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Developing Microcredentials

A guide for faculty and program leaders to design, implement, and issue high-quality microcredentials

What are Microcredentials?

A Microcredential is an umbrella term for several types of small-scale, skill-based, earned recognitions of proficiency in a designated competency or set of competencies. Types of microcredentials include digital badges, certificates, licenses, endorsements, and assessed PDUs/CEUs.

Programs that award microcredentials should have these three characteristics:

  1. The skill, competency, or knowledge must be corroborated through some form of assessment (Note: If skills are not assessed, digital recognition badges are still available to document participation);
  2. It is of smaller scale, focused on a subset of skills or competencies (i.e., smaller than a degree program);
  3. It focuses on skills or competencies that can be directly linked to career growth, career change, or professional development.

Microcredential Program Types

  • Credit-Bearing - Consisting of for-credit courses
  • Credit-Ready - Offered in the non-credit space but linked to for-credit courses
  • Non-Credit professional learning and continuing education
  • Co-curricular - for Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó students only
  • Faculty/Staff Professional Learning - for Ö÷²¥ÓÕ»ó employees only

For examples of microcredential programs per type, see the Digital Badge page.

Developing Microcredential Programs (Step-by-Step)

Developing a microcredential program typically includes two parallel processes:  (a) Program approvals, submissions, and establishment in our systems, and (b) program design and curricular development. The process below describes the former. TIPS also provides resources for the latter through the TIPS Instructional Design Team.

Content and Design Decisions*

Follow Proposal and Approval Process within your School/College or Administrative Unit

  • Each school and college has processes and guidance for proposing and approving microcredential programs. This typically entails department approval, curriculum committee approval, and Dean approval. See for specifics about your particular unit.
  • For units outside of schools/colleges for co-curricular programs or faculty/staff professional learning programs, supervisor and Associate Vice Chancellor sign-off is required.

Campus-Level Process

  • The starting point for all microcredential programs will be completing the temporary  until the permanent Microcredential CIM form is available. 
  • This form will also collect information to establish digital badges; These badges are available to use as an artifact to document successful program completion (for more on digital badges, see our page).
  • Feedback may be provided noting potential duplication with other programs across our campus; collaboration and differentiation is encouraged.
  • If you are establishing a digital badge, work with the Director of Microcredentials to finalize your badge template in Credly (badges are optional).

*Decisions around curriculum content and design are at the discretion of faculty.

Resources & Guidance

Get in Touch

Contact Jeremy Lingle, Director of Microcredentials, to learn more about program types and processes or if you have questions or feedback about this website.

Contact Jason Drysdale, Director of Program Development, for program development consultation.

Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy (TIPS)

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3rd Floor Learning Commons

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