A microcredential is comprised of a coherent set of courses in a discipline or related disciplines that formally acknowledge specific skills/competencies and that complement the four-year bachelor’s degree.

• Microcredentials are composed of courses that total between six and 19 credits.
• Microcredentials can include both lower and upper division courses.
• Courses used to satisfy requirements for the microcredential may also be used to satisfy ISP requirements when such courses meet the established criteria for ISP.
• Credits earned in courses used to satisfy multiple requirements will count once toward the total number of credits required for graduation.
• Credits for courses required for the microcredential may also be used to complete requirements for any minor or major.
• Microcredential proposals will follow an approval process specified by the Senate Curriculum Committee.

For administrative purposes microcredentials are located and coordinated within existing departments with an identified faculty steward. Specific microcredentials can combine courses from various departments, across schools, and use courses with various credit loads. Faculty stewards for microcredentials should explore the possibility that the microcredential can be certified or approved by an outside agency associated with the related discipline of the microcredential.

External certification or approval is not required, but could add strength to the awarded microcredential. Earned microcredentials become part of a student transcript and academic record, and are meant to complement existing minors and majors. Microcredentials will be granted by the Registrar and minimum qualifications for matriculated students, non-matriculated students, and graduate students is a high school diploma. Continuing Education will work in consultation with the appropriate faculty stewards for the microcredential to provide advising for non-matriculated students seeking microcredentials.

Microcredentials undergo review by the Senate Curriculum Committee and Academic Standards Committee.

Full Senate Curriculum Committee Guidelines
Program Proposal Form
Course Proposal Form

Excerpt for Microcredentials

A microcredential is comprised of a coherent set of courses (no fewer than 6 credits, no more than 19) in a discipline or related disciplines that formally acknowledge specific skills/competencies and that complement the four-year bachelor’s degree.

Microcredentials can include both lower- and upper-division courses.  Courses used to satisfy requirements for the microcredential may also be used to satisfy ISP requirements when such courses meet the established criteria for ISP.

Microcredentials are located and coordinated within an existing department or program with an identified faculty advisor. Faculty advisor for microcredentials are strongly encouraged to explore the possibility that the microcredential can be certified or approved by an outside agency associated with the related discipline of the microcredential. (External certification is not required but could add strength to the awarded microcredential, depending on the field in which the program is offered.)

Admissions criteria: Minimum qualification for admission to microcredential programs is a 2.0 GPA for matriculated students; for non-matriculated students, a high school diploma is required. Graduate students seeking to acquire graduate microcredentials would require a bachelor’s degree as a minimum qualification.

Note: Advisors for microcredentials should be prepared to provide advising assistance to all students seeking microcredentials in their program.

Proposing a new microcredential: Microcredential proposals will go on the same forms and through the same processes as majors and minors.  Program proposals that cross school lines must be submitted to both school deans and school curriculum committees, along with the Registrar (see deadlines above).

Program Objectives: Explain how the proposed program relates to the mission of Keene State College.

Define the purpose of the microcredential and explain how the design of the program achieves that purpose.  Provide information regarding external certification of microcredential (if applicable) and explain its significance and usefulness for microcredential recipients.

Learning Outcomes: Identify the knowledge, professional skills, and intellectual skills that students will be expected to demonstrate at the completion of this program of study.

Resources: Identify all resources needed (staff and equipment) for new courses (or sections) in the proposed program.  If new courses are being proposed as part of the program, list the courses in the proposal and submit specific course proposal forms (with sample syllabi) for each new course.