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Colorado State University Global
Undergraduate
Graduate
Industry Certification & License Prep
Emergency Management
Information Technology
Teaching and Learning
Blog
If you want to succeed in a competitive job market, you’ll need three things: education, experience, and credentials. Nowadays, whether you’ve been working in the same field for 20 years or are breaking into a new career, employers expect their workers to be always on the lookout for educational opportunities. Micro credentials can be an excellent upskilling option. Micro credentials offer both students and working professionals the opportunity to expand their skill set, bulk up their resume, and become experts in their field.
Micro credentials are certifications designed to cover a narrow set of skills. For example, you might obtain a certificate for responding to customer service emails, teaching writing to high-school students, or leading more effective staff meetings.
These certifications are also referred to as web badges, digital badges, micro certifications, mini degrees, nano degrees, or other terms, depending on the institution issuing the certificate.
Employers are interested in potential employees’ badges or certifications for several reasons, but the variability between degrees can be one of them. You might have earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science, but that doesn’t tell your employer whether you’ve trained in the particular ticketing software they use. A badge or certification illustrates your competency in one specific area or product, indicating that you’ll be a valuable asset to their company.
Micro credentials also offer you a way to explore new career paths before investing substantial time and money to earn an entirely new degree.
The time investment required to earn a micro credential can vary greatly. Some micro credentials will need you to complete assignments, attend lectures, create a presentation on the subject matter, pass tests, or even conduct a practical demonstration of your skills in a work environment to earn the certification.
In many cases, a micro credential, like an online degree, can be obtained on your own time. If you’re balancing multiple responsibilities like a job and family, you can fit the course into your schedule wherever you find the time. If your itinerary is less restrictive, you have the option to earn the certification at an accelerated pace.
If you’re unemployed, underemployed, or just feeling stuck in a career you’re not passionate about, a micro credential course might be the perfect way to get a feel for a field that appeals to you more.
For example, CSU Global has partnered with SAS, a global leader in analytics, to offer four academic badges that will help you break into the growing field of data analytics. The offerings are:
These badges require between two and four courses from CSU Global’s catalog and teach valuable skills like data mining, data visualization, descriptive analytics, statistical analysis, and more.
What’s more, these certifications align with CSU Global degree programs. Suppose you obtain certification in Statistics and Data Mining for Business Intelligence and decide you’d like to take it further. In that case, you’ll find that all of your credits are transferable to an undergraduate certificate in data management and analysis or a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and business analytics.
Whether you’re just starting your educational journey, switching careers, or looking to expand your knowledge and skills, CSU Global has a program for you. From certifications to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, you’ll find high-quality, challenging, affordable coursework in hundreds of different subjects. If you’re ready to take the next step in your education, there’s no better time than right now to find out more.
