Overview

Alternative credentials typically refer to any type of credential other than traditional, credit-based degrees and diplomas offered by accredited secondary and postsecondary institutions. Alternative credentials include, but are not limited to, licenses, certificates, badges, professional/industry certifications, non-credit and competency-based education programs, boot camps, work-based learned programs such as apprenticeships, massive open online courses (MOOCs), and short and highly specific “micro-learning” programs.

Alternative credentials are awarded by a range of authorized entities, including educational institutions, professional and industry certifying bodies, and state licensure boards. They are awarded based on a range of criteria such as industry-validated required competencies and mastery levels. They often are subject to a range of quality-assurance processes.

There is no common definition for alternative credentials although many organizations and groups have been defining them. The result is a landscape of confusing terms that vary among institutions, organizations, and jurisdictions. For example, the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (Kato et al, 2020) defines alternative credentials as including micro-credentials, digital badges, and industry-recognized certificates. For others, badges refer to a technical standard applied to alternative credentials. The Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA) defines alternative credentials as offerings beyond traditional degrees, diplomas, and certificates (Johnson, 2019). The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) (2019 Report), argues that credentials are based on competencies or learning accomplishments, and a simple definition can be problematic. The problem is compounded by an overlapping set of characteristics: MOOCs can vary in their openness and whether they award a micro-credential. Micro-credentials themselves aren't consistently "micro" and may or may not produce a badge. Stackable credentials aren't guaranteed to stack to a higher level, might not yield a badge, and can be difficult to differentiate from post-graduate certificates. Lastly, badges, though sometimes denoting a technical standard or platform, are also often associated with micro-credentials.

There are inconsistencies around verifying alternative credentials and then storing them as a part of a traditional record of learning. Many groups are working to include alternative credentials in Comprehensive Learning Records (CLRs) and/or Learning and Employment Records (LERs). Doing so would allow all learning to be recognized in a digital, portable format.

Alternative Terminology

Microcredential
Non-degree credential
Online credential

Relation to Learn & Work Ecosystem

Recognition of learning outside the traditional educational credentialing framework is vital to an effective ecosystem. Such recognition expands pathways to educational and economic success for diverse learners and makes credentialing more relevant and responsive to the needs of a dynamic economy.

Resources

Alternative credentials – micro-credentials, stackable credentials, and digital badges | Explorations in the ed tech world  (September 25, 2020) [Archived 2024, September 11]

Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) (February 10, 2024)

Alternative Credentials: Considerations, Guidance, and Best Practices (July 12, 2022)

Alternative Credentials: New Ways to Certify Learning (n.d.)

Credential Innovation | UPCEA