Union has begun offering to students microcredentials, non-credit opportunities designed to help students master specific, high-demand professional skills.
Complementing Union’s traditional liberal arts curriculum, the initial microcredentials focus on areas of high student and employer interest, including personal finance, artificial intelligence and Microsoft Excel. Open to all students, the courses are free of charge.
There are two options for the microcredentials: on campus experiential and online asynchronous (students complete on their own time). They are not for credit and will not appear on a student’s transcript. Upon completion, earners receive a verified digital Credly badge to display on their resume and LinkedIn profile, demonstrating proven capabilities to their employers.
Recent surveys have shown that employers consider a college degree along with a microcredential in either a technical or broad skill, as more desirable than a college degree alone.
On campus experiential microcredentials:
Leadership in Action
Maker Web Analog Machining
Maker Web 3D Printing
Maker Web CNC and Laser Cutting
Online asynchronous microcredentials:
Financial Statements
Public Valuation: Comparable Companies Approach
Public Valuation: Discounted Cash Flow Approach
AI Ethics in Practice: Skills for Responsible AI
"Microcredentials give Union students the opportunity to build in-demand career skills, and they give our faculty and staff a way to formally evaluate and confirm that proficiency,” said Debra Gelinas, curriculum and program development specialist for Pre-Professional Programs. “When an employer clicks on a Credly badge, they see what was required of the student to earn it. That visibility makes their achievements clear to the world, while giving students the language to talk confidently about what they can do."
To learn more about the microcredentials being offered and how to enroll, visit the website.