Product managers sit at the intersection of customer needs, business strategy and technical execution. Yet many professionals step into the role without formal training in product strategy, lifecycle management or stakeholder leadership.

This online program equips you with practical, industry-ready skills to analyze markets, identify high-value opportunities, build strategic roadmaps and guide products from concept through launch, growth and end-of-life.

Designed for mid-career professionals in product-adjacent roles who want to pivot into product management or strengthen their product leadership capabilities, this program features hands-on exercises, real-world examples and project-based learning. You’ll learn to make informed product decisions, communicate product vision effectively and balance competing priorities across teams. By the end of the program, you’ll have a practical understanding of product management and portfolio-ready experience you can showcase to employers.

Who Should Enroll

• Marketing professionals seeking deeper involvement in product definition, positioning and lifecycle decision-making
• Engineers and software developers ready to expand from execution into product strategy and customer-centric planning
• Design and UX professionals who want to connect user research to product roadmaps and business outcomes
• Data analysts and research professionals interested in shaping product strategy through evidence-based insights
• Project and program managers transitioning from delivery-focused roles into product ownership and prioritization
• Customer success, sales and quality assurance professionals seeking greater influence over product direction

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze markets and identify high-value customer problems using qualitative and quantitative research
• Develop and communicate a strategic product vision aligned with customer needs and business objectives
• Create and manage product roadmaps using prioritization frameworks and lifecycle strategy
• Define success metrics and evaluate product performance using data-informed insights
• Influence stakeholders and manage competing priorities without direct authority
• Navigate the full product lifecycle, from discovery and launch to scaling and end-of-life decisions

Skills You Will Gain

• Product strategy and vision development
• Market and customer research analysis
• Roadmapping and prioritization frameworks
• Stakeholder communication and influence
• Cross-functional collaboration and leadership development
• Data-informed product decision-making 
• Product lifecycle management
• Applied AI tools to support product research, analysis and planning

Course Format and Pacing
This fully online course is delivered through Canvas, UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, with Coursera-integrated learning content and materials as well as project-based experiences facilitated via Riipen, an experiential learning platform that connects learners with real-world business and organizational challenges. Content is presented through a combination of instructor-led video lectures and guided learning activities, interactive discussions and peer collaboration, hands-on exercises, and mandatory live Zoom sessions with the instructor. Students should be prepared for additional learning time outside of live synchronous sessions for project work and collaboration that may be needed. Students should be prepared for additional learning time outside of live synchronous sessions for project work and collaboration that may be needed.