Microcredentials

What are microcredentials?

Referring to 'mini' or 'small' qualifications, microcredentials are short-term learning experiences designed to help students and employees gain new skills, progress with their personal development or change careers.

While some microcredentials are delivered in-person, they're typically offered as on-demand online courses lasting up to 12 weeks.

In the higher education sector, these short courses are often described as 'microdegrees' or 'nanodegrees' and comprise a series of modules. They are becoming more common at postgraduate level in particular - as well as for those who don't yet hold an undergraduate qualification but are interested in achieving credit at that level.

What are the benefits of taking a microcredential?

There are a number of advantages to studying a short course or microcredential. They:

• provide opportunities to upskill - you can brush up on existing skills or learn new ones to keep up with industry advancements, contributing to continuing professional development (CPD)
• are accessible - as many short courses are offered online, all you need is a laptop and working internet connection.
• let you learn at your own pace - short courses are flexible, meaning that time-poor working professionals find these quick modular-style courses easy to study alongside their career or other responsibilities, without having to commit to a full undergraduate or postgraduate course.
• offer potential for higher earnings and career advancement - gaining new certifications and qualifications could lead to promotion and a salary increase. Alternatively, it could help to facilitate a career change.
• help to expand your networks - short courses give you the opportunity to connect with other professionals and expand your list of industry contacts.
• provide a pathway to further education - short courses give you a taste of what studying a particular subject involves. If you would like to learn more, short courses and microcredentials may inspire you to pursue an undergraduate degree, postgraduate certificate or diploma, a Masters course or professional qualification.
• are cost-effective - compared to most other vocational/professional qualifications, they're also quite cheap. For example, the ten-week Nottingham Business School Fundamentals of Project Management postgraduate course from FutureLearn costs £650.

What subjects are available?

The range of microcredentials is growing all the time, but examples of popular courses include:

• business management
• computer networks
• design
• engineering
• photography
• project management
• teacher development.

What qualifications can you achieve with a microcredential?

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) noted in its Quality Compass publication on Which Way for Micro-Credentials? that while there are no restrictions on the amount of credit a microcredential can carry, 'it should not normally constitute an award in its own right on the qualifications frameworks'.

Therefore, microcredentials are not a direct replacement for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, or indeed other professional qualifications - but they do meet a need for upskilling in the workplace and provide opportunities for lifelong learning. They should be viewed as more of an addition to skills you've already acquired.

The qualification you'll gain depends on your study provider, but these are typically presented as a digital certificate you can include with your CV or add to your LinkedIn profile.

As many of these courses have been created with input from further education (FE) colleges, universities, business schools and professional bodies, they're often highly vocational and designed to meet the needs of employers in sectors suffering from skills shortages.

How do nanodegrees compare to degrees?

Nanodegrees are certified online educational courses delivered as standalone modules that allow students or professionals to develop skills in a specialist area, whereas a traditional Bachelors degree provides you with a complete undergraduate qualification - see our guide to qualifications.

With these shorter courses, you'll likely be studying from home rather than attending lectures and seminars as you'd do on a traditional degree programme, with project work and case studies often forming part of the assessment.

The biggest difference is the qualification you'll get upon successfully completing the course. As you'd expect, from studying a nanodegree within six to 12 months, the knowledge and skills gained won't compare to a three-year undergraduate degree.

However, some universities offer academic credit for microcredential courses that can be put towards a postgraduate degree using the Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS) framework. Most courses can result in 10 to 20 credits.

For instance, if you studied:

• the 10-week Business Management: Improving Organisational Practice course with The Open University you'll gain 10 undergraduate credits.
• the 10-week online Trauma and Mental Wellbeing in Young People course with FutureLearn, in partnership with the University of Glasgow you'll gain 10 credits at postgraduate level.

In comparison, for an undergraduate or Masters degree, you'd need to successfully complete 120 or 180 credits respectively.

Where can I find them?

Microcredentials are offered by individual universities, including the University of Glasgow, and the University of Kent, often in collaboration with learning providers such as The Open University and FutureLearn.

Many of the courses are accredited by leaders in the industry, for example Microsoft, AWS and Cisco in the IT realm.

Search for microcredentials.

Are microcredentials recognised by employers?

As microcredentials are a relatively new style of learning, you'll find that some industries recognise these qualifications more than others. They're becoming popular in finance, business, IT and marketing where employees are regularly required to upskill.

Even if you've already studied a degree, a microcredential may help to set you apart from other job applicants, but again this will depend on the sector you're looking to enter.

Read about the skills employers are looking for and discover other ways to improve your graduate employability.

Find out more

• Explore postgraduate diplomas and certificates.
• Consider taking a conversion course to change career.
• Discover other alternatives to university.