A Better Way to Show What You Know
Whether you're starting fresh, advancing your career, enriching your life, or building toward a degree—microcredentials are designed for your pace and purpose and allow you to keep working toward your goals.
At Maricopa Community Colleges, our microcredential pathways offer a flexible, accessible way to gain new skills, learn fast, and build on your experience, all on your terms.
Ready to embrace the better way? Discover how our microcredential pathways can accelerate your future.
Why Microcredentials Matter
How we learn—and how we prove what we know—is changing.
Between 2015 and 2022, the skills listed in job postings changed by 25%. By 2027, that shift could grow to 50%.
For those in the workforce, this isn't abstract: 87% of adults believe that developing new skills will be important for keeping up with changes in the modern workplace, but less than half believe they have the skills they need to be exceptional at their current job.
All of this points to a growing need for learning that fits real-world demands and turns effort into proof you can share.
LinkedIn—Future of Skills | Pew Research Center—The State of American Jobs | Gallup—No More Fear of Being Obsolete
What Are Microcredentials?
What Are Microcredentials?
At Maricopa Community Colleges, “microcredential” is an umbrella term for short-term programs and career-focused training, including shareable certificates, digital badges, and other educational opportunities.
These options deliver flexible, affordable learning across a wide variety of academic topics, and some programs even “stack” to contribute towards your progress earning a certificate or degree.
Specifically, Maricopa’s microcredential offerings include:
Short, targeted programs designed with regional employers that build job-ready skills for in-demand careers and stack toward associate or bachelor’s degrees.
Certificates range from quick, skills-focused options to longer, more comprehensive academic paths. Some certificates fit the microcredential profile, while others extend beyond it. Choose the option that fits your timeline and goals:
- Academic Certificate (AC)—A for-credit certificate that deepens expertise in an academic discipline, but isn’t designed for a specific occupation. Typically ~12–39 credit hours.
- Certificates of Completion (CCL)—A for-credit career/technical certificate that builds job-specific skills for employment or advancement.
- Certificates of Competency (CCT)—A noncredit, clock-hour workforce program measured in total clock hours—often preparing learners for licensure or immediate employment.
A short, accelerated certificate program—typically a Certificate of Completion (CCL)—designed to be finished in two semesters or less through focused, job-ready coursework, with many options that stack toward a degree.
A shareable, digital credential (using the Open Badges format) that recognizes a specific skill or achievement and can be posted to your résumé or LinkedIn.
Noncredit, schedule-friendly short courses and longer career training—delivered by Maricopa Corporate College—designed to help individuals upskill and prepare for industry certifications, with many options fully online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most microcredentials can be completed quickly—often in weeks to a few months. For exact start dates and length, check the page for the specific microcredential you’re interested in.
Yes—because they’re shorter, the total cost is typically lower than multiyear degree paths. Prices vary by microcredential, and some options are grant-funded or even no-cost (like our Workforce Professional Skills microcredential). Check the specific page for current tuition and fees.
Often, yes. Employers increasingly hire for demonstrated skills, and microcredentials/digital badges provide verifiable proof you can share. In a 2024 survey of hiring managers, 76% said they’d give at least equal consideration to a skilled non-degree candidate versus a degree-holder with weaker skills, and 53% preferred the skilled non-degree candidate. Recognition varies by field—pair badges with relevant projects and experience to make the strongest case.
Sometimes. When a microcredential awards college credit or sits in a mapped pathway, those credits apply toward a larger award—e.g., a Certificate of Completion (CCL) or an associate or bachelor’s degree. Noncredit microcredentials don’t automatically apply. Check the specific microcredential page for more details.
Degrees are full academic programs with general education and major requirements, and include our associate and bachelor’s offerings. Certificates are shorter, focused credentials for specific skills; many are for-credit and can apply toward a larger award, while some are noncredit workforce options. Badges are shareable digital credentials that verify one skill or achievement and can complement—or in mapped cases, stack toward—certificate and degree pathways.
Yes. Microcredentials—including digital badges and certificates—absolutely belong on your résumé and LinkedIn. They’re designed to be shared, giving employers clear evidence of what you can do. If you have several, spotlight the ones most relevant to the role you’re seeking.
Some microcredentials—especially in fields like IT, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing—include preparation for industry certifications. Check the page for the specific microcredential to see more details.
No. Maricopa Community Colleges’ microcredentials—badges and college-issued certificates—don’t expire. They remain in your academic or digital record for ongoing sharing.
Both—in most cases, it’s your call. Many microcredentials run online, in person, or hybrid with flexible schedules and multiple start dates. Check the page for the specific microcredential to see current formats.
Often, yes. Microcredentials and digital badges can strengthen your application by showing recent, relevant skills and initiative alongside your grades and activities. Policies vary by college, so include them in your materials and check the school’s admissions page for how they’re considered.
Yes. If you’re enrolled in a for-credit microcredential at a Maricopa college, meet with Academic Advising. If you’re in a Maricopa Corporate College training, you’ll get program support—and Education Concierge advising may be available if your employer is a partner. For other inquiries, contact us.
Yes. Many options are open to the public. For microcredentials offered through a Maricopa college, you’ll first apply/enroll (credit or noncredit—it’s free and open admission). For Maricopa Corporate College trainings, individuals can register directly for noncredit courses. Check the microcredential’s page for the exact steps.