System Procedure 3.36.2 Micro-credentials

System Procedures
 Chapter 3 - Educational Policies

for Board Policy 3.36

Part 1. Purpose

To define micro-credentials and establish a taxonomy and broad guidance for the development and delivery of micro-credentials by Minnesota State colleges and universities.

Part 2. Background Information
Micro-credentials are skill-based and may be awarded irrespective of course completion or the earning of credits. They are not classified as academic programs under Board Policy 3.36 and System Procedure 3.36.1.

  • Micro-credentials are a smaller unit of learning than an academic award.
  • Micro-credentials may be issued for credit-based, noncredit-based, or assessed prior learning.
  • All micro-credentials must assess clearly defined standards and measurable learning outcomes.
  • Micro-credentials may stack into other credentials, satisfying components through assessment or recognition of prior learning; or they may have stand-alone value.
  • All approved micro-credentials must issue a digital badge to learners, verifying they met the defined criteria. Completed micro-credentials entitle learners to a digital badge.
  • Micro-credentials based only on participation are not permitted.

Part 3. Definitions

Academic award
A certificate, diploma or degree.

Academic program
A cohesive arrangement of college-level curricular requirements leading to an academic award as defined by System Procedure 3.36.1.

Academic program inventory
The official list of academic programs offered by colleges and universities.

Digital badge
A digital badge verifies, validates and attests that specific skills and/or competencies that have been achieved in a micro-credential and endorsed by the issuing institution.

Micro-credential
A small unit of credit or noncredit study that provides specific skills or competencies that contribute to the needs of students, communities, and industries.

Micro-pathway
A structured program of study, noncredit to credit or fully credit‑bearing, designed to connect a micro‑credential to a larger academic award. Micro-pathways are transparent to students and include clearly defined, stackable credits that are pre‑mapped, and allow students to understand how each credential builds toward an academic award.

Part 4. Types of Micro-credentials

  1. Industry Specific Technical Skill - Badge issued for credit-bearing or non-credit workforce training or professional development micro-credentials. Examples include, but are not limited to OSHA 10, Serve Safe Food Handler, and Comp TIA.
  2. Transferable Skill – Badge issued for a credit-bearing micro-credential or a non-credit workforce training, co-curricular, or professional development micro-credential. Examples include, but are not limited to Technical Writing, Workplace Communications, and Teamwork Essentials.

Part 5. Guiding Principles of Micro-credential Development
General principles that guide the development and review of all micro-credentials.

  1. Educational quality is paramount for micro-credentials. Each micro-credential must deliver and assess sufficient skills, knowledge and experience that helps someone pursuing employment or advancement in a career.
  2. Existing students and non-matriculated students shall complete an application to enroll in a micro-credential so that their persistence and completion can be followed and to ensure that successful completion is recognized in real time through the award of a digital badge. A student who is enrolled-in and completes a micro-credential is entitled to a digital badge.
  3. Faculty participation is required for credit-bearing micro-credential development and the articulation of credits for noncredit based micro-credentials.
  4. Micro-credentials are portable and stackable. Whenever possible, each micro-credential should serve as a steppingstone or pathway to related certificates, diplomas, degrees, licenses, and industry certifications, with credits applying to the next stackable credential.
  5. Micro-credentials for currently enrolled students may offer skillsets complementary to their major that help them stand apart in the job market and/or recognize mastery of complex skills in real time to support their ability to get a part-time job, internship, or to prepare for higher levels of education.
  6. Micro-credentials are designed to meet current and emerging market needs and are developed in partnership with and informed by business and industry, regional and state economic development priorities. College and university personnel may engage business and industry program advisory boards and alumni when developing a micro-credential with a specific focus on needed skills, competencies, and industry certifications.
  7. Micro-credentials are inherently flexible and innovative.
  8. Micro-credentials may be delivered online, in the classroom, or a hybrid combination of both. They may be delivered through courses, co-curriculars, or work-based learning experiences.
  9. While recognition of participation, community building or durable skill development can be an important part of the student experience, those things by themselves are not, by definition, micro-credentials.
  10. There is a clear connection between micro-credentials and work. The direct link to career attainment or advancement represents the primary value‑add offered by Minnesota State micro-credentials and micro‑pathways.
  11. Micro-credentials are initiated locally, developed, and approved according to institutional policies and procedures, consistent with campus mission and strategic goals.

Part 6. Requirements

Subpart A. General requirements for Micro-credentials
  1. Eligibility: At the discretion of sponsoring college or university, the eligibility requirements must be clear to learners during the application/registration process for both credit and noncredit micro-credentials.
  2. Criteria: Micro-credentials are awarded upon successful completion of their specific requirements. Micro-credentials must have clear, measurable outcomes, assessments aligned to the outcomes, and evidence of mastery of the outcomes through reliable and valid assessments.
  3. Titles: Titles should be short, clear, and indicate the specific skill(s) learned as clearly as possible (e.g.: Technical Writing). Titles should be selected to avoid confusion with other micro-credentials or academic programs.
  4. Transferability: Micro-credentials, whenever possible, must be designed to stack into one or more existing academic programs, and are addressed in Minnesota State’s Transfer Board Policy 3.21 and System Procedure 3.21.1. Prior learning assessment must be used according to Credit for Prior Learning Board Policy 3.35 and System Procedures 3.35.1 and 3.35.2.
  5. Employer Validated: To ensure alignment to workforce needs, micro-credentials are developed in partnership with business/industry; or be informed by feedback from them (CTE Advisory Committees, etc.). Input from students, alumni, P-12, and community organizations is also recommended.
  6. Third-party Partnerships: If a college or university president collaborates with outside partners to offer a micro-credential, the sponsoring college or university shall enter into an agreement/contract with any business/education/training provider partner before offering co-sponsored micro-credentials to learners. This requirement will ensure that only high-quality, ethical, mission-driven micro-credentials are offered to Minnesota State learners.
  7. System Record Entry: Must be recorded in the system’s program inventory after college or university approval.
  8. Digital Badges: The sponsoring college or university will issue a digital badge to learners who meet the criteria to earn the micro-credential. See Operating Instructions 3.36.2.1 Digital Badges.

Subpart B. Additional requirements for credit-bearing micro-credentials
In addition to the general requirements in Subpart A, the following are requirements for credit-bearing micro-credentials.

  1. Timeframe: Must be small units of learning, that can be completed in a shorter time frame than an academic award, usually more than one course and less than 16 credits.
  2. Transferability: Institutions must articulate how the micro-credential is related to one or more existing academic programs, unless there are no other applicable academic awards offered or a specific rationale from industry is provided.
    • One micro-credential may stack together with other micro-credentials in a series that all stack to a larger certificate, diploma, and/or degree.
    • A micro-credential, in its entirety, may stack into one or more existing academic certificates, diplomas, and/or degrees.

Subpart C. Additional requirements for noncredit bearing micro-credentials
In addition to the general requirements in Subpart A, the following are requirements for noncredit-bearing micro-credentials. Noncredit bearing micro-credentials are designed as a professional and/or educational development opportunity for students or community members, often for those who already have degrees, who are seeking specialized skills, or who are part of a group needing a specific skillset.

Workforce Training or Co-Curricular Micro-credential

  1. Timeframe: Must be a small unit of learning, identifying the specific hours.
  2. Transferability: Must clearly define how learners can stack the micro-credential into one or more existing academic programs of Minnesota State via the award of academic credit for prior learning (CPL) evaluation process or an articulation agreement.

Part 7. Micro-credential Approval

Subpart A: College and university award authority
Colleges and universities have authority to confer micro-credentials and issue applicable digital badges to verify learning, which aligns with the mission and vision of the institution in addition to the academic awards listed in Board Policy 3.36 and System Procedure 3.36.1.

Subpart B: Approval requirements
The college or university president (or designee) has the authority to approve the creation, revisions, and closures of micro-credentials; and the issuance of digital badges to verify them.

Each college and university is responsible for developing and implementing procedures for the creation, implementation, and review of micro-credentials. Each college or university shall be responsible for ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of its micro-credential offerings through appropriate processes of assessment and evaluation. Micro-credentials must be developed and vetted in collaboration with business/industry partners, students, faculty, student services staff, and continuing education staff.

Each college and university is responsible for recording student enrollment and achievement data for its micro-credential offerings in the system approved badging technology platform, as well as reporting out necessary data points upon request by Minnesota State leadership.

Colleges and universities shall approve the badge metadata required to issue digital badges to learners. (See part 5 of Digital Badge Operating Instructions 3.36.2.1)

Micro-credentials may be designed to allow students to be eligible for federal and state financial aid. Each campus is responsible for adhering to federal and state reporting requirements (e.g., Workforce Pell), as applicable.

Most micro-credentials, as defined and covered in this procedure, will not require significant resources. Any prospective micro-credentials requiring significant resources require the approval of the Chancellor (or designee).

Part 8. Student Options When Micro-Credentials Are Suspended, Closed, or Changed
A college or university shall provide a student currently enrolled in a credit-bearing micro-credential an opportunity to complete the micro-credential when it is suspended or closed or when the requirements change.

Part 9. Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials
Each college and university shall regularly review its micro-credentials with constituents for the purpose of quality assessment and continuous improvement.

The Chancellor (or designee) may conduct statewide or regional reviews of micro-credentials or entire career pathways, and report findings to the Board of Trustees, and when necessary, impose conditions on credit or noncredit credentials.

Related Documents:

To view any of the following related statutes, go to the Revisor's Office website. You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number.

  • Minn. Stat. 135A.052 Postsecondary Missions

System Procedure History:

Date of Adoption: 6/30/26
Date of Implementation: 7/01/26
Date of Last Review:

Date & Subject of Amendments:

 

No additional HISTORY.

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