Certified ScrumMaster and Certified Scrum Product Owner courses provide a solid foundation on the basic tenets of Scrum and agile, but many find that they still crave more in-depth training in many of the specific practices. At Mountain Goat Software, we have created three courses designed to dive deeper into several key agile concepts.
The following is a list of the agile and Scrum courses that we offer publicly or that can be taught onsite.
Agile Estimating & Planning
Two of the most important questions asked on projects are “When will we be done?” and “How soon can I have everything I’ve asked for?” These are not impossible questions. By taking an agile approach to estimating and planning, teams can learn how to create useful estimates that lead to reliable plans. Agile Estimating and Planning is also the title of trainer Mike Cohn’s book, which advocates different, easy, lightweight ways to plan projects that will be developed using agile or Scrum. This course counts for 7.5 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Effective User Stories for Agile Requirements
Projects start with their requirements— so it’s worth learning how to get a project off on the right foot. This class helps you do just that. A great way to build software that meets users’ needs is to begin with user stories. User stories are simple, clear, brief descriptions of functionality that will be valuable to real users. In this course, you’ll learn what makes a great user story, and what makes a bad one, plus the six attributes of a good story and how to achieve them. You’ll discover practical ways to gather user stories, even when you can’t speak with your users. This agile class is taught by User Stories Applied For Agile Software Development author Mike Cohn himself. This training counts for 7.5 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Succeeding With Agile
Like other organizational change efforts, too many agile adoptions that seem to be working at first fail to succeed long term. This class provides the information you need to move beyond initial success to sustained agility. Learn how to start strong and then keep your agile adoption going when things get tough. Drawing and expanding on concepts in Mike Cohn's Succeeding with Agile book, this advanced course picks up where Certified ScrumMaster and other introductory agile courses end. Go beyond the basics and learn how to get started and get good with agile or Scrum. This course will earn you 15 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Certified ScrumMaster
We are pleased to offer the Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster course. Among the most popular and well-respected trainings in the industry, this two-day class introduces students to the fundamental principles of Scrum and provides hands-on experience to prospective Scrum Masters and team members. Successful completion of this class allows you to earn the designation of Certified ScrumMaster. This course will earn you 15 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
Certified Scrum Product Owner
Product owners are responsible for pointing agile teams toward the right goal. This training ensures you have the skills to guide your team. Half of all projects fail and of the ones that succeed, 65% of functionality is rarely or never used. This class will equip you with the tools you need to position your team for success and allow you turn earn the designation of Certified Scrum Product Owner. This course will earn you 15 Professional Development Units (PDUs).
About the Trainer
It’s not enough to choose the right course, you must choose an instructor you can trust, one who has the experience, expertise, and engaging style you need.
Mike Cohn is experienced with Scrum and agile practices. An active participant on Scrum projects since 1995, Mike has been the VP of Development at three startups and one Fortune 40 company. At all four of these organizations, agile was key to the company’s success. As a consultant, Mike has worked with companies whose business interests range from banking and aerospace to video game development—and whose sizes vary from 1 to 400,000. His training and coaching are relevant to the real business world.
Mike Cohn is a recognized expert at agile practices, including Scrum. With three books (User Stories Applied for Agile Development, Agile Estimating and Planning, and Succeeding with Agile), an active blog, and the distinction of being a co-trainer of the first Certified ScrumMaster course, Mike is frequently sought after as a speaker, writer, and subject matter expert. His in-depth knowledge comes from hands-on experience and a long-standing commitment to the Scrum community. As a co-founder of both the Scrum Alliance and Agile Alliance, Mike’s ties to the agile community run deep.
Mike’s teaching style combines lecture and anecdotes with hands-on activities. Participants leave his class with a wealth of knowledge, a deeper understanding of the subject, and actual experience with many of the practices.
Mike brings great energy to every class that I have seen him teach. He’s great in front of a large audience or consulting with a few folks. He was incredibly helpful as we rolled out agile at Salesforce. He has great experience and knowledge of a broad set of agile methods that result in very practical advice for software teams. Chris Fry, Senior Director, salesforce.com
Training is an investment of both time and money. Do your research when choosing someone to guide you along your learning path. Mountain Goat has had the experience, expertise, and engaging teaching style you need to start you on the path to long-term success.
To get started today, email Mike Cohn at mike@mountaingoatsoftware.com or call our office at (888) 61-Agile (24453).
