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Contract management may be an established discipline, but it's evolving fast. There are new contract management tools entering the market, AI is enabling us to agree contracts faster than ever, and contracting no longer sits exclusively with the legal team.
That means that renewing and refreshing your contract management knowledge will continue to be a competitive advantage in 2025. And courses are a great way to get ahead.
Fortunately, this post compares six of the best contract management certifications and courses across the globe, with in-person and online teaching formats to choose from. Read on to find one that’s right for you.
What are the best contract management courses in 2025?
We've compiled six of the most popular and sought after contract management certifications available this year, comparing them based on price, availability, curriculum, and more.
1. WCC: Commercial and Contract Management Accreditation
The Commercial & Contract Management Certification Program is a course run by the World Commerce & Contracting association (WCC). It covers each stage of the contract lifecycle in detail and uses formal exams and presentations to assess participants.
Unlike most other contract management courses, all participants are expected to complete the pre-assessment before they can begin. This is because there are various different levels in the course:
- Practitioner level
- Advanced practitioner level
- Expert
This approach is designed to ensure that practitioners complete all of the modules required to get them to the expert level, and so that experts can avoid repetition.
Who is the course for?
This course is best-suited to contract specialists and contract managers. However, it would likely be useful to anyone that manages contracts as part of their role.
There is also a more advanced version of the course available for experts, which makes it a great option for experienced members of the team too.
What does the course cover?
This is a comprehensive contract management course, covering everything from contract administration to procurement processes, negotiation tactics, and managing contractual disputes.
The most basic version of the course covers the basics of contract lifecycle management, complex agreement management, negotiation techniques, bidding, and managing contract performance.
However, the Advanced Practitioner course covers a lot more information, including intellectual property, how to create a contract management plan, contract design, government contract management, and more.
Key details
2. FutureLearn: Contract Management and Relationship Building in Business
This course was created through a partnership between the University of Southampton and WCC, and it has been endorsed by the Crown Commercial Service, making it a great option for those based that want a government-backed course in the UK.
Over three weeks, learners explore key aspects of commercial relationships, procurement regulations, stakeholder management, and contract innovation.
The course is designed to help professionals understand how to create effective contracts and manage complex supply chains. Through real-world examples and expert insights, it offers practical strategies for improving contract outcomes and fostering strong business relationships.
Who is the course for?
Due to its structured, accessible format, this contract management course is well-suited to professionals across industries who want to improve contract performance and minimize risks.
However, it’ll be particularly useful for individuals responsible for vendor relationships, contract execution, and risk management, or those overseeing contracts as part of their project management role.
This contract management training is also one of the most affordable on the market and great for those seeking to learn on a budget.
What does the course cover?
This contract management training starts by covering the basics of commercial relationships, the rules and laws that govern transactions, and why contracts exist.
As the course progresses, you’ll be taught valuable contract negotiation strategies and given practical advice on how to manage contract risk. It also covers the benefits of simplifying your contracts and the basic principles of contract design.
Key details
3. Australian Institute of Management: Diploma of Business (Procurement)
The Diploma of Business (Procurement) is offered by the Australian Institute of Management, an institution that offers training to individuals and organizations in-person and online.
It’s important to note that this is a contract management certification rather than a course, though.
In other words, enrolment doesn’t give you access to training and courses. It just gives you the opportunity to complete the contract management assessment and be recognized for the skills and knowledge you have already.
That said, the Australian Institute of Manager do offer several different courses to aid in your learning and development, such as:
- Contract law and risk management course
- Contract planning and procurement course
- Contract execution and close-out course
Who is this course for?
Unlike many other contract management certifications, this course is for those with contract management experience already.
This is called RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning), and many assessments are based on workplace tasks and processes, so having an existing, relevant role is beneficial.
Specifically, it’s designed for those working as contract managers, contract officers, or senior contract administrators in Australia.
What does the course cover?
The Diploma of Business (Procurement) teaches essential skills for managing procurement and contracts effectively.
Participants learn to develop and oversee procurement strategies, manage contracts while ensuring legal compliance, and handle budgets to support procurement activities.
The curriculum also covers sustainable procurement practices and effective workplace communication to streamline processes.
Key details
4. Korn Ferry: DUKE University Certificate in Contract Management
The Duke University Certificate in Contract Management, offered through Korn Ferry, is designed for professionals seeking to enhance their expertise in contract management. It is offered in partnership with Duke University, a private research university based in North Carolina.
This contract management training is offered in two tiers: a foundational certificate and a professional certificate.
The foundational version requires three courses to be completed over the course of two years, while the professional certificate means you’ll need to complete seven courses across four years.
These courses include contract pricing, negotiation, close-out, cost estimations, and more.
Who is this course for?
This contract management course is particularly beneficial for individuals involved in procurement, contract administration, project management, and legal roles.
However, those that undertake this particular training must be willing to dedicate a lot of time to it, with some courses spanning four years in total.
What does the course cover?
This contract management certification covers a wide range of modules, some of which are selective.
However, you can expect to learn about contract pricing, federal contracting basics, negotiation strategies, and procurement decision-making, among other things.
Key details
5. CIPFA: Diploma in Contract Management
The CIPFA diploma in contract management is an accredited training course that teaches both theory and best practices. It’s also one of the most time-consuming courses to complete.
What’s different about this contract management training is that it focuses on contracts created between public bodies and private organizations. This means it’s designed for staff in central government, local government, and other governmental departments.
Who is this course for?
This contract management course is for new professionals responsible for contract management, experienced staff seeking formal training or skill updates, and employees at all levels in public sector organizations, including central government, NDPBs, local government, health, and education.
What does the course cover?
This contract management training covers all of the key aspects of contract management, including writing specifications, service level agreements, negotiation skills, and contract oversight. It also explores financial management, contract exit strategies, and continuous improvement planning.
Key details
6. The Knowledge Academy: Contract Management Training
The Knowledge Academy’s contract management course focuses on teaching participants how to manage procurement contracts and vendor relationships more effectively.
This sets it apart from other contract management courses that cover the management of contracts broadly and cover more contract types.
The Knowledge Academy also offers contract negotiation courses that explore the contract negotiation process in much more detail.
In fact, the organization offer a complete contract management package that includes both this contract management training and the negotiation version, along with a report writing course.
Who is this course for?
This course is for UK-based professionals in contract management, procurement, legal, project management, and compliance. It helps contract managers, in-house legal counsel, purchasing managers, and risk officers navigate contract processes and earn certification.
Since it has no eligibility criteria, it is also a great option for those wanting to upskill in this area that don’t already have experience, like business owners or C-suite executives.
What does the course cover?
This course covers the fundamentals of procurement contracts, including their role, creation, legal principles, and key components. It explores contract structure, essential clauses, and risk management.
Participants learn how to manage contracts, address breaches, and navigate procurement strategies, tendering, and evaluation processes. The course also covers solicitation, source selection, contract administration, and closure.
Key details
How to choose a contract management course
There are too many contract management courses to cover them all in this guide. Luckily, that means there’s plenty to choose from. But which is right for you?
When comparing the different courses, it’s worth considering the following things:
- Budget. Contract management courses can vary significantly in price, so it’s important to find a course that fits your budget, or the budget set out by your employer if they’re expensing it.
- Experience. It’s important to find a contract management course that is taught at the right level for you. If you’re an experienced contract manager looking to learn more, a beginner's course may not be right for you, for example.
- Location. Some courses are taught in person, others are completed virtually. If you are choosing an in-person course, it’s important to check where that course is hosted and how convenient it is for you to get there.
- Certification. There’s no universal certification needed to become a contract manager. However, certain employers may prefer for their employees to receive a certificate of some sort. This is something to consider when choosing a course since not all courses offer this.
- Time commitment. Some courses take a few hours. Others take months. It’s worth considering how much time you’re willing to commit to a course when choosing one.
- Specialism. Lots of contract management courses focus on procurement contracts. But these options might not be suitable if you’re managing a variety of contracts, not just procurement ones.
Need help managing contracts?
Taking a course isn’t the only way to make contract management more efficient for your business. You could also consider implementing contract management software. To find out how contract management software enables fast-growing businesses to reduce contract admin and manage contracts more effectively, check out our case studies. or speak to a specialist by filling out the form below.
Interested in other courses? We've curated a list of the best legal courses right now:
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