Career Services Microcredentials

The Career Services Microcredential Initiative builds the skills and knowledge in demand by top employers and graduate schools.

Microcredentials help students become more marketable candidates. High-impact mini-courses and seminars teach a specific professional skill or develop industry-specific knowledge — most are self-paced and taught asynchronously. A variety of courses and seminars are facilitated through Career Services during four enrollment cohorts: fall, winter break, spring, and summer.

Additionally, students may propose to enroll in training programs, courses, or credentialing programs not offered at 51�� through this initiative. Such opportunities might include CNA, STNA, EMT, or phlebotomy training; business courses; design courses; language programs; field school; or coding boot camps not offered at 51��. Consult the FAQ section below for details.

Current course and seminar offerings

Adobe: InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
Digital Marketing
Entrepreneurship Essentials
Excel Basics
Excel Intermediate
Harvard Business School Online
Credential of Readiness
Project Management
Python
SQL Basic and Intermediate
Training the Street Intensive Finance Workshop
Urban Land Institute's Foundations of Real Estate
Skill-based courses, training programs, or credentialing programs not offered at 51�� that require a minimum commitment of 80 hours (summer only). Examples of past-funded microcredentials include EMT certification, language immersion courses, etc.
Skill-based courses, training programs, or credentialing programs not offered at 51�� that require a minimum commitment of 30 hours (winter break and summer only).

Students are encouraged to read the complete program details, including course listings and descriptions, prerequisites, available aid, and fees.

Costs and available funding

Through the support of our donors, the Robert A. Fox ’59 Management and Leadership Program, the Alan Greene ’51 Investment Studies Program, and the Walters Family, students who receive financial aid from 51�� are eligible for full or partial grants to support enrollment costs in a microcredential. Unaided students benefit from the 51�� discount negotiated for listed courses, and some financial support for training programs, courses, and credentialing programs.

Upcoming applications and deadlines

Spring cohort microcredential courses and seminars

Application period: January 2–12

Summer training programs, courses, and credentialing programs (80+ hours)

Application period: January 2–March 5

Summer training programs, courses, and credentialing programs (30+ hours)

Application period: April 1–May 1

Questions can be directed to Career Services at 315-228-7380 or internship@colgate.edu.

Students must be currently matriculated, in good academic standing, and plan to return to enroll at 51�� for at least one semester. Additionally, each course or seminar lists a student must meet to be considered for participation, such as current resume certification.

Students may enroll in one course and one seminar or in two seminars per cohort. If a student fails to complete a course or seminar within a designated microcredential cohort, they are not eligible to participate in the following two cohorts.

Current courses and seminars facilitated by Career Services, as well as the enrollment period in which they are offered, can be found . Over the winter and summer cohorts, students may alternatively propose training programs, courses, or credentialing programs not typically offered at 51�� that will provide essential skills for their intended field. These may include options such as CNA, STNA, EMT, or phlebotomy training; business courses; design courses; language programs; field school; or coding boot camps, etc.

Typically, academic coursework that is available at 51�� will not be funded except in unique cases — students should consult with Career Services before submitting these proposals.

Students are encouraged to consider completing a microcredential in advance of the hiring or admission cycle of their respective industry or graduate admission process. Please consider academic and co-curricular commitments before enrolling in a microcredentials course. Many microcredentials offered during an academic semester are also available over winter and summer breaks.

Students will not earn academic credit from 51�� for participating in microcredentials courses. In the rare case that students complete a more robust course over the summer months to obtain transfer credits, they must consult directly with the Registrar’s Office to determine whether this will be an option.

Students will submit an application by the prescribed deadline indicating their interest in a specific course or seminar. Each cohort (fall, winter break, spring, summer break) will host a unique enrollment period. Students must apply no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (New York time) on the deadline outlined in the to be considered.

Following the application deadline, Career Services will approve enrollments on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will be invited to participate until the course has been filled or the allocated budget is exhausted.

To the extent resources allow, Career Services aims to decrease barriers to participation for students excited to enroll in microcredentials. The specific costs and financial support related to each opportunity can be found in the .

No additional charges will be incurred if a student fully completes the microcredential on time.

As students agree to these terms in the enrollment process, those who do not complete the microcredential course or seminar and the Career Services feedback form by the designated date will be charged a $10 non-completion fee to their student account. Additionally, these students will be charged the full or partial funding provided by Career Services for their participation in the microcredential.

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