Best Business Certifications of 2023

Business professionals often change positions to gain a better salary, more desirable benefits and new opportunities and attaining business certifications is a great step to take toward that change.

Defining a “business certification” can be difficult. To narrow the field, they reviewed general business and management credentials, customer resource management (CRM), supply chain, sales and purchasing certifications. Most of the certifications they selected are vendor-agnostic — not tied to a specific system or application — and they researched several credentials from SAP, SAS and similar companies that specialize in business applications.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has been around since 1969, helping business workers develop careers in project management, mainly through professional development and certifications.

The CAPM is ideal for up-and-coming project managers. You need to show proof of a high school diploma, GED or global equivalent. The single test has 150 questions, costs $225 for PMI members or $300 for nonmembers and is available through Pearson VUE. By the time you take the exam, you need to have attained 23 hours of project management education. The certification is valid for five years, and you must retake the test to maintain the credential.

PMI has other certifications aimed at the business community, such as the Project Management-related credentials: Professional (PMP), PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA), Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP) and PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP).

If you’re interested in analyzing business needs and coming up with solutions, take a look at the CBAP by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). The CBAP is an advanced certification aimed at managers and leaders with more than five years of business analysis experience. More precisely, you need at least 7,500 hours of business analysis experience over the last decade and 900 of those hours must directly relate to four of the six BABOK Guide knowledge areas. On top of that, you need at least 35 hours of professional development credits (earned over the last four years), plus two references.

The CBAP test has 120 multiple-choice questions, based on scenarios and case studies and is available through PSI. The test costs $350 for IIBA members or $505 for nonmembers and a $145 application fee is required. To maintain the CBAP, credential holders must earn at least 60 continuing development units within three years of achieving certification.

The IIBA offers related credentials, such as the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA), Certificate of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA), Agile Analysis Certification (IIBA-AAC) and Certification in Business Data Analytics (IIBA-CBDA).

>> Learn More:  5 Best Human Resources and Talent Acquisition Certifications

APICS is all about supply chain management. As part of its goal to develop qualified operators, supervisors and leaders, it offers the Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and a few other certifications. The CSCP covers supply chain concepts and technology, plus strategies for end-to-end operations, from provider to company to consumer.

To earn the CSCP, you need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, at least one other approved certification and at least three years of related business experience. You also need to pass an test that costs $1,365 to $1,900, depending on your APICS membership status.

The PMP from PMI is among the most recognized and sought-after certifications for both business and IT. The requirements are stiff. Option one requires a high school diploma, associate degree or global equivalent; 60 months experience leading projects; and 35 hours of project management education. Option two is a four-year degree, 36 months leading projects and 35 hours of project management education.

You must pass a 180-question test to earn the PMP, which is available through Pearson VUE. The test costs $405 for PMI members and $575 for nonmembers. You maintain the PMP certification by earning 60 professional development units every three years. 

Are you SAP savvy? SAP, a European multinational software program, stands for “systems, applications and products.” The software is used by companies around the world to manage business operations and customer relationships across several lines of business, including human resources, marketing, sales, manufacturing and supply chain. [Read their guide to marketing certifications.]

The SAP Certified Application Associate – CRM recognizes a consultant’s skills in understanding and using SAP CRM software, including how it integrates with other SAP solutions like NetWeaver. SAP recommends that candidates have a combination of experience and training before sitting for the certification exam; training courses are available if needed. The test has 80 questions and costs between $208 and $519, depending on how many attempts you want. You can take the test through the SAP Certification Hub.

If you’ve ever worked with or considered using a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, you’ve likely heard of Salesforce. From help desk and lead management to sales and customer service, Salesforce is an all-in-one CRM platform that scales with a business’ needs as it grows. The platform has become so popular since its launch in 1999 that it’s considered an industry leader and one of the best CRM solutions available. 

If you’re looking to leverage the platform at an administrative level, Salesforce offers a certification program to increase your knowledge of the platform. The program requires you to take several classes and workshops before completing a proctored credential exam. The classes and test typically cost a few thousand dollars.

Salesforce suggests that anyone seeking this certification should already have a decent handle on the platform, since the certification seeks to build upon their understanding of existing features and functions. Once you complete this program, the company also offers the Advanced Administrator certification to further your knowledge of the platform.

HubSpot is a CRM platform that helps businesses handle their marketing, sales and help desk needs. While the platform covers various specialties, the HubSpot Inbound Marketing certification teaches how to use content creation, social media and other inbound marketing methods to your advantage. 

This is a free certification course consisting of seven lessons, complete with 24 videos and seven quizzes, which takes almost five hours to complete.  

Oracle is a leading cloud database software company that helps apply the nebulous digital concept to numerous business functions. More than 2.2 million people have earned their OCP credentials and their initial research found more than 1,000 job openings for the designation.

With numerous certification paths spanning the platform’s cloud-based and on-premises software and hardware solutions, Oracle offers free learning courses in a wide range of specialties. Once you’re ready for an exam, you must purchase a voucher at prices ranging from $95 to $245. These vouchers are good for six months, giving you enough time to hone your skills with the Oracle platform before committing to a test.

The American Purchasing Society is the membership organization behind the Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP), Certified Professional Purchasing Manager (CPPM), Certified Green Purchasing Professional (CGPP), Certified Professional in Distribution and Warehousing (CPDW) and Certified Professional Purchasing Consultant (CPPC) programs.

If your career involves the creation, use, retrieval and disposal of business records, check out the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM), Certified Records Analyst (CRA) and Certified Records Manager (CRM) programs.

On the global front, the Institute of Management Consultants offers the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certification and NASBITE’s Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) focuses on global business management and marketing, supply chain management and trade finance. [Check out these accounting and finance certifications.]

Finally, the Business Relationship Management Institute has two certifications: the Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP) and Certified Business Relationship Manager (CBRM).

Kim Lindros and Andrew Martins contributed to this article. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

Business Certification Program Launched To Support MENA Entrepreneurs; Eleven Inaugural Recipients Are Announced

Abed Ayoub is the Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). The ... [+] ADC has launched a certification program for business owners from the Middle East and North Africa.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has recently launched a certification program for business owners from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Much like other MBE Certifications, the goal is to amplify and MENA-American businesses by certifying that a business is over 51% MENA owned and managed.

The Minority Business Development Agency, which is housed in the U.S. Small Business Association, was launched in 1969 under the Nixon administration. In 1972 the nonprofit National Minority provider Development Council was launched. According to their website, their impact includes “over 15,000 MBEs connected to more than 1,700 corporations, resulting in $482.1 billion in economic output annually, sustaining 1.8 million jobs, with $136.4 billion total wages earned.” Within the group, a minority member is defined as, “an individual who is at least 25% Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, or Hispanic.” The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) was founded in 1997, and extends this definition to women-owned businesses.

The ADC's MENA Certification program aims to expand this definition to Arab-American and non-Arab MENA American businesses. The ADC was launched in 1980 by the late former US Senator James Abourzek of South Dakota. With a mission around human rights and civil liberties, business development is a core part of their strategy, and it became more apparent after 9-11. ADC Executive Director Abed Ayoub explains, “We noticed the economic impact [of 9-11] and the challenges that a lot of their business owners were facing, not just within the Arab community, but within the Middle Eastern community, the Muslim community or anybody with a foreign name. And they began seeing a lot of cases of businesses being shut down because of discrimination.”

The ADC estimates that there are 150,000 Arab-American owned businesses in the United States, comprising around 0.5% of the 33 million small businesses tracked by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Today, the ADC announces that eleven inaugural businesses have received the MENA business certification: Better Sour, California Cookie Company, Fierce & Kind, Molitical Marketing and Consulting, Pharmasense/Global Pharmacy Wholesale, ROC Commercial Construction, Sweet 220, Still Sweet, Thrivers Philanthropies, Write Track Admissions, and Zesty Z.

According to Ayoub, the goal of the program is, “the economic empowerment of their community. It's to show that their community is a force in the economic field, to organize their economic voice, and to provide their entrepreneurs opportunities to grow. I think the certification will do that.”

The MENA certification program could have an important impact in elevating sales opportunities for MENA entrepreneurs. Semira Nikou, the co-founder of Better Sour, shares that food retailers have expressed interest in her Middle Eastern inspired candies. “We are at this incredible moment — at the helm of a positive change — where opportunities are opening to historically underserved communities. We've are in discussions with many national retailers who are really excited about the MENA certification because they already have programs in place to support minority owned brands.”

It is expensive for a consumer brand to get on supermarket shelves. From retail slotting fees to extended payment terms, the grocery world is a pay-to-play industry. Retailers like Target TGT and Walmart WMT have goals to hit around the percentage of minority certified brands that they are carrying on their shelves; the ADC’s hope is that the MENA certification can help Fortune 500 businesses to expand their definition of ‘minority’ to include MENA founders by offering breaks in fees and expanding provider programs to include them.

“I've been in the food and beverage industry for a long time,” shares Bella Hughes, co-founder of Better Sour and the founder of Shaka Tea, which recently sold to Kings Hawaiian. “I'm the daughter of an Iranian immigrant. I've always felt extremely lonely within the larger DEI conversations in this community. It's really amazing to finally be able to feel included in these larger diversity conversations. It's now on their packaging. We're an Iranian American brand.”

Business Process Training & Resources

This area includes all of the available trainings and informative resources that are available for the different financial processes at the university.  It is crucial for employees who process financial transactions to understand the policies and procedures surrounding the process to ensure the university stays compliant and processes are as efficient as possible. Any employee processing financial transactions will find these resources to be helpful (ex. Office and Accounting Associates, Accountants, Business Managers, Directors, etc.).

This page will continue to be updated as training and trainings resources are built.