The Professional Scrum Master course is the first significant update of the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course that Ken Schwaber first created in 2002. This course covers Scrum basics, including the framework, mechanics, and roles of Scrum. But it also teaches how to use Scrum to optimize value, productivity, and the total cost of ownership of software products. Students learn through instruction and team-based exercises, and they are challenged to think on their feet to better understand what to do when they return to their workplaces.

Scrum.org maintains a defined curriculum for the Professional Scrum Master courses and selects only the most qualified instructors to deliver them. Each instructor brings his or her individual experiences and areas of expertise to bear, but all students learn the same core course content. This improves their ability to pass the Professional Scrum Master assessments and apply Scrum in their workplaces. 

The Professional Scrum Master course (previously known as the Scrum In Depth course) covers Scrum basics, including the framework, mechanics, and roles of Scrum. But it also teaches how to use Scrum how to optimize value, productivity, and the total cost of ownership of software products. Students learn through instruction and team-based exercises, and they are challenged to think on their feet to better understand what to do when they return to their workplaces.

The course curriculum covers:

Scrum Basics. What is Scrum and how has it evolved?

• Scrum Theory. Why does Scrum work and what are its core principles? How are the Scrum principles different from those of more traditional software development approaches, and what is the impact?
• Scrum Framework and Meetings. How Scrum theory is implemented using time-boxes, roles, rules, and artifacts. How can these be used most effectively and how can they fall apart?
• Scrum and Change. Scrum is different: what does this mean to my project and my organization? How do I best adopt Scrum given the change that is expected?
• Scrum and Total Cost of Ownership. A system isn’t just developed, it is also sustained, maintained and enhanced. How is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of our systems or products measured and optimized?
• Scrum Teams. Scrum Teams are self-organizing and cross-functional; this is different from traditional development groups. How do we start with Scrum teams and how do we ensure their success?
• Scrum Planning. Plan a project and estimate its cost and completion date.
• Predictability, Risk Management, and Reporting. Scrum is empirical. How can predictions be made, risk be controlled, and progress be tracked using Scrum.
• Scaling Scrum. Scrum works great with one team. It also works better than anything else for projects or product releases that involve hundreds or thousands of globally dispersed team members. How is scaling best accomplished using Scrum?