Guidance for Planning a Microcredential
Microcredential programs are developed in the same way as all other educational programs that are part of the curriculum. Conversations should be had with your college leadership about where a microcredential fits within your unit and how it complements the other existing offerings within your college, school or department.
Identifying the Needs
When planning a microcredential program of study within your college or other university unit, it is important to focus on the following key questions:
- What needs are you trying to meet?
- What skills are you trying to develop?
- Who are the learners?
Perform Market Research
Decisions to develop microcredential programs should be based on evidence of market demand and aligned with the campus mission and the goals of your department. Ensure microcredential programs complement the university's overall educational mission and strategic goals.
Focus on building microcredentials that build skills not addressed by existing programs at your department, or programs that extend learning to a wider audience rather than only the traditional learners.
Collaborate with Career Services and relevant industries to identify in-demand skills and ensure program content reflects real-world needs. Survey students to learn what skills they are lacking/looking to develop.
Labor market resources:
- https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-economic-research
- https://www.umb.edu/academics/seas/career-services/career-readiness/
Identify the Target Audience
Microcredentials are an opportunity to develop new skills for a variety of audiences. However, the audience has to be clearly identified for each program. Some possibilities include:
- Professional development training for university employees that addresses a gap in the university services
- Non-credit programs that extend learning opportunities to lifelong learners and/or the community
- For-credit co-curricular or extracurricular programs focused on helping existing students meet an industry need in demand.
Measure, Sustain & Scale
To ensure the success of your microcredentials, consider the following recommendations:
- Establish clear metrics: Define how you'll measure success, such as learner engagement, completion rates, and employer feedback.
- Plan for continuous improvement: Use data and feedback to update content, delivery methods, and assessment strategies to ensure ongoing program effectiveness.
Preparing to Develop Microcredentials
As you consider microcredential development, listed below are some considerations to plan ahead. Please note that currently the University does not have a system to offer courses to learners without a UMB email address.
Program Listing, Approval, WISER
The proposal and approval process for micro-credentials is similar to the process used for other university programs. For WISER and other administrative purposes, micro-credential courses are categorized as one of the following:
- Academic for-credit: approval by the respective college/school leadership.
- Academic non-credit: expedited approval process through Curriculog.
- Non-academic/professional development: approved by the unit supervisor.
Please Note:
- All academic courses need to be scheduled on WISER to facilitate student registration and the automated connection and transfer of student information to and from the Canvas LMS.
- Non-academic courses that do not use WISER will need forms and other systems in place to gather student information for enrollment into Canvas LMS. Please note that currently the University does not have a system to offer courses to learners without a UMB email address. UMB Emails will be required for learners.
(Academic = Courses developed by Colleges and Schools. Non-Academic = Training programs by other units, for example Student Affairs, IT, the Library, etc.)
Naming the Microcredential
Remember, microcredentials are about “micro” learning, breaking down learning into smaller components. The name of the microcredential should be specific and clearly convey the main competency that you are looking to address. Consider using unique program titles within your programs and the university.
Define the Level of Mastery
Is the microcredential building foundational, intermediate or advanced level of knowledge? Clearly articulate the level of mastery of the microcredential, if it is part of a sequence providing advancement in levels of skills development.
For-credit or non-credit?
Plan ahead to ensure sufficient time for your microcredential to undergo the usual governance processes and be listed in WISER and the course catalogs.
Pathways and Clustering
Could you design a series of microcredentials that when combined yield to a higher level of mastery, i.e a larger credential? How would this be listed in WISER?
Define the Modality
Is the program online, face-to-face or hybrid? All modalities will need to use the Canvas LMS to track student progress and completion of microcredential requirements.
Cost
Is your microcredential program offered for a fee? Work with your college/unit leadership to determine the fee structure and mode of deployment.
Expiration
Are the knowledge/skills conveyed tied to a time-limited certification or are they permanently awarded? Does the training program need to be updated periodically? Can the microcredential be renewed and what are the requirements for renewal?
Description/Marketing
Plan to market the microcredential to the target audience using the resources available to the University.
Faculty Involvement
Faculty engagement in developing and delivering microcredentials is essential to leverage expertise and ensure program quality.
Microcredential Development
Once your unit has determined that it wants to move forward with development of microcredential programs, and completes the necessary administrative steps to get the program approved, the development process can begin in partnership with Learning Design Services.
Microcredential Examples
Visit the UMass Boston Canvas Credential page to view current microcredentials.
Questions?
Reach out to Tina.Chang@umb.edu or Rrezarta.Agimi@umb.edu
Earn a Microcredential
Enroll in the Teaching and Learning Online course on Canvas to learn about teaching online and earn the first microcredential on the UMass Boston Canvas Credentials system.