You can now deepen your product management skills with the new postgraduate certificate from King’s College London. Providing a seamless continuation of learning from the Product Management Career Accelerator, the postgraduate certification will help you take your career to the next level by gaining specialist expertise and credentials from one of the world’s most respected universities.

“Completing this Postgraduate Certificate in Product Management will not only equip learners with the practical skills, hard and soft, needed in the product management workplace but also provide them with the academic and critical skills needed to engage with their professional career in an informed and reflective way.” – Dr Mark Hedges, Head of Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London

This is the first postgraduate certificate in product management offered by one of the Russell Group universities, a collection of UK universities renowned for their world-class research. It’s also the first of its kind in the UK.

In this article, we take a closer look at what a postgraduate certificate is and how the King’s certification can help you go further, faster.

What is a Postgraduate Certificate?

A postgraduate certificate is formally recognised as a Level 7 qualification in the UK, which is the same level as a Master’s degree. There are a few differences, however, that make it unique:

• A postgraduate certificate is worth 60 academic credits, while a Master’s is worth 180. Because they sit at the same level, your credits count towards a Master’s if you decide to further your studies. 
• Completing a postgraduate certificate takes much less time, with most programmes requiring about 15 weeks of full-time study. A Master’s degree typically requires you to commit at least two years. 
• Typically, a postgraduate certificate is more affordable than a Master’s.

A closer look at the King’s Postgraduate Certificate in Product Management

The postgraduate certificate offers a seamless continuation of learning from the King’s Product Management Career Accelerator. Designed as a comprehensive, academically rigorous journey, the postgraduate programme builds on your existing skills and deepens your knowledge and industry expertise as you work on a focused, independent project.

Once completed, you’ll walk away with a globally recognised, credit-bearing qualification from King’s College London that will signal your expertise and make you stand out to employers as the candidate they can’t miss out on.

Over four months, you’ll develop a comprehensive portfolio and a research-based written dissertation. This work will draw from what you learnt on the Career Accelerator, but now you get to choose the topic you focus on. Working closely with a respected King’s academic supervisor, you’ll have the opportunity to zoom into an area of product management and become a specialist, which will bring new career opportunities and help you stand out in a competitive job market.

You’ll have up to three one-on-one sessions with your supervisor. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect regularly with an industry expert who’ll provide mentorship throughout your project. This will help keep you on track and ensure all your work has real-world relevance.

The chance to develop a close relationship with academic and industry experts in your area of interest can set you up with great networking opportunities. Building trust and rapport during your work together on the postgraduate certificate could potentially lead to connections with other professionals, invitations to events and recommendations for open positions.

While studying, you’ll be able to unlock additional benefits as a King’s learner, including access to the campus and library. When your project is complete, you’ll graduate at an in-person ceremony on campus, allowing you to celebrate your hard work in a meaningful way. At your graduation, you’ll receive your certificate and formally become part of the university’s alumni network.

Your path to becoming a product management expert

At this stage, the postgraduate certificate is available to current or past learners on the King’s Product Management Career Accelerator who have achieved an average of 60% or more.

To enrol in the Career Accelerator, you need to have an undergraduate degree or at least two years of work experience. You can find out more about the application requirements here.

Once you’ve completed the Career Accelerator with the pass mark required, you’ll be on track to begin the postgraduate certificate. Your work on the Career Accelerator will contribute 50% of the academic credits needed to complete the postgraduate certificate successfully.

The Career Accelerator lays the foundation you need to build your knowledge and confidence to go further in your product management career. The postgraduate certificate builds on this and helps you further develop your skills. The two are interlinked, and it makes sense that your investment in the first part of the journey continues to pay off as you progress.

With your postgraduate certificate in hand, you’ll have earned yourself a Level 7 qualification. Recognised by employers as a valuable indication of your expertise, this boosts your employment prospects and long-term opportunities. If you choose to continue your learning journey in the future and pursue a Master’s, the credits you earned from the postgraduate certificate can contribute towards this degree. 

Take your career further, faster

Pursuing a career in product management is exciting, with so many avenues and opportunities to explore. Rated as one of the best jobs in the UK, it’s in high demand and offers great job satisfaction and good pay. With a solid set of skills established on the Career Accelerator, you now have the opportunity to enhance your career potential by becoming an expert in your chosen area of product management. 

If you’re interested in hearing more about how the postgraduate certificate can give you an extra edge as a product manager, grab a time to connect with your Enrolment Advisor.