Career Services Microcredentials

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

Students studying

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 apply for funding to enroll in training programs, courses, or credentialing programs not offered at Colgate. Such self-discovered opportunities might include CNA, STNA, EMT, or phlebotomy training; business courses; design courses; language programs; field school; or coding boot camps not offered at Colgate. Consult the FAQ section below for details.

Details and application

Course and seminar offerings

  • Adobe: InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
  • AI for Business Analysis Seminar
  • Excel: Basic or Intermediate
  • Foundations of Real Estate
  • Harvard Business School Online:
    • AI Essentials for Business
    • Alternative Investments
    • Business and Climate Change 
    • Business Strategy 
    • Creating Brand Value 
    • Credential of Core Business Essentials
    • Data Science and AI for Decision Making 
    • Design Thinking and Innovation
    • Digital Marketing Strategy
    • Disruptive Strategy
    • Entrepreneurial Marketing
    • Entrepreneurship Essentials
    • Foundations of Real Estate 
    • Global Business
    • Launching Tech Ventures 
    • Personal Branding
    • Strategic Financial Analysis
    • Sustainable Business Strategy
    • Sustainable Investing
  • Project Management 101 Seminar
  • Python Fundamentals
  • SQL: Basic or Advanced
  • Tableau Basics Seminar: Business Intelligence & Analytics
  • Training the Street
  • Skill-based, self-discovered courses, training programs, or credentialing programs not offered at Colgate that require a minimum commitment of 80 hours (summer only). Examples of past-funded microcredentials include EMT certification, language immersion courses, coding courses, finance courses, law courses, design courses, music business courses, and LEED credentialing.
  • Skill-based, self-discovered courses, training programs, or credentialing programs not offered at Colgate 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 Colgate are eligible for full or partial grants to support enrollment costs in a microcredential. Unaided students benefit from the Colgate discount negotiated for listed courses, and some financial support for training programs, courses, and credentialing programs.

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

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible to apply?

Students must be currently matriculated, in good academic standing, and plan to return to enroll at Colgate for at least one semester. Additionally, each course or seminar lists specific prerequisites 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.

What courses, training programs, or credentialing programs are offered through the Microcredential Initiative?

Current courses and seminars facilitated by Career Services, as well as the enrollment period in which they are offered, can be found here. Over the winter and summer cohorts, students may alternatively propose training programs, courses, or credentialing programs not typically offered at Colgate 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.

Academic coursework that is available at Colgate cannot be funded.

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.

Can I receive academic credit for a Microcredential Initiative course?

Students will not earn academic credit from Colgate for participating in microcredentials courses.

How do I apply and enroll?

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 course and seminar offerings menu 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.

How much will this cost and what funding is available?

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 course and seminar offerings menu.

What should I know about the non-completion fee?

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 and will be ineligible to participate in the next two cohorts.

 

Students interested in preparing for careers in business are also encouraged to learn about the Colgate-Tuck Business Bridge Program.