8 Top Management Certifications for IT Managers [2024]

Introduction

Most IT chiefs are more tech-professionals than managers. They feel like fish in water when immersed in the newest technologies, upgraded tools & platforms, diving into the software. Some of them may want to become managers. Or maybe they already are in IT management and need to upgrade and gain some new skills!

You may wonder if IT management certifications are the right choice.

Can late education help you manage your team better?

The answer is YES!

Read about some of the best and most popular courses that are available for IT heads to boost their skills at managing an IT business.

3 Main Types of IT Management Certificates

Let’s start with a short introduction of 3 main branches of management certificates.

1. Project management certifications
   Managing in IT is not only analyzing, designing & delivering projects, writing schedules, watching budgets, managing technical debt, and governing developers. All these things above are important when we think about leading an IT project, but it’s also good to learn how to manage business units – in the case of IT companies – teams of developers.
2. Enterprise architect certifications
   It’s great when a CTO is able to create a place where technology meets business goals. This is where the IT architecture and IT management dwell. Learning leadership, communication and human skills as an IT leader is essential to successfuly connect the two worlds.
3. IT governance certifications
   IT governance are the processes that facilitate using IT in an effective and efficient way in order to meet organizational goals. Every manager has to understand and apply this discipline in their work. IT governance will also be helpful for those who create or govern such processes.

Top Management Certifications

Recommended and gathered by Sarah White, a senior writer for CIO.com

#1  CAPM – Certified Associate in Project Management

An IT manager has to be a project manager as well. Controlling many projects simultaneously requires great organization and responsibility. CAMP cert is accredited by Project Management Institute (PMI) and demonstrates the ability to manage a product/service lifecycle.

This certificate is one of the best IT certifications out there, it’s a general exam of entry-level for those who don’t have background and experience in managing projects. For those who have already managed some projects, the PMP exam is recommended but way more difficult than CAMP.

• Exam fee: $225 for members, $300 for non-members
• Renewal fee: $225 for members, $300 for non-members
• Renewal exam fee: $150 for members, $200 for non-members
• Expires: after 5 years

<iframe src="https://brainhub.user.com/embedded_forms/cpggax/public/" width="100%" height="350px" scrolling="no"></iframe>

#2  CSM – Certified ScrumMaster

This certification is offered by Scrum Alliance and confirms that you’re capable of helping scrum teams work efficiently.
The certified scrum master’s abilities are:

• team leadership
• distraction limit
• working across depts and teams
• keeping projects on the right track
• combining hard and soft skills

When you pass this certificate, you’ll get a logo showing your credentials and become a member of Scrum Alliance with access to online resources.

• Exam fee: Free for initial certification
• Retake fee: 2 free attempts in 60 days; $25 per try after 2 months
• Renewal fee: $100
• Expires: after 2 years

#3  CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

As we wrote some time ago, security is a huge priority when it comes to team management. By obtaining CISSP certification, you’re going to possess certified knowledge of IT security and information assurance.

The CISSP covers extensive issues like organizational structure, managing budget, risk management, monitoring deliverability, remote team communication, execution and management of large-scope projects.

• Exam fee: $699
• Renewal fee: $85 annual maintenance fee
• Expiration: 3 years

<span class="colorbox1" fs-test-element="box1"><p>Read also: Tracking technical debt is the first and crucial step to protect the health of the software. Explore these 5 tools development teams use to track .</p></span>

#4  CompTIA Project+

CompTIA’s Project+ will be best for those IT chiefs or managers who are responsible for managing less complex/ medium-sized projects but at the same time need to know the basics of PM. This certificate is rather general and covers various “methodologies, frameworks and management concepts”.

• Exam fee: $302
• Retake fee: $302
• Expires: Does not expire

#5  ITIL – Information Technology Infrastructure Library

The ITIL framework from Axelos is a true “cornerstone in IT service and, if your organization subscribes to the methodology, a certification will help prove your ITIL expertise”. This certificate is great for all-level managers as it is focused on effective strategy implementation and improvement of business processes.

You can obtain the certification in various places and on various levels of proficiency – up to the expert level (there are third-party vendors that offer accredited programs and/or exams).

• Exam fee: Varies, depending on vendor
• Renewal fee: N/A
• Expires: Does not expire

#6  PMI-ACP – PMI Agile Certified Practitioner

This is a certification offered especially for IT leaders who work with the agile framework. The PMI-ACP confirms that you’re able to lead an agile team.

It covers methodologies such as:

• Scrum,
• Kanban,
• Lean,
• Extreme programming (XP)
• test-driven development (TDD).

But to be qualified for passing the exam, you have to show that you’ve got 2,000 hours of project management experience or a current PMP cert. Moreover, you need an additional 2-month period of work with agile teams or with agile methodologies and 21 contact hours of training in agile practices.

• Exam fee: $435 for members, $495 for non-members
• Retake fee: 2 free retakes within a year of the exam
• Renewal: 30 PDU (professional development unit) credits every 3 years
• Expiration: 3 years

#7  Six Sigma Certification

Six Sigma methodology combines 5 methodologies, starting with “green belt”, and from there you can reach the Executive Leadership level. This program places emphasis on managing and leading IT projects. Mentors at each level of expertise highlight leadership through the whole process and agility in this transformation.

Again, those certs are offered by third-party vendors and prices vary depending on the available options.

• Exam fee: Varies by vendor
• Retake fee: Varies by vendor
• Renewal fee: N/A
• Expiration: Does not expire

<span class="colorbox1" fs-test-element="box1"><p>Read also: Prioritizing tech debt repayment is an ongoing process that should align with your project's goals, resources, and constraints. Discover 10 most popular and effective tech debt prioritization strategies.</p></span>

#8  TOGAF 9 Certification

The TOGAF 9 is ideal for those managing architecture. This certification confirms the knowledge of “methodology and framework”.

It especially focuses on lining up IT and business goals and helps in:

• demonstrating capability of communication across depts
• defining IT and business objectives
• deleting errors in business processes

Like in the case of the ITIL cert, find a third-party vendor.

• Exam fee: Varies by vendor
• Retake fee: Varies by vendor
• Renewal fee: N/A
• Expires: Does not expire

Beside certified knowledge, it’s worth developing other skills as an IT leader.

A successful IT manager is especially good with communication, decisiveness, strategic thinking, delegation, and human skills.