higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

a microdegree, also microcredentials and

micromasters ''Transformers: Micromasters'' was a four-issue comic book limited series released in 2004 which takes place in between the '' War Within'' and the '' Generation 1'' series. The main focus of the series is the Micromasters subline of Transformers ...

, is a qualification focused upon a specified professional or career discipline and typically comprises one or more sources of accelerated educational experiences. Microdegrees are a single manifestation of Competency Based Education (CBE) which seeks to tie credentialing to specific skills sets. Micro-credentials may be completed on-site, online or in a blended format. Microcredentials including microdegrees act as a pointer to the criteria for and demonstration of the

skill A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of w ...

s represented by the microcredential. Because the credentials are presented in a

digital format Digital data, in information theory and information systems, is information represented as a string of discrete symbols each of which can take on one of only a finite number of values from some alphabet, such as letters or digits. An example is ...

, they can be

parsed Parsing, syntax analysis, or syntactic analysis is the process of analyzing a String (computer science), string of Symbol (formal), symbols, either in natural language, computer languages or data structures, conforming to the rules of a formal gra ...

automatically for

verification Verify or verification may refer to: General * Verification and validation, in engineering or quality management systems, is the act of reviewing, inspecting or testing, in order to establish and document that a product, service or system meets ...

over the web and allow for a greater level of

granularity Granularity (also called graininess), the condition of existing in granules or grains, refers to the extent to which a material or system is composed of distinguishable pieces. It can either refer to the extent to which a larger entity is sub ...

than a traditional paper transcript. Microdegrees meet the criteria for Open Educational Data defined by the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

. Within the hierarchy of educational credentials microdegrees are considered to be " certificates" requiring a lower level of commitment and rigor than a traditional degree program but serving an important role as a

vocation A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious ...

al credential. Microcredentials may have a credit value at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, and this may be used towards undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications. or potentially at another university (subject to the agreement of the receiving institution). The advent of the microdegree is presented by its promoters as a challenge to the existing degree model as it permits students to utilize accelerated, free and low cost programs to earn credentials of direct relevance to their interests and career ambitions. Microdegrees and other microcredentials are also seen as a system to facilitate and record lifelong learning. A significant percentage of microdegree students are working adults seeking career change or advancement. Some institutions that offer Microdegree programs describe themselves as a "Micro College". In recent years, MOOC platforms have started expanding their offerings of microcredentials as viable substitutes, going as far as offering a blended education model. Such programs allow graduates of the respective microcredential programs to have a reduced residency period at traditional universities. Universities like

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

have started admitting its first batch of students in supply chain management at a reduced 5-month residency period through their

blended learning Norm Friesen (born March 21, 1966) is Professor in Educational Technology at Boise State University. Norm Friesen studied German Literature, Secondary Education, and Communication at the Johns Hopkins University, University of Alberta and Simon Fr ...

initiatives on the edX platform with the launch of its

Micromasters ''Transformers: Micromasters'' was a four-issue comic book limited series released in 2004 which takes place in between the '' War Within'' and the '' Generation 1'' series. The main focus of the series is the Micromasters subline of Transformers ...

program.

References

{{Reflist Open educational resources Qualifications OpenCourseWare

See also

References