Change management is increasingly relevant and important in today’s world. People are dealing with rapid changes in the world, the way we work, conduct meetings and do business.
This is on top of the consistent changes we have to deal with: mergers, acquisitions, changes in leadership and technology disruptions. In other words, change management experts are more in demand than ever.
A change management certification can help build your credibility and expertise as a change management professional. But it’s important to understand the difference among your options, so you can choose the best certification for your goals.
In this article, I’m going to lay out the best change management certifications to choose from in 2022. Here’s a list of the best change management courses and certificate programs that you can take to be a change leader in 2022-2023.
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What are the Best Change Management Certifications?
1. Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP)
Price: $595 for members, $745 for non-members
Time: Self-paced ACMP Standard training
The Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP) certification declares your ability to successfully implement change in an organization, no matter the size of the business or scope of change.
The Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP) offers this certification to indicate proof of change management expertise, and it is known as the best in class option for change management professionals in 2022 and 2023.,
The ACMP’s Standard is the organization’s generally accepted practices in change management. The exam for this Certification follows these practices.
Here’s what you get with a CCMP certification:
- Course materials
- Best practices training
- Credentials that are prestigious in the field of change management
- Flexible 3rd-party exam options
This certification is available for change management implementers of any experience level – whether you’re a new or current change management practitioner.
Visit CCMP at Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP) to learn more about this credential.
2. Prosci Change Management Certification
Price: $4,500
Time: Three-day program
A great option, the Prosci Change Management Certification introduces you to Prosci ADKAR – the industry-standard model in change management alongside the Prosci methodology.
If you are at a mid-manager level, this change management certification is great for you.
Here is the Prosci ADKAR model that will be a part of your curriculum:
- Awareness – of the need for change.
- Desire – to support the change.
- Knowledge – of how to change.
- Ability – to demonstrate skills and behaviors.
- Reinforcement – to make the change stick.
This is an in-person program and includes hands-on work with change professionals.
To learn more about the Prosci Change Management Certification, click here.
3. Change Management Certification Program by APMG International
Price: Variable (Average = $300)
Time: Self-paced
The Association of Project Managers Group (APMG International) is dedicated to being the source of information for project managers. Including industry trends, benefits, and educational opportunities.
The organization’s change management certification will help you plan, implement and manage change in an organization.
The certification course was developed alongside CMI (Change Management Institute). It follows the same principles as CMI’s CMBoK (Change Management Body of Knowledge). This program is about the effects of change on individuals, teams, organizations, and change leaders.
Upon completion of the course, you’ll receive your UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) recognized certification.
This Change Management Foundation certification teaches you about the agile side of things.
4. Change Management Specialist Certification by MSI
Price: $299.95
Time: Self-paced (Deadline of one year)
The Management and Strategy Institute (MSI) is a trade association for process improvement professionals.
The MSI developed their Change Management Specialist (CMS) certification for their members.
This certification program gives people a lot of training materials. These are meant to help you manage change programs, persuade people to change, manage resistance to change, and other topics related to successful and effective change management.
By passing the exam at the end of the course, you’ll get your certification badge and a professional certificate.
It’s considered one of the most affordable change management certifications around. Anybody can take it as there’s no prerequisites, and you can take it at your own pace.
When you complete the course, you’ll receive 30 Professional Competency Units (PCUs) from MSI. It also qualifies for 30 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits.
Find out more about this certification by MSI.
5. ATD Certification in Change Management
Price: $1,495 for members and $1,745 for non-members
Time: 14 hours
The modern change leader and facilitator was definitely kept in mind in ADT’s Certification in Change Management Course.
The Association for Talent Development designed this course as a solid framework credential.
Here’s what makes ADT’s program stand out:
- A leader-centric approach
- Best for trainers, future change specialists
- Data-driven program materials
- Flexible schedule
- You’ll get 1.4 CEUs after completing
To get additional details and sign up, visit the ADT site to learn about their Certificate in Change Management.
6. Change Management Institute Certification
Price: $525 (Foundation), $675 (Specialist), and $1,050 (Master)
Time: Flexible
This certification from the Change Management Institute is put together in collaborating by CMI and the Accredited Change Management Foundation.
There are 3 levels to this certification: Foundation, Specialist and Master.
Each of these levels gives candidates a unique set of skills for various change management challenges.
Those who enroll benefit from:
- Various levels of change management exposure
- Real-world assessments with realistic benchmarks
- Perfect for practitioners seeking leadership positions in large companies
For additional info visit Change Management Institute Certification.
Why You Should Get a Change Management Certification:
All leaders should have a background in change management. And anyone with an expertise in change will be positioned as a key professional within their company or organization.
A change management certification can be a great way to advance your career and acquire highly valuable skills for your company or organization. It can also provide valuable tools in advancing career growth opportunities in an increasingly relevant field.
Frequently Asked Questions About Change Management Certifications
Change management is a process by which company leaders, teams and professionals take a proactive approach top handle organizational change in the most effective manner. This includes all aspects of planning, implementing and overseeing change processes as well as dealing with changer resistance and getting buy-in from team members and stakeholders.
While change management may not give a business any immediate financial benefit, your work will still have tangible, measurable results in terms of efficiency and employee wellbeing.
All of the certification programs above are great programs. There is no one size fits all approach to getting a change management certification. You need to define your organization or personal goals and align them with a program that best serves your unique goals.
You can take an online course or sign up to an on-site training. This depends on your schedule, availability, and personal and professional preference.
To become a certified change manager you need to take a certification course that also has a final exam.
Completing a course and receiving a change management training certification indicates that you have achieved the knowledge and the skills of a change professional through that program. Whereas achieving a certified change management professional designation means that you not only have the professional training, but you also have the experience doing the work and you’ve proven that experience. And then beyond that, because it is based on the standard for change management, it means that you can adapt to any change management model that exists today and any models that are to come.
A change management certification requires a fair amount of studying. While the principles you may learn in the certification are not overly difficult to grasp, it is the real-world application of change management that is much more difficult, especially in larger organizations.
