How to Become a Strategy Manager - Education & Certification

If you ask a chess player the difference between tactics and strategy, they’ll tell you that tactics involve a short sequence of moves used to attack or capture a piece, while strategy involves long-term plans for victory, such as controlling the center of the board or optimizing piece mobility.

In the world of business, most people focus on a short sequence of actions to capture a profit or achieve an objective. But the grandmasters of the business sector are strategy managers: people who can see several moves ahead, and orchestrate short-, mid-, and long-term plans for success. Without them, a business would be hopelessly moving pieces around the board, with no cohesive rhyme or reason.

Strategy managers are at the core of a business’s decision-making. Often working with corporate executives and management teams, they collaborate across departments to determine and implement operational strategies. This role requires intense analytical ability, a keen business vision, and outstanding communication skills.

Bringing together all of a business’s pieces—human resources, finances, supply chain, and partnerships—it’s the job of a strategy manager to optimize discordant elements and get them moving in a unified direction.

Given the dynamic shifts in global business, it’s no surprise that strategy managers are in high demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2023) shows that management analysts, an occupation with similar responsibilities as strategy managers, are in high demand. Between 2022 and 2032, management analyst careers are estimated to grow at a faster-than-average rate of 10 percent, creating 95,700 new positions in the same time period.

Businesses have more moving parts than ever before: multinational supply chains, disaggregated data, cross-sector collaborations, and siloed business units. Strategy managers need to be well-versed in what makes each of them tick. If you’re ready to start moving pieces across the board, check out our guide to becoming a strategy manager below.

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Strategy Manager

Step One: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree (Four Years)

After graduating from high school, the first step for aspiring strategy managers is to earn a bachelor’s degree. While there are a few dedicated strategic management programs at the undergraduate level, choosing a more fundamental major is often the better choice. Majoring in an area like business administration, management, economics, or finance can provide the building blocks for higher education and professional work across several sectors.

Admissions requirements for undergraduate programs vary from school to school, but often include some combination of the following: a competitive high school GPA (3.0 or greater); SAT and/or ACT scores; letter(s) of recommendation; and a personal statement.

Arizona State University

Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business offers a bachelor of science (BS) degree in management that can be completed entirely online. The curriculum covers the fundamentals of the global economy and strategic resource management. Students through this business management degree will gain the qualifications and expertise needed for managing people, streamlining operations, and leading globally.

Courses include topics such as microeconomic principles; business statistics; global supply operations; organization and management leadership; cross-cultural management; organizational behavior; leading organizations; and problem-solving for actionable analytics. The 120-credit program can be completed in four years.

Upon completion, graduates will position themselves to take on key positions in several industry fields and sectors of business. Career examples include business analysts, business professors, compliance managers, general managers, sales managers, social services directors, and store security managers.

• Location: Tempe, AZ
• Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
• Estimated Tuition: $714 per credit

New York University

New York University’s Stern School of Business offers a bachelor of science degree in business at the school’s Manhattan campus. The degree program has 12 possible concentrations, including foci in operations; management and organizations; business economics; sustainable business; statistics; marketing; finance; computing and data science; econometrics & quantitative economics; entrepreneurship; actuarial science; and accounting.

The business core covers accounting, finance, marketing, and international business. Specific courses include topics such as microeconomic calculus; statistics for business control and regression/forecasting models; IT in business and society; management and organizations; and organizational communication.

• Location: New York City, NY
• Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
• Estimated Tuition: $126,874 total

Step Two: Gain Initial Work Experience (Timeline Varies)

After earning their bachelor’s degree, many aspiring strategy managers seek out initial work experience before they go on to pursue graduate-level study. While it’s not a requirement for all master’s programs, early work experience can often be the best form of education available.

Entry-level jobs in practically any sector of business can provide a formidable foundation for future career growth. And, by working in the field, aspiring strategy managers can build their professional network and discover what niche of strategic management appeals most to them. It’s even possible that an employer will pay some portion of tuition for a master’s program.

Step Three: Earn an MBA (One to Two Years)

After earning a bachelor’s degree and gaining some early work experience, astute strategy managers will pursue a master’s in business administration (MBA). The business management skills and higher-level fundamentals in finance, economics, and management prepare graduates for work in the upper echelons of strategy management.

Admissions requirements for MBA programs vary from school to school but often include some combination of the following: a competitive (3.0 or greater) undergraduate GPA; GMAT or GRE scores; letter(s) of recommendation; a personal statement; and some amount of work experience.

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton MBA is widely regarded as one of the best in the world, and it offers a specific concentration in strategic management. The flexible core curriculum covers management, marketing, microeconomics, statistics, and communication. The strategic management courses include topics such as competitive strategy and industrial structure; managing strategic partnerships; strategy and competitive advantage; technology strategy; strategic implementation; strategy and environmental sustainability; and advanced study projects in strategic management.

Students often complete the on-campus 19-credit program in 20 months. While the boost in salary does help to recoup the costs, the Wharton name still comes with a large price tag: tuition is $84,874 per year.

• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Accreditation: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 20 months
• Estimated Tuition: $124,476 per year

Niagara University

Niagara University has an MBA with a focus on strategic management and it can be completed entirely online. In addition to core business classes, students will take courses such as creative problem solving; organizational development; strategic supply chain management; strategic accounting analysis and planning; advanced quantitative methods; and business research, strategy, and planning.

While Niagara University may not have the prestige of an Ivy League school, it does offer an attractive investment opportunity: the 31 to 51-credit program costs $815 per credit and can be completed online in under two years.

• Location: Lewiston, NY
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
• Estimated Tuition: $815 per credit

Step Four: Achieve Initial Certification (Optional, Timeline Varies)

After graduating from university and gaining some initial work experience, many strategy professionals choose to seek out industry certifications. While not a requirement, these certifications act as a mark of distinction on one’s CV and can lead to greater opportunities for advancement later on in one’s career. In addition, preparing for a certification exam can provide a type of industry-specific professional development that’s not available elsewhere.

The Association for Strategic Planning (ASP) offers the Strategic Planning Professional (SPP) certification for those who work on strategic objectives with executives, managers, and their teams. Applicants must one of the following four eligibility requirements:

• Five years of work experience with primary responsibilities in the area of strategic management and strategy planning
• Five years working as a manager with at least one year having primary responsibilities in strategic management and strategic planning function
• Two years of work experience in those areas plus eligible education (covering at least two areas of these four strategic planning domains: formulation, implementation, execution, and environment)
• One year of work experience in strategic planning and one year in a similar field such as analysis, finance, marketing, human resources policy, or project management, plus eligible education (covering at least two areas of these four strategic planning domains: formulation, implementation, execution, and environment)

Once deemed eligible, applicants must pass a three-hour, 160-question exam that covers the foundational tenets of business acumen and strategic planning through the ASP’s model of “lead, think, plan, act.” Exam fees total $725 for ASP members and $925 for non-members. SPP-holders must recertify every three years—a time period in which they must also complete 50 contact hours of continuing education.

The Strategy Institute offers the Associate Business Strategy Professional (ABSP) certification for recent graduates of business and management programs. Work experience is not mandatory, but enrollment in (or completion of) a graduate-level business program is required.

Once deemed eligible, applicants receive exam preparation materials and a 45-day immersion period in which to review them. Upon successful completion of an online proctored exam, applicants will receive their ABSP certification. The exam fee is $775. ABSP holders must recertify every three years by reviewing a brief learning module on any updates to the Strategy Institute’s body of knowledge and then complete a brief assessment on the material.

Step Five: Gain Professional Work Experience (Timeline Varies)

After earning a master’s degree and gaining some initial certification, it’s time for a strategy manager to put all their learning into practice. Professional strategy managers often pursue higher-level roles and responsibilities, managing large teams and coordinating with C-level executives. At this stage, strategy managers may still be learning on the job, but they’re also teaching others by taking on mentorship roles.

Step Six: Achieve Additional Professional Certification (Optional, Timeline Varies)

After gaining more work experience in a particular sector, many strategic managers choose to pursue professional certification. While not a requirement, these top-level certifications cement a strategy manager as an expert in their field. In the middle and late stages of one’s career, professional certification acts as a point of distinction on top of the diplomas and work experience that one has accrued along the way.

Furthermore, professional certification communicates to possible employers and business partners that the certified strategy manager is fluent in the best practices and established methodologies of the industry.

The Association for Strategic Planning (ASP) offers the Strategic Management Professional (SMP) certification for strategic managers who work with C-level executives and their teams. Applicants must one of the following four eligibility requirements:

• A minimum of ten years of work experience in any or all the domains of the certification competencies in the body of knowledge framework (BOK) and a high degree of competency in five of the Business Acumen competency areas
• A minimum of seven years of work experience in the domains of the certification competencies or BOK plus active designation as a Strategy Planning Professional (SPP), completion of a strategic planning certificate, or a bachelor’s degree with a focus on strategic planning and a high degree of competency in five of the Business Acumen competency areas
• A minimum of five years of work experience in the domains of the certification competencies or BOK plus graduation from a degree program in business, public or nonprofit administration; strategic planning; or strategic management covering subjects such as analysis, planning, policy, market research, change processes, organizational design, risk analysis, interviewing, budgeting, project management, performance reporting, decision making and a high degree of competency in five of the Business Acumen competency areas
• Within the past ten years, has been a professor of strategic planning studies at an accredited college or university plus five years’ work experience in the domains of the certification competencies or BOK and a high degree of competency in five of the Business Acumen competency areas.

Once deemed eligible, applicants will take a three-hour, 160-question exam that covers core concepts around strategic leadership, strategic thinking, strategic planning, strategic action, and strategic management. Exam fees total $725 for members of ASP and $925 for non-members. SMP-holders need to recertify every five years—a window of time in which they must also complete 100 contact hours of continuing education.

The Strategy Institute offers the Senior Business Strategy Professional (SBSP) certification. For the SBSP certification, applicants need a graduate degree in a business-related area, as well as a minimum of eight years of relevant work experience. Eligible applicants receive course materials and a 45-day review period, after which the applicant must pass an online-proctored exam. The SBSP certification package fee is $1,750.

Holders need to recertify every three years by participating in a short learning module on updates to the Strategy Institute’s body of knowledge, followed by a brief online assessment.

Helpful Resources for Strategy Managers

The world of business is constantly evolving, and so are the strategies that cause it to do so. If you want to get a look into where strategic management is today and where it’s going, check out some of the resources below.

• The Association for Strategic Planning
• The Strategy Institute
• Strategic Management Society
• Strategic Management Journal
• Journal of Strategy and Management