LSU has released the latest addition of offered courses in the new micro-credentials program. The program offers online classes designed to teach the fundamentals of a wide range of specific subjects, and can be taken by anyone, not just University students.
These classes focus on business, education, human services and social work, liberal arts and humanities, and engineering, and as of October, construction. The micro-credential program advertises affordability and convenience in learning these new skills.
It’s also a flexible program; courses can take anywhere from four weeks to six months to complete, with extensions offered. The micro-credential program is tailored to help individuals who may need flexibility in their education, geared toward non-traditional learners.
When you complete the required number of courses, you earn one micro-credential. The micro-cred is counted as a credit toward a bachelor’s degree, according to Charles Berryman, professor and chair of the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management.
“It’s a great option for individuals who may not be ready to pursue a full baccalaureate degree and it also provides a pathway towards a degree in construction management,” Berryman said.
The shortest courses take four weeks to complete. For construction-orientated people, the latest construction courses include Introduction to Construction Management and will soon include Residential Project Management and Leadership in Construction. Each is designed to take seven weeks for a total of 21 weeks to earn the micro-credential.
Berryman explained that there are different tiers to these courses, and that some micro-credential courses are even graduate level and thus applicable to a master’s degree.
“There are different degrees to micro-credentials that we have. Introduction to construction management is for beginners,” Berryman said. “It just varies on their level of experience and expertise what level of micro-credential they would fit best.”
Course mastery for all subjects is evaluated through course-learning outcomes, so there are testing components for these classes. Standards are high to ensure that these courses are admissible towards degree programs. Once completed, proof of an earned micro-cred can also be displayed on a resume or on LinkedIn as a badge.
Although other universities offer similar programs in the form of online certificates, this micro-credential program, where coursework can be applied to a degree program, is unique to LSU.
