Top 5 Data Governance Certifications & Trainings to Pursue in 2025
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Data governance certifications are essential credentials for professionals aiming to strengthen their expertise in managing and securing organizational data.
See How Atlan Simplifies Data Governance – Start Product Tour
The top 5 certifications in 2025 include:
- ICCP Certified Data Governance Professional
- DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)
- SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Master Data Governance
- Dataversity Data Governance Online Training
- Indiana University Enterprise Data Management
Learn what a modern approach to data governance looks like and why it’s key to succeeding with your data governance initiative in today’s age of cloud data platforms and AI.80% of digital organizations will fail because they don’t take a modern approach to data governance — Gartner
These programs cover critical areas like compliance, security, data stewardship, and governance frameworks, equipping individuals with the skills to align data practices with business goals.
Certified data governance professionals can drive better governance, mitigate risks, and improve trust in data systems, while also enhancing their career prospects in an increasingly data-driven world.
So you’ve made the decision to initiate effective data governance at your organization. Fantastic! Now, it’s time to ask yourself: Does it make sense for my team members to obtain data governance training and certification? Is this a necessary next step in data governance maturity, and does it have measurable benefits?
Well, let’s talk about it. In this article, we’ll identify popular data governance certification programs, describe the benefits of obtaining certification, and provide information you can use to determine which program (if any) is right for you or your team.
Although we can’t endorse one certification over another, we can outline the details of the most popular data governance certification and training programs so you can analyze them for credibility, cost, and benefits. Continue reading this post as PDF for more details.Thinking of getting a data governance certification?
5 Popular data governance certifications in 2025 #
Some of the more popular data governance certification programs include:
- ICCP Certified Data Governance Professional
- DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)
- SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Master Data Governance
- Dataversity Data Governance Online Training
- Indiana University Enterprise Data Management
Table of contents #
- 5 Popular data governance certifications in 2025
- 1. Certified Data Governance Professional
- 2. DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP)
- 3. SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Master Data Governance
- 4. Data Governance Online Training
- 5. Enterprise Data Management
- Benefits of data governance certification
- Data governance certification: How to choose the best one?
- How organizations making the most out of their data using Atlan
- FAQs about Data Governance Certifications
- Data governance certification: Related reads
1. Certified Data Governance Professional #
Training provider: Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP)
Eligibility: 900 hours of direct data governance and / data stewardship experience. Or 1400 hours of direct data governance and data stewardship experience to be completed after passing the course examination.
Duration: 4-day workshop on data governance and stewardship and written assessment passed at 70% or higher to receive Executive Management level certification.
Fees: $35 to $125 annual membership fee
Additional notes: The Principal, Mastery, Associate/Practitioner, and Foundation level certifications require only a 90-minute exam, no workshop.
Know more about DGSP data governance certification here →
Learn what a modern approach to data governance looks like and why it’s key to succeeding with your data governance initiative in today’s age of cloud data platforms and AI.80% of digital organizations will fail because they don’t take a modern approach to data governance — Gartner
2. DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) #
Training provider: Data Management Association International (DAMA)
Eligibility: At least six months of industry experience. The master level requires at least ten years of industry experience and participants must submit a CV for consideration.
Duration: 90-minute exam
Fees: Master evidence assessments incur a $50 administration cost
Additional notes: The program has four levels (Associate, Practitioner, Master, and Fellow). Individuals may remain at any level without pressure to advance.
Know more about DAMA CDMP data governance certification here →
[Download ebook] → Rethinking Data Governance for the Modern Data Stack
3. SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Master Data Governance #
Training provider: SAP Training
Eligibility: No requirements
Duration: 3 hours
Fees: $224 - $550
Additional notes: SAP recommends combining education courses and hands-on experience to prepare for your certification exam.
4. Data Governance Online Training #
Training provider: Dataversity
Eligibility: No requirements
Duration: self-paced
Fees: $99 - $3,900
Additional notes: Dataversity offers a range of courses in data governance. A Certificate of Completion is provided at the end of courses and learning plans.
Know more about Dataversity data governance certification here →
5. Enterprise Data Management #
Training provider: Indiana University
Eligibility: No requirements
Duration: 12 weeks
Fees: free - $499 (optional upgrade available)
Additional notes: One session is available. Begins on August 23, 2022.
Know more about EDM data governance certification here →
Of course, there are many additional certification options you should look into, but this list should give you a good start. But why should a data professional invest the time and money for certification in the first place?
Benefits of data governance certification #
Individuals and teams that obtain their data governance certification can reap a number of professional benefits. Among these are wider career opportunities, higher salaries, the chance for promotions, and greater job authority. But the benefits go beyond these career advantages.
Certification validates that an individual understands the fundamentals and intricacies of data governance. They are capable of implementing the best practices of data governance at their organization, allowing them to perform better stewardship, meet regulatory compliance, and effectuate the type of collaboration among data teams that leads to innovation.
Furthermore, certified team members, just by adding the certification to their CV or LinkedIn profile, will evangelize the concept of data governance for everyone. This creates a positive feedback loop where more people learn about data governance, pursue their own certifications, and implement their own programs at their organization. This leads to greater data governance adoption in general.
Data governance In action - A Demo of Atlan
Data governance certification: How to choose the best one? #
Now that you understand which data governance certifications are available, you may be having trouble choosing which to pursue. Here’s a framework you can use to help narrow down your options.
- Identify your primary objectives and rank them in order of importance.
- Determine whether a particular program will help you meet these objectives.
- Calculate how much you’re willing to spend on a program. Remove any that fall out of your budget. Fortunately, some certifications are free.
- Consider how much time you’re willing to devote to a certification. Remove any that require you to spend more time.
- If you’re selecting a program for your team, run through this mental exercise with your organization and team members in mind.
Once you complete this assessment, you’ll have clarity into which program (if any) is best to help you achieve your professional and organizational goals. Refer back to our data governance post to delve further into topics around data governance.
How organizations making the most out of their data using Atlan #
The recently published Forrester Wave report compared all the major enterprise data catalogs and positioned Atlan as the market leader ahead of all others. The comparison was based on 24 different aspects of cataloging, broadly across the following three criteria:
- Automatic cataloging of the entire technology, data, and AI ecosystem
- Enabling the data ecosystem AI and automation first
- Prioritizing data democratization and self-service
These criteria made Atlan the ideal choice for a major audio content platform, where the data ecosystem was centered around Snowflake. The platform sought a “one-stop shop for governance and discovery,” and Atlan played a crucial role in ensuring their data was “understandable, reliable, high-quality, and discoverable.”
For another organization, Aliaxis, which also uses Snowflake as their core data platform, Atlan served as “a bridge” between various tools and technologies across the data ecosystem. With its organization-wide business glossary, Atlan became the go-to platform for finding, accessing, and using data. It also significantly reduced the time spent by data engineers and analysts on pipeline debugging and troubleshooting.
A key goal of Atlan is to help organizations maximize the use of their data for AI use cases. As generative AI capabilities have advanced in recent years, organizations can now do more with both structured and unstructured data—provided it is discoverable and trustworthy, or in other words, AI-ready.
Tide’s Story of GDPR Compliance: Embedding Privacy into Automated Processes #
- Tide, a UK-based digital bank with nearly 500,000 small business customers, sought to improve their compliance with GDPR’s Right to Erasure, commonly known as the “Right to be forgotten”.
- After adopting Atlan as their metadata platform, Tide’s data and legal teams collaborated to define personally identifiable information in order to propagate those definitions and tags across their data estate.
- Tide used Atlan Playbooks (rule-based bulk automations) to automatically identify, tag, and secure personal data, turning a 50-day manual process into mere hours of work.
Book your personalized demo today to find out how Atlan can help your organization in establishing and scaling data governance programs.
FAQs about Data Governance Certifications #
1. What are data governance certifications? #
Data governance certifications are formal programs that validate an individual’s expertise in managing data assets effectively within an organization. These certifications cover key areas such as data quality, security, compliance, and stewardship, ensuring that professionals can implement robust governance frameworks.
2. Which data governance certifications are most recognized? #
Highly recognized certifications include the ICCP Certified Data Governance Professional, DAMA Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP Master Data Governance, Dataversity Data Governance Online Training, and Indiana University Enterprise Data Management. These programs are valued across industries for their comprehensive curricula.
3. How do I get certified in data governance? #
To get certified, select a certification program, complete the required training modules, and pass the associated exams. Many programs offer online and in-person training, followed by a proctored certification exam.
4. What are the benefits of obtaining a data governance certification? #
Obtaining a data governance certification demonstrates your expertise in data governance best practices, enhances your credibility, and can lead to career advancement opportunities. It also helps organizations meet compliance and regulatory requirements more effectively.
5. Are there online data governance certification programs? #
Yes, many institutions offer online data governance certification programs, providing flexible learning options. These include self-paced courses, live virtual sessions, and interactive online exams.
6. How do data governance certifications help with compliance? #
Certifications equip professionals with the knowledge to ensure that organizational data practices comply with legal and regulatory standards, such as GDPR or HIPAA. They provide the frameworks and tools necessary to establish compliant data governance policies.
Related reads on data governance certification #
- What is data governance & why does it matter?
- Data Governance Framework: Examples, Standards & Templates
- 7 Best Practices for Data Governance to Follow in 2025
- Benefits of Data Governance : 4 Ways It Helps Build Great Data Teams
- Data Governance Roles and Responsibilities: A Quick Round-Up
- Data Governance Policy: Examples, Templates & How to Write One
- Key Objectives of Data Governance: How Should You Think About Them?
- 5 Popular Data Governance Certifications & Trainings in 2025
- 8 Best Data Governance Books Every Data Practitioner Should Read in 2025
- Automated Data Governance: How Does It Help You Manage Access, Security & More at Scale?
- Data Stewardship and Its Role in a Data Governance Program
- Data Governance Maturity Models (2025): Free Template
- Data Compliance: Everything You Need to Know in 2025!
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