UWM MICROCREDENTIAL PROGRAM OFFERS FAST-TRACK APPROACH TO TRAINING

UWM has started offering microcredentials – a fast-track alternative to completing a full degree – in eight sought-after nonprofit management skill areas.

A microcredential requires students to take a cluster of three courses focused on a specific topic, such as fundraising and marketing. Clusters can be finished in 12 to 18 months, and completion earns a badge that signifies competency on resumes or LinkedIn accounts. The credit hours could also be put toward a full certificate or master’s degree.

Phyllis King, UWM associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, says the microcredential initiative grew from a demand by students and employers for shorter, more competency-based learning experiences.

“This is a way for people to get training in a much more concentrated form,” says Bryce Lord, who directs the graduate program in nonprofit management. “The microcredentials are an ‘a la carte’ system for learners.”

Bryce Lord

UWM plans to create microcredentials in other academic areas, with a goal of 20 to 30 offerings in various disciplines within the next two years. The programs are designed for working people who haven’t attended college as well as people who already have a degree and current college students.

The payoff can be tangible. “The use of microcredentials could translate into better jobs, higher starting salaries and faster promotion by making a learner’s qualifications clear and transparent to employers,” King says. – Laura L. Otto