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Higher education is always innovating. As employers update the credentials, knowledge, and experience they require from job candidates, more colleges across the U.S. are offering short, affordable microcredentials that give students the in-demand skills they need to succeed in the workforce. In today's educational landscape, students may follow several pathways to build their résumés, including earning microcredentials.

What Are Microcredentials?

Microcredentials are brief educational programs that allow learners to spend weeks or months focusing on a specific area of study—such as cybersecurity, leadership, or medical coding—to show potential employers that they've mastered a relevant skill or skill set. Whether earned online or in person, a microcredential can count as course credit at many institutions and may either stand alone as a form of professional endorsement or contribute toward a full degree. Competency-based microcredentials help individuals master specialized subjects and learn new skills to jump-start or advance their careers.

Benefits of Microcredentials

Microcredentials typically take two forms:

• Badges. Badges denote learning in formal and informal settings. Usually earned through short online courses, badges indicate knowledge—or mastery—of a particular subject or skill.
• Certificates and certifications. Some microcredentials count as certificates—similar to badges—and certifications. Certifications are offered and sanctioned by governing organizations in a specific field. Earning a certification demonstrates mastery in a particular subject according to the regulations and curricula laid out by those accredited organizations.

If you've already earned your degree or are currently working, microcredentials can increase your value. For instance, Forbes asserts that , as teachers use them to showcase areas of expertise to their administrations and to better measure and reward student success in the classroom. If you're already an experienced teacher, earning a microcredential in creative writing for secondary school students could help you find new ways to engage students and show administrators that you have more to offer.

But microcredentials aren't just useful in education. Digital badges and certifications cover a broad range of subjects, from finance and business to engineering. The , for example, grants specific skills in content marketing, digital marketing, and marketing management. The confers a deeper knowledge of patient health data administration and virtual healthcare delivery systems. Online platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning also provide ways to earn various microcredentials in convenient, user-friendly formats.

Microcredentials are particularly useful in fields that are constantly evolving, like information technology. Earning certificates and badges in IT disciplines can help learners stay at the cutting edge of innovation without enrolling in a full degree program. For example, WGU's IT Career Framework MicroBachelors™ program helps IT professionals combine their knowledge of computer science with data interpretation and decision-making skills. This program—and others like it—empowers students to quickly learn new skills and keep up with emerging technologies and tech initiatives.

How Microcredentials Help Students Expand Their Knowledge

Microcredentials can be combined to create a full learning experience that supplements or contributes to a given degree program. In an interview with , WGU President Scott Pulsipher says that most WGU microcredentials are industry or industry-accepted certifications.

"The workforce defines credentials’ value," Pulsipher says. "For as long as we've known higher education, the currency was the degree. We think that currency is expanding to include credentials and certifications, but those shouldn't be culs-de-sac. They should be stackable into a lifelong learning pursuit."

Each microcredential course is meaningful on its own, but courses can also build on one another to create a robust portfolio of knowledge. In WGU's IT Career Framework MicroBachelors program, each microcredential course boosts students' knowledge and nimbly prepares them for a bachelor's program and a career.

As Pulsipher notes, microcredential stackability is key. If a WGU student completes the MicroBachelors program and then earns industry-accredited certifications through a degree program, they can graduate with a strong résumé that includes a bachelor's degree in IT, credentials in foundational concepts like programming and scripting, and industry-recognized certifications.

How Do I Earn a Microcredential?

Choosing a microcredential to earn is similar to deciding on a traditional degree program. Consider the following steps:

• Explore your options. Decide what skill (or skills) you’d like to learn based on your desired career path and then research the microcredential that aligns with your goals.
• Apply online or call for information. Reach out to the institution offering the microcredential and apply.
• Sign up for courses with microcredentials. Register for and enroll in the specific courses that confer microcredentials and fulfill all requirements to earn your microcredential.

WGU Can Help You Get Ahead in Your Career

As you pursue higher learning in preparation for your career, a WGU microcredential might be exactly what you need to catch a prospective employer's eye. Whether you take a short online course to learn about a particular skill or you pursue certificates while earning a degree, WGU microcredentials can equip you with the expertise you need to thrive in your professional life.

Learn more about our microcredential, certificate, and endorsement offerings in business, technology, healthcare, and education today.