Across nearly every facet of learning — from higher ed to professional and product certification to workforce development — microcredential programs are gaining momentum. And it’s no surprise. They offer additional revenue streams and signal career readiness, and their flexible, affordable learning nature better meets the demands of a changing labor market.
However, to reap the full benefits of microcredential programs, education and training leaders must have a cohesive strategy, strong leadership, and clear policies.
Syracuse University stands out with a model that's transforming how we think about student achievement and institutional growth. Over the past three years, they’ve helped develop and scale a comprehensive portfolio of instructor-led, instructor-guided, or self-guided microcredentials that's helped thousands of learners across multiple disciplines enhance their professional skills with digital badges and certificates. Since 2023, Syracuse University has issued 14,000 digital credentials, increased credential issuance by 515%, and recently expanded to credit-bearing badges.
We spoke with Executive Director Arthur Thomas and Operations Specialist Allison Roth from the Office of Professional Acceleration and Microcredentials at Syracuse University College of Professional Studies about their microcredential journal and how other organizations can replicate their success.
1. Establish Clear Governance and Alignment
One of the foundational steps Syracuse University took to scale its microcredentialing initiative was the creation of a Digital Badging Council comprised of thought leaders from various areas of the university. This group established a 24-page governance document around badge formats, taxonomy, and procedures that are now used as a framework when onboarding new departments. By setting governance upfront, Syracuse enabled individual units to launch badging while staying aligned on branding and quality standards.
As Art explains, "The alignment and the governance of how this works within the university needs to be positively aligned. Taking the time to ensure consensus, support executive leadership, and consider how badging aligns with the academic mission has paved the way for Syracuse's success.”
2. Build a Robust Credential Design Framework
How can we make credentials meaningful to both learners and employers? What metadata and standards should we include to enhance credential credibility? What should they look like? Do we have credit and non-credit badges? Developing a comprehensive digital badge design framework helped the Syracuse team answer these questions (and more) and was crucial in accommodating various requests and ensuring consistency across different departments and programs.
Art shared, “We came up with a framework that would allow many different types of credentials — including credit and non-credit badges. It really allowed us to be flexible but at the same time say, ‘Well, you fit into this category, so let's issue a badge that looks like this.’ That framework helped because we weren't inventing a lot as we went.”
3. Foster Strong Partnerships
The success of Syracuse's microcredentialing initiative wasn't achieved in isolation. After experiencing several critical issues with its previous digital badge provider, including a lack of dedicated support, branding limitations, and poor data analytics, Syracuse switched to Accredible. As Art points out, they were not only able to rectify the issues they faced but also significantly enhance their digital badge offering and strategy.
“There's no question in my mind that our partnership with Accredible is responsible for a lot of our success. The partnership means they’ll help you over hurdles and give you insights into the rest of the field. Not only is the ability to issue the badges critical, but the nature of how dedicated that partner is to the overall integrity of the badge and the overall concept of the microcredential is really important.”
4. Leverage Data and Analytics
Without data and insights, it’s hard to know what is or isn’t working and refine program strategies. For Syracuse, real-time analytics provided by the Accredible platform — such as how and where credentials are used and shared, how often they're viewed, referrals to your program website, and more — have played a significant role in making informed decisions for continuous improvement.
Allison shared, “It's been very important to us that we have this data at our hands so we can make decisions on what's doing well, how students are engaging, and then adjust from there. The data insights have been a tremendous asset for us and legitimize what we're doing when it comes to digital badging.”
5. Engage with Learners and Meet Their Needs
With multiple participating departments and units, Syracuse recognizes that students have unique needs and workflows. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to introducing and issuing digital badges — it requires personalization and clear communication.
Allison noted, “We worked with each college and unit across the campus on how to best introduce the digital badges to their students. We wanted to make sure it was personalized to the student and their experience. And so far, we've been receiving really good feedback from our partners across the campus and the students themselves.”
By tailoring the introduction of digital badges to each program, Syracuse ensured that students understood the benefits and how to use their microcredentials effectively.
The Path Forward
Scaling a microcredentialing program is a complex but rewarding endeavor. Syracuse University's success story highlights the importance of governance, planning, partnerships, data-driven decision-making, and learner engagement. We hope these takeaways inspire and guide other institutions looking to implement similar initiatives.
To dive deeper into Syracuse University's journey and learn more about scaling microcredentials, check out their customer spotlight or watch the full webinar replay.
