OVERVIEW
What’s a Certified Scrum Product Owner?
A Scrum product owner is a leader of Agile teams who decides what the team will create next to deliver more value to their customers. For reference, Agile is a project management method that breaks a full project into development cycles and an Agile team is typically a small, high-performing group of five to 10 people with complementary skills.
The Scrum product owner manages the framework, principles, and values that make Scrum work, including the skills and tools needed for it to be effective. They’re also accountable for effective product backing management. To do all this, Scrum product owners must possess a deep understanding of their customers, the marketplace, competitors, and trends.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Certified Scrum Product Owner Do?
In general, product owners wear a lot of hats and are responsible for the success of a product in market. They may do anything from market research to customer relationship management.
Scrum product owners are the ones ensuring the product they create reaches its maximum value by representing the stakeholders in the project, communicating the project goals to the team, and making sure the project backlog is sufficiently organized. The product owner role also encompasses translating and communicating the product vision to development teams utilizing the Scrum framework.
Some of their day-to-day responsibilities are to:
- Define the vision and communicate it to customers, business managers, and the development team.
- Provide a product road map to the team, including all goals related to the vision.
- Create the product backlog and prioritize items according to business objectives and overall strategy.
- Be accountable for project dependencies that can affect the sequence of development.
- Oversee the product development through all its stages, including the planning, refinement, and review for each event.
- Work with stakeholders to set the steps required for the next iteration.
- Meet with the team to refine the process, answer questions, and define areas for improvement.
- Handle communication between stakeholders and development teams.
- Understand client requirements to better manage the development process.
- Evaluate the product progress through each iteration.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Certified Scrum Product Owner?
Step One: Get a bachelor’s degree.
A bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, or IT management is a first step to becoming a CSPO. These types of degrees will give you fundamental computer and IT skills that will be valuable as you prepare to help lead teams. You’ll learn computer terminology, applications, systems, and languages that are all important in preparing you for a role as a product owner.
Step Two: Get a master’s degree.
Because a CSPO is a more senior role, most jobs will require an advanced degree, like a master’s degree in IT management or a master’s of business administration in IT management. You’ll learn how to lead a team, make strategic decisions based on data, and gain the confidence to solve whatever project snags might come your way.
Step Three: Become certified.
The CSPO is an ideal Scrum certification for anyone looking to become familiar with Scrum foundations and the community. Given by the Scrum Alliance, the CSPO teaches product owner-hopefuls how to own an idea, execute it, and bring it to the relevant audience. The CSPO has continuing education credit requirements every three years and is renewable.
Step Four: Keep learning.
To be a Scrum product owner typically requires five years’ experience in the related area as an individual contributor. It’s ideal to use this time to gain additional knowledge and stay on top of your professional development through attending Scrum conferences, taking online courses, or completing additional training.
CSPO Degree Options
Technology
Information Technology – B.S.
Award-winning coursework and value-add certifications make this online...
Award-winning coursework and value-add certifications make this online program a top choice.
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 39 months.
- Tuition: $3,625 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 36 total courses in this program.
Certifications included in this program at no additional cost:
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- CompTIA Project+
- CompTIA IT Operations Specialist
- CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist
- Amazon AWS Cloud Practitioner
- ITIL®*^ Foundation Certification
- LPI Linux Essentials
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Scripting and programming
- Networking and security
- Systems and services
- Data management
- Business of IT
Business
MBA Information Technology Management
Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper...
Earn the online college degree that can move your career into IT upper management:
- Time: Graduates can finish in 12 months
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program
Sample careers and jobs this business degree will prepare you for:
- Management
- Project Management
- Leadership
- Innovation
- Communications
- Information Systems Security
Learn to navigate emergencies, execute strategies, and optimize systems with the competencies within this specialty MBA.
Technology
Information Technology Management – M.S.
A degree for experienced IT professionals ready to lead....
A degree for experienced IT professionals ready to lead.
- Time: 60% of graduates finish within 18 months.
- Tuition: $3,940 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program.
Included in your program—at no extra cost—is the opportunity to earn the valuable PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification.
- Technology operations and integration
- Sourcing and planning
- Risks and influence
- Solutions development
- Project management
Maximize the opportunities that your IT career path has afforded you—earn your master's and keep moving up.
Technology
Computer Science – B.S.
Problem solvers and math lovers needed! Your task:...
Problem solvers and math lovers needed! Your task:
Lay the groundwork for the computing breakthroughs that will enable tomorrow's technologies. Utilize your previous college courses or IT experience to help you complete your degree faster.
- Time: 60% of graduates in similar programs finish within 25 months.
- Tuition: $3,985 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 38 total courses in this program.
You'll have the opportunity to earn these certifications:
- Linux Essentials
- Axelos ITIL Foundation
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Architecture and systems
- Data structures
- AI
- Computer theory
- Version Control
- Linux
How Much Does a Certified Scrum Product Owner Make?
$141,384
According to Salary.com, Certified Scrum Product Owners make an average of $141,384 per year, but the range typically falls between $128,170 and $157,121. Salaries can vary widely depending on factors such as education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years you’ve spent in your profession.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
11%
Now more than ever, companies are turning to Agile frameworks, like Scrum, to help them adapt and evolve more quickly. Because of this, Certified Scrum Product Owners are in high demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information systems managers is projected to grow 11% from now until 2030.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Certified Scrum Product Owner Need?
Excellent technical abilities are key for Scrum product owners. You’ll also need strong interpersonal skills to collaborate with team members and solid organizational skills to effectively manage multiple projects at once.
Other essential skills include:
- Scrum knowledge
- Agile software development
- Experience in business analytics
- Excellent project management skills
- Proven success in releasing products and meeting business objectives
- Subject expertise in certain product or market
- Proven record of successfully managing cross-functional teams
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