2016-09-20

Today, we are proud to announce the launch of the MicroMasters initiative, the next evolution in our mission to increase access to high-quality education and help learners improve their lives and advance their careers. Along with 14 of our global university partners, we have created a new category of Master’s-level online education to advance careers in the most in-demand fields—from UX and artificial intelligence, to global business management and Android development—while also offering a pathway to credit to an accelerated Master’s degree. This new initiative is flexible, affordable and scalable to meet the needs of today’s global learners.

The MicroMasters credential

Originally conceived and developed by MIT as a pilot program on edX, MicroMasters credentials bridge the gap between education and the workplace. MicroMasters courses are created by esteemed edX university partners, valued by top companies, like Walmart and GE, and linked to specific career outcomes.

MicroMasters credentials are also a valuable addition to academic portfolios as the credential offers a pathway to credit. MicroMasters have no admissions requirements, and are open to anyone. Once you’ve successfully earned a MicroMasters credential, you can apply to an on-campus program that recognizes the MicroMasters credential, and, if accepted, the digital credential will count as credit toward a portion of the degree, resulting in an accelerated program.

Bridging the gap, offering a solution

When developing these programs, we consulted with industry leaders to understand their challenges, both in hiring and developing a smarter, more capable workforce. By joining together our prestigious universities partners and this employer perspective, the MicroMasters initiative addresses the skills gap felt by universities, learners, organizations and professionals worldwide.

It is a standalone credential; after earning a MicroMasters certificate, you can immediately apply the knowledge you have learned to launch or further your career.

Moreover, MicroMasters programs offer “inverted admissions,” where you can prove your abilities via online courses and universities have more data to inform their admissions decisions.

The time for MicroMasters programs is now

We live in an age where new technologies continue to transform our lives. Jobs and industries are changing more rapidly today than ever before. As a result, new needs and expertise are constantly emerging. And, education must help meet these demands.

That said, college graduates want to advance professionally, but are realizing they often lack the career-relevant capabilites that the modern workplace demands. Nearly 15 million people in the U.S. want to work, but they can’t find jobs. And, around half of employers say they have job vacancies, but cannot find qualified candidates.

MicroMasters courses provide employers with the ability to upskill and reskill employees and they empower learners to gain the knowledge needed to improve their careers. To address such a need, the University of Michigan will be launching a program in user experience (UX), a growing field in our tech-focused world. The MicroMasters program is designed to teach the capabilities needed to succeed in top fields and secure in-demand jobs, such as UX designer, web developer, software developer, information technology manager, data scientist, consultant, and more. The first course starts October 4 and is open for enrollment now.

When you add a verified certificate or MicroMasters credential to your resume, CV or LinkedIn profile, you stand out to employers and show that you have successfully completed rigorous coursework taught by the world’s top universities. In a survey we conducted among edX learners, we found that 43% of learners who earned verified certificates said the edX courses helped them advance their careers.

You can be confident that when you earn a MicroMasters credential, you are gaining the skills that employers require today.

A milestone for edX and our partners

MicroMasters programs also mark a moment of global collaboration across countries and universities. EdX partners are exploring accepting MicroMasters credentials from other universities. Today, the University of Queensland (UQ) and Curtin University will be accepting the MITx Supply Chain Management MicroMasters credential for credit that can be applied if accepted to on-campus programs at UQ or Curtin University.

This is an exciting development for our edX global community and we look forward to facilitating additional collaborations across regions, expertise, disciplines and universities in the future.

MicroMasters credentials are changing lives

Learners, from small business owners to managers at multi-billion dollar companies, are already benefiting from the MITx MicroMasters program in Supply Chain Management. Listening to their experiences, I feel both humbled and excited about their dedication, engagement and opportunities, and, on a larger scale, the future of education overall. Here are some of their stories:





As we continue to announce more programs over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more of our learners’ stories here on the edX blog. Be sure to follow along.

MicroMasters programs ensure that more people globally have access to high-quality, career-relevant education that will improve their lives.

I’m thrilled to share with you the 19 MicroMasters programs from 14 universities across the globe, in three languages, including English, French and Spanish. Join me in celebrating this monumental new step in the world of education!

Australian National University

Enroll Today

Evidence-Based Management – ANUx

First course starts January 31, 2017

Columbia University

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Artificial Intelligence – ColumbiaX

First course starts January 16, 2017

Curtin University

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Human Rights – CurtinX

First course starts January 31, 2017

Galileo University

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e-Learning: crea actividades y contenidos para la enseñanza virtual (offered in Spanish) – GalileoX

First course starts January 16, 2017

Enroll Today

Professional Android Developer – GalileoX

First course starts January 23, 2017

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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International Hospitality Management – HKPolyUx

First course starts January 18, 2017

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

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Business Management – IIMBx

First course starts January 5, 2017

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Entrepreneurship – IIMBx

First course starts January 5, 2017

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Supply Chain Management – MITx

First course starts November 2, 2016

Polytechnic University of Valencia

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Liderazgo y trabajo en equipo en grupos de mejora continua (offered in Spanish) – UPValenciaX

First course starts February 7, 2017

Rochester Institute of Technology

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Project Management – RITx

First course starts January 23, 2017

Thunderbird School of Global Management, a unit of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise

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International Business Management – ThunderbirdX

First course starts January 10, 2017

Université catholique de Louvain

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Management (offered in French) – LouvainX

First course is live and self-paced

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International Law – LouvainX

First course starts January 10, 2017

University of Michigan

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User Experience (UX) Research and Design – MichiganX

First course starts October 4, 2016

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Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement – MichiganX

First course starts January 24, 2017

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Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research – MichiganX

First course is live and self-paced

The University of Queensland, Australia

Enroll Today

Leadership in Global Development – UQx

First course starts January 10, 2017

Wageningen University

Enroll Today

Biobased Sciences for Sustainability – WageningenX

First course starts January 24, 2017

The post MicroMasters Programs: a New Credential to Advance Your Career and Accelerate Your Master’s Degree appeared first on edX Blog.

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