What are the best contract negotiation courses in 2024?

Contract negotiation is both an art and a science. It can be unpredictable and stressful, but also incredibly rewarding when executed well. 

The problem is, lots of us don’t really know what ‘well’ looks like. We all want to be great negotiators, but where do we start? 

Contract negotiation courses are an effective way to fast-track your learning and expand on your negotiation skills, regardless of where you are in your career. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the five best contract negotiation courses in 2024 - and there’s something for everyone. 

The 5 best contract negotiation courses in 2024

1. Negotiation experts: Classroom and Online Negotiation Training

The Negotiation experts offer a wide range of different contract negotiation courses, meaning there’s something for everyone. Their courses include sales negotiation training, procurement negotiation training, and advanced negotiation training. 

This granular and customizable approach means individuals can advance their skills regardless of their field and level. They also have a reputable client base, with customers like EY, Shell, UBS, and law firms like Allen & Overy. 

However, one of the biggest advantages of Negotiation experts’ courses is its interactivity, as it includes with access to an advanced simulation game that can be customized to your team’s needs.

🧑 Who is it designed for?

Based on the course provider’s client list, their contract negotiation courses appear to be designed for businesses of all sizes, including large corporations. 

Since there is a range of specialized courses to choose from, Negotiation experts’ training is suitable for most departments that touch on contract negotiation, but particularly those in sales and procurement. 

⏰ Length 

How long the negotiation course takes to complete depends on how you choose to complete it. It can either be completed within the classroom, which can take between one to four days, or online, with between one and six sessions.  

🌎 Location

The in-person contract negotiation courses take place either in-house across 35 different countries, or within classrooms in US cities. 

💰 Cost 

Online course prices start at roughly $2,530 for six instructor-led half-day sessions. However, these prices can vary considerably for in-house course delivery. They also offer early bird discounts for those that book well in advance. 

🌟 Independent reviews 

Despite having a large client base of enterprise-level companies, Negotiation experts are not widely reviewed on independent review sites. However, there are some reviews from verified users on their website:

“This is one of the best courses that I have attended. The attendees inside and outside of my team still talk about it positively”

“The case studies were well chosen and crafted to meet our specific work field's specialties”

2. The Knowledge Academy: Contract Negotiation Training

The Knowledge Academy (TKA) offers a contract negotiation training course that teaches participants how to successfully negotiate contracts whilst also embracing the power of collaboration. It’s one of the most flexible courses on the market, offering a range of delivery methods to choose from depending on your learning style and budget. 

🧑 Who is it designed for?

The Knowledge Academy’s contract negotiation course is designed for any professionals that frequently find themselves involved in contract negotiations. 

The course is targeted at contract managers, commercial managers, finance managers, and legal teams, among other business professionals. There are also no entry-level requirements for this particular course, making it perfect for beginners. 

⏰ Length 

It is unclear how long this contract negotiation course will take to complete since this depends on your chosen mode of learning. Although, the online self-paced course will likely be the best option for those with a busy schedule. 

🌎 Location

The Knowledge Academy’s contract negotiation course is one of the leading negotiation training courses based in the UK. The training can either be delivered virtually or on-site, making it one of the most flexible.

If you do decide to opt for their in-person negotiation training, you have two choices. Firstly, you can attend one of their courses in a classroom setting, which they run in 1200 locations, across 200 countries. Alternatively, you can book onsite training whereby their instructors attend your office and deliver training to groups internally. 

💰 Cost 

The cost for attending a classroom-based contract negotiation training course with TKA is approximately £2995. Meanwhile, their online instructor-led courses are significantly cheaper, priced at £895. 

One of the biggest advantages of TKA’s contract negotiation course is that they also offer it within a larger package of courses, called the ‘complete contract management package’. This includes a course on contract management, contract negotiation, and report writing. If you decide to purchase this package, you can save up to £1790 by paying £2,795 rather than £4,585. 

🌟 Independent reviews 

The Knowledge Academy is a renowned professional training provider, with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Here are some of the reviews left by those that have completed the course:

“A fantastic training that has changed my perception of negotiation from a black box to a collaborative exercise”

“The Tutor seemed to be very knowledgeable on Negotiation. She used PowerPoint slides as a reference but did a lot more talking which was more engaging on the subject”

3. Harvard: Negotiation workshop 

Harvard University is renowned for its Negotiation Mastery course, and as a course offered by one of the most prestigious universities in the world, it’s bound to be good. In fact, Harvard’s contract negotiation training is taught by Michael Wheeler, author of the famous book: ‘The Art of Negotiation’. 

Harvard’s training sessions are only available online, and this enables participants to learn at their own pace. Although, it does make it unsuitable for those seeking more intimate in-person or on-site training sessions.

🧑 Who is it designed for?

This particular online contract negotiation course is perfect for students and others seeking professional and personal development. It’s among the most accessible courses online and individuals can enroll quickly and easily. That said, it will also be a good choice for business professionals with minimal experience in contract negotiation as it still covers all of the basics. 

⏰ Length

It is estimated that the course is roughly eight weeks long with a time commitment of roughly four hours per week. It’s self-paced, but you will be expected to meet specific deadlines throughout the course. 

🌎 Location

Despite being run by Harvard University, this course is only available online. This means that you can complete it from anywhere in the world once you have enrolled. 

💰 Cost 

The Negotiation Mastery course is priced at roughly $1,600 for around 30 hours of teaching material. This is quite expensive considering the course doesn’t include personalized, in-person teaching. 

🌟 Independent reviews 

Unfortunately, there are no reviews of the Negotiation Mastery course on independent review sites. However, you can check out some individual reviews on LinkedIn and Youtube to get a feel for the course. 

4. Yale: Introduction to Negotiation 

If it’s affordable online learning that you’re after, then it’s worth considering this course offered by Yale via coursera. 

The course is titled: Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator, and it’s the top-rated contract negotiation course on the platform. 

It covers the foundations of negotiations and multiple different case studies, all in great detail. 

🧑 Who is it designed for?

Due to the depth of this course, it is suitable for both those that are beginners in contract negotiation and those that are familiar with it but looking to expand on their skills. 

⏰ Length

The course takes approximately 32 hours to complete but with flexible deadlines that fit your schedule. 

🌎 Location

This is an online contract negotiation course, which means it can be completed flexibly from anywhere. 

💰 Cost 

This particular course is included with coursera plus, which costs roughly £46 per month, or £316 per year. However, individuals can enroll in the course for free. 

One of the best things about courses on coursera is that the platform also provides financial aid to learners that cannot afford the course fee. This makes these courses accessible to everyone. 

🌟 Independent reviews 

This particular contract negotiation course is the top-rated negotiation course available on the platform. It is rated 4.9 out of 5 with 1,341 reviews, most of which praise both the content and the professor that delivers it. 

“Great course! One of the best that I have ever seen on Coursera. Very well driven and great content”

“A superb introduction to negotiation from a game theory point of view, which itself is a fascinating subject. Taught by Barry Nelbuff, a brilliantly simple teacher”

5. The College of Law: Drafting and Negotiating Commercial Contracts

If you’re a non-lawyer seeking an introduction to contract negotiation for an affordable price, the College of Law has a fantastic course that can be accessed through FutureLearn. 

Since it’s for beginners, it’s far briefer than some legal contract negotiation courses. It begins by covering the fundamentals like understanding the purpose of a contract and begins to explore the legal rationale and practical knowledge that underpins contractual clauses and contract terminology. It also discusses how to close the deal, but only briefly. 

🧑 Who is it designed for?

This course is designed for beginners and non-lawyers. It’s a fantastic option for students that are considering a career that touches on contract drafting and negotiation. However, it won’t be suitable for those that are already familiar with the core principles and are looking to advance their negotiation skills. 

⏰ Length

The duration of this course is four weeks, with weekly study sessions of two hours per week. It’s certainly one of the shorter courses, and this is reflected in the brevity of the content covered. 

🌎 Location

Like many of the most affordable contract negotiation courses, this course is completed online.

💰 Cost 

This course is one of the cheapest contract negotiation courses available. Users can either join with limited access to the course content for four weeks, or they can purchase access to the course for a one-off fee of £34. However, users will only have access to a certificate if they pay for the course. 

🌟 Independent reviews 

According to FutureLearn’s reviews, this course is rated 4.7 out of 5, with 229 verified reviews. 

“Recommended for those who do not have a legal background. It is easy to understand and follow”

“This course was taught at a high level. Within four weeks, this course covered many details that are part of the contracting process” 

How to choose a contract negotiation course

When selecting the perfect contract negotiation course for you it’s important to consider the following things:

• Budget: what can you afford to spend on the contract negotiation course?
• Prior knowledge: how much do you already know about contract negotiation?
• Learning methods: how do you learn best?
• Location: is it convenient for you to attend an in-person training session?
• Group size: how many people require the training? 
• Certification: do you require a certificate of some sort?
• Specialism: is the course relevant to the contracts you negotiate?

Want to find out more about contract negotiation?

If you’re short on time or budget but want to learn more about contract negotiation, check out these free resources:

• Contract negotiation strategies 
• Contract negotiation skills 
• Contract negotiation examples
• How to prepare for negotiations
• Negotiation tips for scaleups

If you're looking for more contract management courses, check out our guide to the best contract drafting courses.