category: Business Ethics
Category: Strategic Thinking
Category: Product Lifecycle Management

What you'll learn

  • How to identify and evaluate opportunities to scale an organization

  • How to enter new markets and apply game theory to analyze, assess, and respond to competitors

  • How to assess the impact of a potential merger and acquisition and avoid common pitfalls of this type of growth

  • How to unlock the keys to innovation, from building an innovative capability to adding value from innovation to determining an innovation strategy

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Strategy
Category: Growth Strategies
Category: Competitive Analysis
Category: Mergers & Acquisitions
Category: Innovation
Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Business Development
Category: Risk Analysis
Category: Business Valuation
Category: New Business Development
Category: Strategic Thinking
Category: Market Opportunities
Category: Trend Analysis

What you'll learn

  • How to connect strategic analysis to strategy execution using hypothesis testing to unearth key assumptions and assess their validity

  • Four different approaches to strategy formulation and how governance ties into effective strategy formulation

  • Use the 4A Model for effective strategy execution to ensure appropriate human and organizational resources are in place

  • Tips from industry experts for successful strategy development and execution

Skills you'll gain

Category: Strategic Thinking
Category: Business Strategy
Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Organizational Structure
Category: Plan Execution
Category: Innovation
Category: Competitive Analysis
Category: Organizational Strategy
Category: Governance
Category: Data-Driven Decision-Making
Category: Business Leadership
Category: Leadership
Category: Analysis
Category: Business Planning

What you'll learn

  • Employ your toolkit to develop your comprehensive Strategic Analysis

  • Build a well-supported case recommending a specific strategic path

  • Effectively and efficiently communicate key points with executive leadership

  • Identify strategic paths the organization might pursue

Skills you'll gain

Category: Strategic Decision-Making
Category: Business Planning
Category: Presentations
Category: Peer Review
Category: Analysis
Category: Business Strategy
Category: Milestones (Project Management)
Category: Continuous Improvement Process
Category: Concision
Category: Business Analysis
Category: Constructive Feedback

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Instructors

Michael Lenox
University of Virginia
24 Courses577,461 learners
Jared Harris
University of Virginia
10 Courses253,858 learners
Scott Snell
University of Virginia
1 Course64,846 learners

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