Best Product Management Bootcamps 2022
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Glassdoor lists product manager tenth on its list of the 50 best jobs in America for 2022. According to Glassdoor, product managers make a median base salary of $125,320 and have a job satisfaction rate of 4 out of 5. At the time of writing, Glassdoor had over 17,000 job openings for product managers listed on its site.
Landing a product management job typically requires a bachelor’s degree in information systems, business management, or a related field. However, product management bootcamps are becoming more popular. Like coding bootcamps, product management bootcamps take a few months to complete. Instead of teaching coding skills, they teach product management skills.
In addition to listing the best product management bootcamps, this guide will answer questions such as, “What is product management?” and “What is the average product manager salary?” You’ll explore what a product manager does and what jobs you can expect to qualify for after completing a product management bootcamp.
Featured Online Bootcamps
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the schools below.
Best Product Management Bootcamps
Columbia University
- Locations:Remote
- Program Cost: $10,995
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options
Columbia University’s product management bootcamp provides students with the skills they need to pursue an entry-level product management job in just 18 weeks. The hands-on curriculum teaches cross-functional leadership skills, personal development, and agile project management. Students also learn Tableau and SQL.
General Assembly
- Locations: Remote, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C., and other major cities
- Program Cost: $3,950
- Learning Formats: In Person, Online
- Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time
Accepts GI Bill® Career Services Evening & Weekend Options
General Assembly’s part-time product management course allows learners to continue working full time while learning the essential skills needed for a product management career. Learners can also choose to follow a full-time course schedule. The curriculum focuses on real-world problems in the product life cycle, Agile methodology, collaborating with stakeholders, and best practices for working with data.
Georgia Tech
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $8,995
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
Career Services Evening & Weekend Options
Georgia Tech’s product management bootcamp helps students learn what they need to know to launch a product management career in just 18 weeks. Students explore how to use popular frameworks to manage the product experience. They learn roadmap development, product life cycle management, sprint planning, backlog management, and more.
University of Texas at Austin
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $9,995
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
Career Services Evening & Weekend Options
UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business offers an 18-week online product management bootcamp. Students learn skills such as user story creation, value proposition definition, and feature prioritization. They finish the bootcamp with a portfolio of projects to show prospective employers.
University of California, Los Angeles
- Location: Remote
- Program Cost: $10,495
- Learning Format: Online
- Time Commitment: Part Time
Career Services Evening & Weekend Options
UCLA Extension’s product management bootcamp teaches in-demand product management skills such as business model development, agile project management, and market analysis and segmentation. Students learn rapid prototyping, design thinking, and data visualization. They also learn how to optimize products and perform A/B testing.
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Accepts GI Bill®
Accepts the GI Bill® as funding for tuition.
Also Available In Person
This online bootcamp also offers in-person options.
Career Services
Offers career services to help you land your dream job after graduation.
CIRR Member
This bootcamp is a current member of the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting. Learn more at cirr.org.
Evening & Weekend Options
Bootcamps are offered during convenient evening and weekend hours.
Job Guarantee
Employment is guaranteed as soon as you finish your bootcamp.
Money-Back Guarantee
Tuition is refunded if you don't land a job within a given time frame after graduation. Visit the bootcamp website for terms and conditions.
Start for Free
No deposit is required to get started. Begin your bootcamp for $0.
Methodology
Bootcamp Ranking Guidelines
At BestColleges, we believe the best bootcamp is the one that fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations. That's why we often present our recommendations in alphabetical order -- because the real best bootcamp is the bootcamp that's best for you.
What Is Product Management?
A product manager conceptualizes a product and helps with its design. They set requirements and specifications for the product or products. They also prioritize product components that must be completed during the design and production process.
Some people confuse the role of product manager with project manager. While the two roles have some similarities, they are not the same.
A project manager manages the development of the product as a project based on the specifications provided by the product manager. Project managers handle communications, timelines, and budgets.
Product managers may also do this, but they are responsible for understanding the technical specifications of the product and ensuring that all components are created and functioning according to plan.
Most employers require a four-year degree in business management or a related field. Having a four-year degree plus completing a product management bootcamp or an MBA in product management can give applicants an edge over candidates with just a bachelor’s.
What Will I Learn at a Product Management Bootcamp?
Your product management bootcamp experience will teach you how to use popular tools and frameworks to manage the production process. Product management bootcamps often use real-world projects to help learners gain experience in sprint planning, road mapping, feature prioritization, and user story creation.
Students attending a product management bootcamp also learn how to do A/B testing and work with databases using SQL. They learn to analyze product features and make changes to the production process as needed. Students may build a portfolio of projects that show off their product management skills.
Product Manager Jobs
Candidates with training in product management are very much in demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that jobs in computer and information sciences will likely grow by 13% between 2020-2030. Job titles in product management include product manager, software product manager, senior product manager, and product management director.
- Product manager:The product manager oversees the production of a product or products. Responsibilities include budgeting, creating product specifications, and reaching product goals.
- Software product manager:Software product managers manage the production of software products. They communicate with internal and external parties to ensure that the software meets the customer’s needs.
- Senior product manager:Senior product managers take products from conception to the production stage. They understand the market and work to ensure that their company’s products meet the needs of their customers.
- Product management director:Product management directors oversee the development of a product from start to finish. They ensure that the finished product meets quality standards and that the production process is efficient.
Product Manager Salary
A product manager’s salary depends on many factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and education level. Below we list the average base salaries for product managers as reported by Payscale in February 2022.
- Product manager:$88,100 per year
- Software product manager:99,830 per year
- Senior product manager:$127,500 per year
- Product management director:$149,050 per year
The number of product manager jobs has been growing in recent years. LinkedIn listed product manager on its list of the most promising jobs of 2019, with a 29% year-over-year growth in job openings from the previous year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Product Management Bootcamps
Product managers typically determine and articulate a product’s vision. They may do competitive analysis and communicate product roadmaps to stakeholders. They typically set product requirements and prioritize the various components of a product. Product managers are typically focused on a product’s strategy and the technical details that make up the product.
Project managers are more focused on ensuring that the product development process runs efficiently. They handle communication, timelines, and budgets. They often plan product development timelines, monitor progress, and help alleviate roadblocks. They are less focused on the technical details of the product.
Although certification is not required to be a product manager, having a professional certification can give you an advantage when it comes to applying for product management positions. Attending a product management bootcamp can also give you an advantage over other job applicants.
The Association of International Product Marketing and Management offers the following certifications for product managers: certified product manager, agile certified product manager and product owner, and certified digital product manager.
When determining whether product management bootcamps are worth it, you need to consider the cost of the bootcamp as well as the salary you can expect to earn after completing the bootcamp.
The average cost of a bootcamp was around $13,580 in 2020, and the average annual salary for a product manager is $88,110, according to Payscale data from February 2022. Keep in mind that your salary will likely go up over time, especially if you are promoted to a senior position in product management.
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