High School

Aspiring Agile coaches should take as many computer science classes (especially software development) as possible in high school. Since coaches must be strong communicators, you should also take English and speech classes. Learning a foreign language will come in handy if you plan to work abroad or with clients who are not fluent in English. Finally, any classes—such as mathematics, social studies, psychology, and philosophy—that help you to develop your analytical and reasoning abilities will also be useful.

Postsecondary Education

Agile coaches have college degrees in a variety of fields, but many have degrees in project management, software development, information technology (IT) management, and other IT fields.

A small, but growing, number of colleges and universities offer master’s degrees in Agile project management. For example, American University in Washington, D.C., offers an online master’s degree in Agile project management. To earn the degree, students must complete the following classes and an additional elective course: Innovation Through New Technologies; Intercultural Communication for Professionals; Data-Driven Decision Making; Adaptive Project Management Principles; Agile Solutions and Risk Assessment; Project Cost-Benefit Analysis; Client Communications and Professional Consulting; Teams and Virtual Teams; and Agile Project Management Capstone.

Certification

Certificate programs in Agile, project management, and related fields are provided by colleges and universities. Villanova University (certificate in Agile), Northeastern University (certificate in Agile project management), and Georgetown University (certificate in Lean & Agile Practices) are just a few of the schools that offer certificates.

The online learning platform Udemy offers Becoming an Agile Coach: Mindset, Frameworks, Tools, Skills, a nearly 12-hour course for those who would like to learn about Agile. Students who complete the course receive a certificate of completion. Visit https://www.udemy.com/course/becoming-an-agile-coach for more information.

Other Education or Training

Participating in continuing education (CE) classes is a great way to keep your skills up to date and learn about new developments in Agile coaching; CE credits may also be required to renew one’s certification. The Agile Alliance is a major provider of CE opportunities. It offers event sessions, webcasts, and other professional development opportunities. Recent webcasts included How to Implement Testing and Agile in a Company, Pitching it to the Team, and Tools for Effective Remote Agile Teams. Other organizations that offer CE classes and webcasts include the Project Management Institute, ICAgile, Women in Agile, and the International Institute of Business Analysts. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Voluntary certification is provided by the Project Management Institute (disciplined agile coach, PMI Agile certified practitioner), Scrum Alliance (certified Agile leadership I, certified Agile leadership II, certified enterprise coach, and other credentials), ICAgile (ICAgile certified expert and other credentials), International Institute of Business Analysts (product ownership analysis), Scaled Agile (certified SAFe agilist), and other organizations. Most programs require applicants to have several years of experience and pass an examination.

Several years of experience as a software development project manager, Scrum master, or work in another career that involves project management are required to enter this field.

Successful Agile coaches have excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills, as well as active listening ability. They must be effective leaders, teachers, and mentors; have the ability to both empathize and inspire employees; and possess strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills. Situational awareness, conflict resolution skills, and emotional intelligence are also important.