Microcredentials at NC State
Empowering learners with focused, flexible pathways to skills and knowledge
At NC State, we are committed to lifelong learning and innovative education. Designed for professionals and students, our non-degree credentials, or microcredentials, provide learners with opportunities to develop specific skills and expertise that meet real-world demands.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills, develop non-degree courses as faculty or staff, or explore the impact of microcredentials on education and the workforce, NC State is your partner in advancing learning and opportunity.
What are Microcredentials?
Microcredentials are academic offerings at NC State that are focused, flexible, and skill-based learning experiences designed to boost specific competencies or knowledge areas. Microcredentials are shorter in duration than a degree, and can include academic programming that is either for-credit or not-for-credit.
Microcredentials can include:
- Continuing education and professional development courses
- Certifications and Licensure courses tied to external certifying/licensing associations
- Minors and concentrations at the undergraduate and graduate levels
- Undergraduate certificates and graduate certificates
Microcredentials are designed to enable learners to acquire knowledge in smaller increments than degree programs. Valued for their flexibility, microcredentials can often “stack” on top of each other into larger academic programs, such as graduate certificates stacking into credit for graduate degrees.
Microcredentials Community of Practice
Join our collaborative space to explore emerging practices, share ideas, and develop strategies for designing and implementing microcredentials that align with NC State’s academic mission and the evolving needs of learners and employers.
Get Involved with the Microcredentials Community of Practice
In Fall 2025, NC State launched a Microcredentials Community of Practice, meant for NC State faculty and staff who share a common interest in developing and growing microcredentials, supporting learner pathways, and embracing academic innovation in a supportive learning environment through ongoing, peer interaction. Much of the work and interactions in the Community of Practice will be central in shaping the direction of microcredential growth at NC State.
