Microcredentials at CU Denver

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The Basics

What is a Microcredential Program here at CU Denver?

No universally accepted definition of "microcredential" currently exists. Working with the faculty and staff at CU Denver, we have proposed a definition to meet our unique needs and the needs of our learners. You can find the full report on the working group page here: Microcredential Working Group.

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;
2. It is of smaller scale, focused on a subset of skills or competencies;
3. It focuses on skills or competencies that can be directly linked to career growth, career change, or professional development.

As long as the program meets these three criteria, it could be considered a microcredential program. These programs can be developed as for-credit or not-for-credit. For-credit microcredential programs can only be created by academic units. Not-for-credit programs can be created by academic OR administrative units.

Articulated not-for-credit programs refer to a characteristic of certain not-for-credit programs that allows it to easily qualify for credit, typically to be applied to a degree program. More guidance for designing these kinds of programs is being developed and will be available later this term.

Whenever possible, programs should not be dead ends, but rather lead to other programs. Programs that are stackable, that can provide added value to our learners as they progress along a degree pathway or that can stand alone and potentially serve as an on-ramp into our programs, are of priority to develop.

The figure below illustrates the nested nature of the different credential-awarding programs at CU Denver. Microcredential-awarding programs are nested within the larger group of credential-awarding programs. Likewise, programs that award skill badges are nested within both groups. To learn more about digital badges at CU Denver, visit our page on Digital Badges.