What are the learning requirements in order to successfully complete the course, and how are grades assigned?

Participants in Disruptive Strategy are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online. Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This means completing each course module and fully answering questions posed therein by the required deadline. This course also features recommended weekly deadlines to help ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course. More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Disruptive Strategy. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

What materials will I have access to after completing Disruptive Strategy?

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program. At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts introduced in the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

How should I list my certificate on my resume?

Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion: Harvard Business School Online Certificate in Disruptive Strategy [Cohort Start Month and Year] List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page: School: Harvard Business School Online Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program] Degree: Other; Certificate in Disruptive Strategy Field of Study: Leave blank Grade: "Complete" Activities and Societies: Leave blank Description: Disruptive Strategy is a 5-week, 30-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. The course helps learners become fluent in disruption theory and teaches them to articulate complex viewpoints, apply strategic frameworks to assess new opportunities and potential threats, and develop techniques for formulating executive-level strategy.

Will HBS Online continue to offer Disruptive Strategy?

Harvard Business School Online is saddened by the loss of acclaimed teacher, scholar, and innovator Clayton Christensen. Professor Christensen’s online Disruptive Strategy course has engaged thousands of learners and will continue to reach individuals worldwide. HBS Online worked closely with Professor Christensen on the development of the course and is honored to deliver Disruptive Strategy as part of his legacy.

Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Disruptive Strategy

Identify disruptive threats and opportunities to help your organization adapt, compete, and grow.

Time
25-30 hrs, 5-6 hrs/week
Calendar
Nov 4, 2026 Weekly calendar
Price
$1,949
Pay by
Nov 2, 2026

Request Info

Key Concepts

Become fluent in disruptive innovation theory
Assess new opportunities and potential threats
Discover jobs to be done and develop frameworks to better understand customer needs
Acquire techniques for executive-level strategy development
Organize for innovation and maintain a disruptive scope
Gain confidence articulating complex viewpoints
Apply the four-box framework—value proposition, resources, processes, and profit formula—to evaluate how business models succeed or fail amid disruption

Who Will Benefit

Align your resources, processes, and financial strategy to position your business for growth.

I have gotten an incredible wealth of knowledge and theories that are ready to apply. With every minute of learning, my company was better off and was setting a course for success.
Andrzej Buks; Vice President at Dakota Guardian Trust

91%

Acquired new skills that were immediately applicable

92%

Developed increased confidence after completing their course

27%

Transitioned to a new industry or field

What You'll Earn

Learn More

Harvard Business School Online certificate awarded to Suchi Srinivasan for completing the Disruptive Strategy program. — **Certificate of Completion**
Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online
Earn by: completing this course

Harvard Business School Online certificate awarded to Jess Lee for earning a Certificate of Specialization in Strategy. — **Certificate of Specialization**
Prove your mastery of entrepreneurship and innovation and strategy
Earn by: completing any three courses within either subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Course Syllabus

5 Modules, 30-35 Hours

Download full syllabus (pdf)

Module 1

Understanding Disruptive Innovation

5-6 Hours

Articulate your strategic questions and identify the three types of innovation, predict when they'll occur, and harness disruption to position your business for growth.

Highlights

0:37

Norse Atlantic Airways

0:24

Harnessing Disruption

Module 2

Organizing for Innovation

5-6 Hours

Determine what your organization can and can't do, and align your resources, processes, and priorities to develop an innovative culture that gives your business a competitive edge.

Highlights

0:29

Organizational Culture

0:53

EMC

Module 3

Discovering Customer Jobs to Be Done

5-6 Hours

Focus on what causes your customers to buy your products and why, and achieve differentiation, better margins, and avoid disruption.

Highlights

0:38

Godrej

0:37

Jobs to Be Done

Module 4

Maintaining a Disruptive Scope

5-6 Hours

Build a strong intuition to “skate” to where profit is as your industry evolves, apply interdependence and modularity to current industry contexts, and determine which operations are critical to perform in-house versus outsourced.

Highlights

0:59

Four-Box Model

0:33

Finding the Performance-Defining Component

Module 5

Managing the Strategy Development Process

5-6 Hours

Effectively balance the deliberate and emergent strategy processes to unlock innovation, determine which “type” of money will empower new business ideas to flourish, and explore how to apply what you learned in Disruptive Strategy tomorrow, next week, or over the next year.

Highlights

0:35

Good Money vs. Bad Money

1:04

Dollar General

Upcoming Cohorts

Start Date	Pay by	Price	Time	Calendar
Nov 4, 2026	Nov 2, 2026	$1,949	25-30 hrs, 5-6 hrs/week	Nov 4, 2026 Calendar
Jan 13, 2027	Jan 11, 2027	$1,949	25-30 hrs, 5-6 hrs/week	Jan 13, 2027 Calendar
Mar 17, 2027	Mar 15, 2027	$1,949	25-30 hrs, 5-6 hrs/week	Mar 17, 2027 Calendar

Prices shown are in USD and do not include applicable international taxes.

Led by World-Renowned HBS Faculty

HBS Online courses are taught by Harvard Business School faculty, bringing the renowned HBS classroom experience directly to you.

Experience

Disruptive Strategy features the teachings of Professor Clayton Christensen (1952-2020), whose groundbreaking work in innovation and strategy continues to shape the field.

Immersive Learning

Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes and applying your knowledge through group exercises and an individual final paper.

HBS Online courses allow you to immerse yourself in a
dynamic, interactive learning experience. You’ll engage in a new activity every
three to five minutes and apply your knowledge through polls, quizzes, and
problem-solving exercises designed to accelerate and reinforce your learning.

Real-World Connections

Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.

See how the HBS Online course platform engages you in social learning. You exchange ideas, offer input, and seek out viewpoints from a community of learners gathered from around the globe. In the process, you learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, and leave the program with a broader outlook on the world.

Real-World Cases

Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like WR Hambrecht & Co., Google, EMC, and Norse Atlantic Airways.

Our courses allow you to apply your learning through
real-world examples and experience Harvard Business School’s signature case
method. Business leaders will share challenges they’ve faced. As the story
unfolds, you’ll leverage course concepts, vital tools and frameworks, and the
diversity of your peers’ perspectives to analyze the problem and determine a
path forward.

Real-World Outcomes