Microcredentials at SUNY Niagara | Earn Digital Badges for Skills

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Microcredentials

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Microcredentials

SUNY Niagara offers microcredentials to help students develop and authenticate their professional competencies and personal development. Successful completion of a microcredential cumulates in an earned digital badge that can be immediately available to employers and others via one’s online curriculum vitae and social network. With our digital badges, SUNY Niagara students have the opportunity to be at the forefront of professional and personal development.

Microcredential Application
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Already enrolled at SUNY Niagara adding a Microcredential

Request a Microcredential
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New to SUNY Niagara seeking a Microcredential

Microcredential Application

What is a microcredential?

A microcredential is a short-term credential that may or may not be credit-bearing. Micro credentialing is a way to recognize competencies or skills acquired through a variety of learning experiences. Microcredentials are shorter in length than a certificate or degree program and they are more specifically focused. Micro credentialing also allows students, faculty, staff, and community members to document their professional development on an official college transcript. Participants have the flexibility to select their own learning experiences and set their own personal learning pathways.

Are Microcredentials Eligible for Financial Aid?

Microcredential titles noted with an asterisk (*) courses are eligible to have the New York State Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for Non-Degree Credentials program cover a portion of the cost of tuition, as long as you are economically eligible as follows and meet other requirements, including:

  • $125,000 for dependent undergraduate students, independent students who are married and have tax dependents, or independent students who are unmarried and have tax dependents
  • $60,000 for married independent undergraduate students who have no other dependents
  • $30,000 for unmarried independent undergraduate students with no dependents

If you believe you earn less than the amount listed in the criteria above, you should apply by completing the FAFSA and TAP applications. Please note you have a lifetime of eight semesters of TAP. These will be prorated for the number of credits you earn, but will use a portion of your lifetime TAP eligibility.

Please contact us at 716-614-6200 or email admissions@niagaracc.suny.edu with any questions.

FAQ

  • Beginning fall 2019, SUNY Niagara will offer credit and/or non-credit courses/activities called microcredentials that help individuals develop and authenticate their professional competencies and personal development.
  • If you ever heard of the term MOOC (massive, open, online courses)–then you already are aware of what a microcredential is.
  • Microcredentials may take a few hours or a few weeks to complete. Successful completion of a microcredential or a series of microcredentials (called stackable credentials) may “stack” into a credit-bearing degree or certificate program.
  • SUNY Niagara is one of several SUNY schools venturing into the area of microcredentials.
  • Participants will earn digital badges that can be immediately available to employers and others via one’s online curriculum vitae and social network.
  • To further enhance one’s knowledge or skills.

Sources for microcredentials:

  1. Academic Credit
  2. Professional Development (FRCAE)
  3. Student Life
  4. Workforce Development
  1. Register for the microcredential.
  2. Complete the program requirements.
  3. Submit evidence of your competencies, as per your facilitator’s instructions, if necessary. The required evidence might be an earned grade, a written reflection, a combination of the two, or something entirely different.
  4. Wait while your facilitator evaluates your submitted evidence.
  5. Receive verification of your microcredential – it will be posted on your official academic transcript.
  6. Share on your curriculum vitae, your email signature line, and/or social media platforms.

For the same reasons, you would take courses, attend workshops, or complete webinars. It is generally because you want to grow both personally and professionally. One reason could be that your employer requires you to earn a microcredential.  Another reason is that you are fond of a particular subject matter and want to learn more about it.

The microcredentials we offer support several degree programs. Earning a microcredential within your program demonstrates additional rigor and broadens one’s knowledge within the degree. It is important to know that microcredentials hours measure actual competencies, not just seat time or completion of papers. Earned microcredentials will appear on students’ co-curricula transcripts.

To request information regarding microcredentials, please complete the form below:

Microcredential Form

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Contact

Phone: 716-614-6450
Fax: 716-614-6406
Location: Notar Admin Bldg.
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00am – 4:00pm