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Recognition of Credentials – 

The Next Big Challenge

University World News

Recognition of credentials – The next big challenge

Karen MacGregor
28 October 2025

Tens of thousands of micro-credentials are now offered worldwide, and this ‘Wild West’ of post-school learning urgently needs quality assurance. Recognition of micro-credentials is the new frontier – essential to ensuring their legitimacy and value for employers and learners.

There is no comprehensive data on micro-credentials across all providers, but in August 2025 online course aggregator Class Central reported listing 4,171 micro-credentials on 10 online MOOCs platforms; 60% are in business, programming and computer science. There is also a dizzying array of short courses offered across the private, public and civic sectors.

Around the world, frameworks are emerging that structure micro-credentials and align them with national qualifications. Some national bodies run recognition systems for micro-credentials, such as in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Scotland, and ahead-of-the-world Europe has several region-wide bodies.

Some universities offer micro-credentials that undergo forms of quality assurance processes of degree-level qualifications. Some 800 universities are offering micro-credentials on just three of the international course platforms – Coursera, edX and FutureLearn.

But few big independent quality assurers are evaluating micro-credentials. And so the launch of ABET’s Recognition of Credentials quality assurance service will spark interest. The non-profit global quality assurance agency in the STEM fields currently accredits 4,773 degree programmes that graduate more than 200,000 students annually from 930 institutions worldwide.

The problem ABET set out to help resolve is the difficulty ascertaining the quality of credentials in a fragmented market, said Senior Manager of Professional Programmes Melanie Diaz. “Having an unbiased quality assurance organisation review the processes and procedures for the development of credentials helps lessen that burden.”

Offering a quality benchmark for micro-credentials will help to bolster trust and recognition among learners, employers and institutions and will make micro-credentials more globally portable.

Experts say this could also raise the value and uptake of micro-credentials and their alignment with existing qualifications frameworks. More universities and employers will feel comfortable accepting or stacking micro-credentials if they carry ABET recognition. Certainly, micro-credentials with an international stamp of quality will stand out in a crowded market.

ABET has ISO 9001:2015 certification – the international standard for quality management systems published by the International Organisation for Standardisation.

“ISO certification means we lead by example, and our actions are aligned with our words. We believe in the value of having practices reviewed and validated by a third-party, independent organisation. Our processes are independently audited and meet globally recognised standards,” Diaz told University World News.

“The research is showing learners want flexible, affordable and targeted ways to gain skills that align directly with the workforce. Employers in turn are signalling a strong interest in verified skill-based credentials that demonstrate real competence. For universities, this means there is a clear opportunity but also a responsibility to ensure quality and transparency,” she noted.

The Need for Quality Assurance

The growth of micro-credentials has been spurred on by employer and learner demand, massive online learning platforms and a pandemic that accelerated digital and short-course learning. In this chaotic world there are micro-credentials, professional certificates, short courses, digital and stackable badges, nano-degrees and other targeted short programmes.

ABET defines credentials as any structured educational experience – whether offered by a university, college, industry training provider or professional society – designed to help learners gain expertise for new career opportunities and advancement within their current roles.

“ABET saw the need for an independent quality assurance service to distinguish between well-vetted credentials that possess continuous quality improvement processes versus those that do not,” Diaz explained.

Without formal recognition, short courses remain peripheral training, but with it, they may become credits towards degrees. Recognised micro-credentials enable students to re-enter learning throughout their lives and use their credentials across organisations and countries. Rapid technological advances are reshaping work and enabling secure digital credential storage.

In Europe, some institutions working in university alliances are finding micro-credentials a useful means of collaboration.

Interestingly, micro-credentials have helped students in Ukraine to keep learning during war, reports Crossing Bridges between Education Systems – The history and relevance of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, a new book from Italy-based Univeritas Quaderni.

In a government study, 83% of students surveyed had had micro-credentials from Coursera, edX, Udemy and the Ukrainian platform Prometheus recognised towards degrees by their home universities. The study estimates that “close to 400 higher education institutions and 60,000 students” had benefited from free MOOC-based micro-credentials by mid-2024.

Employers, Students Drive Demand

Employers and students are pushing demand for micro-credentials hard, according to a May report from Coursera, The Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2025: Insights from students and employers, based on perspectives from more than 2,000 students and employers across six world regions.

Marni Baker Stein, Coursera’s chief content officer, writes in the foreword that employers highly value candidates who hold recognised micro-credentials: “Globally, 96% of employers say micro-credentials strengthen a candidate’s job application.

“Additionally, nine in 10 are willing to offer micro-credential holders a higher starting salary, and more would hire a less experienced candidate with a GenAI credential over someone more experienced without one.”

The survey found that nine in 10 students see micro-credentials as key to job success, and 94% are keen to earn credit-bearing credentials – up from 55% in 2023: “Student interest and engagement soar when campuses offer credit-bearing micro-credentials through recognised academic partners.”

Further, reports Coursera: “Higher education leaders offering micro-credentials see them as a path to happier students, with nearly nine in 10 agreeing they boost satisfaction and engagement. Seventy-five percent agree that students are more likely to enrol in programmes that offer micro-credentials for academic credit.”

At the same time, there is the push of skills shortages, as Dora Smith, senior director of future workforce strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, pointed out in a recent LinkedIn blog.

She cites SAE International as warning that “roughly one-third of all engineering roles will remain unfilled through at least 2030 due to a lack of qualified talent. The World Economic Forum highlights that 54% of the advanced manufacturing workforce will need reskilling or upskilling by the same year to meet evolving demands”.

Siemens was the only employer involved in a pilot that helped to develop and test the ABET Recognition of Credentials service, and it is heavily involved in the development and wide dissemination of online skills training, Smith told University World News.

For many years, employers have been pushing higher education to respond to the growing need for education and skills training, reskilling and upskilling, in response to technology and workplace changes, among other factors. Now higher education is responding.

“I’ve never seen a time like this, with everyone poised for change,” said Smith. The drive to recognise micro-credentials will bring people in academia and the workplace closer together. “There’s a levelling of the playing field that gives us a chance to drive change.”

The length of accreditation processes has been an obstacle. “Now that programme accreditation is being joined by the quicker process of micro-credentials recognition, it is easier for universities to offer credentials that get to the market more quickly,” Smith added.

“If we want academia to remain industry-relevant, we must engage – serving on advisory boards, offering internships, and co-developing current content and credential pathways. These fields evolve too fast for universities alone; industry has a duty to provide the structure and voice to keep learning aligned with real-world needs,” she noted.

The Recognition of Credentials service

According to ABET, after nine decades in STEM higher education quality assurance, “that same trust and thoroughness are being applied to non-degree credentials, where speed and credibility are critical”. The need for a Recognition of Credentials service was identified years ago, but developing high-quality standards to ensure the quality and integrity of credentials took time.

The credential recognition system is very different from ABET’s work with higher education institutions in degree programme accreditation, which takes about 18 months to complete and entails a very rigorous assessment against specific criteria in degree programmes in the STEM fields.

In contrast, Diaz told University World News: “Recognition of credentials is a five-month, fully virtual, nimble but comprehensive review of the processes and procedures of the design, development and deployment of credentials and is content agnostic.”

ABET credential recognition is valid for three years, and reviews of applications are to be conducted quarterly. The process starts when a credential provider submits an application.

If the application is approved, the provider completes a self-assessment form with details about the credential structure, the expertise of those who designed, developed and delivered the credential, its education goals and more.

Expert credential evaluators compare the self-assessment report against the Recognition of Credentials service standards and conduct virtual meetings with the credential providers to gain further insight. At the end of the day, said Diaz, ABET wants to ensure that credential providers deliver what they promise to learners.

ABET points out that micro-courses can vary greatly in content and delivery. While the content is primarily focused on STEM topics, it could also include professional skills associated with STEM professions, such as leadership and strategic planning. The micro-courses must include a check for understanding of learning outcomes.

The Pilot Study and First Credentials

The Recognition of Credentials service was tested through multiple pilot reviews beginning in 2024 with organisations from three target markets that develop credentials – academia, industry and professional societies. The outcome was 16 micro-credentials recognised.

• Siemens Digital Industries Software had one credential recognised related to foundational skills for industry.

• Siemens and the University of Colorado, Boulder had two sustainability credentials recognised.

• Purdue University had 10 AI credentials recognised.

• The American Society of Civil Engineers had three continuing education credentials recognised.

“The pilot process helped refine ABET’s standards and confirmed the demand for this service,” the non-profit said in a 25 September release announcing the service.

Gayle Claman, managing director of education and credentialing at the American Society of Civil Engineers, commented: “ABET’s recognition signals to the engineering community that our certificate programmes are high quality, intentional and directly aligned with the profession’s evolving needs.”

A Voice from Academia

Dr Michael Readey, recently retired from the engineering management programme at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a developer of the two recognised sustainability credentials with Siemens, agrees.

“ABET is the leading organisation responsible for accrediting engineering programmes in the United States. To be ABET accredited is a big deal. The Recognition of Credentials service developed standards to certify that online micro-credential offerings meet the same rigorous quality expected of accredited engineering education,” he told University World News.

Several years ago Readey and colleague Dr Christy Bozic, faculty director of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Programme at the University of Colorado, Boulder, realised that online courses were needed to stay current and on the same page as students, particularly graduate students.

“Online education was evolving quickly. We jumped in and put the entire engineering management programme online through Coursera. That turned out to be one of the most successful things we did, even though we had no idea what we were getting into at the time,” Readey noted.

Siemens contacted Readey and Bozik about developing a sustainability programme on Design for the Circular Economy. The company and university worked for two years, putting together a curriculum that would satisfy Siemens’ goals, complement Colorado’s engineering management courses, and meet ABET recognition processes and standards.

It was a fruitful relationship, with Bozic and Readey producing academic content and drawing on Siemens experts on the frontline of corporate sustainability initiatives as well as on Siemens articles, podcasts and videos. The micro-credential is offered by Siemens and recognised by the university.

“For me, it’s recognition that what Christy and I put online meets all of ABET’s criteria for a high-quality online educational credential that people can trust,” Readey said.

“It’s good for Siemens, and good for the university, to be able to say that the courses are worth college credit if you want to pay the tuition and go down that path. They’re also approved by the most important engineering accreditation programme in the US,” he noted.

The Design for the Circular Economy micro-credential consists of four specialisations, each made up of three courses; so, each specialisation requires roughly eight to 10 hours of study a week for some eight weeks. Students earn the credential by completing three specialisations. It can directly contribute towards the masters, which requires 30 credit hours in total.

Learners may enrol for credit, paying full tuition and completing all graded components, or they may take courses not for credit through a certificate option on Coursera, which has a separate fee structure. The for-credit route grants full access to university resources and ensures that the courses contribute to degree progress.

Readey noted that in principle, students can complete the entire masters online, stacking micro-credentials earned through Coursera into the full qualification. “You could take 10 courses – the equivalent of 30 credits – by attending classes in Boulder or online,” he said.

“This model represents an early example of how online credentials, when well-designed and quality assured, can integrate seamlessly into formal higher education degrees.”

The Siemens Software Story

Texas-headquartered Siemens Digital Industries Software is part of the global Siemens AG group, which has approximately 320,000 employees and an annual revenue of around US$75.9 billion. It develops credentials for knowledge and skills that relate to real-world experience, as well as Siemens’ software training. Its software training materials are available online and for free for students and faculty.

In recent years Siemens noticed that higher education was looking seriously at the need for more industry-relevant content and learning pathways, said Smith. Industry believes it has a significant role to play in the evolving world of high-quality, verified micro-credentials that respond to changing skills needs.

“We saw a willingness we hadn’t seen before. And we saw changes from the industry perspective – ourselves and our customers looking for more skills-based hiring practices and how to identify skills and have trust around how skills are identified.

“That’s why we and a few other players in the market have been pressing ABET to help address quality assurance that didn’t exist for micro-credentials. Different industry players, including ourselves, are quality learning providers, but we realised it would be good to have external third-party review and rigour,” Smith stated.

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, Siemens supported faculty-led development of learning content. The company also produced the Expedite Skills for Industry credential recognised by ABET. It comprises a series of four short courses.

“It is designed to be a connecting bridge between students’ academic journey and starting in an industry. It is the foundational knowledge and skills you need to move into the engineering and tech industry,” Janelle Simmonds, global enablement lead for future workforce strategy at Siemens Digital Industries Software, told University World News.

“We also piloted the credential with seven universities so as to have students beta test the credential before we went public with it globally in late summer.”

The Design for the Circular Economy and Expedite Skills for Industry micro-credentials are already succeeding – the number of enrolments across all the courses is more than 16,000.

Achieving credentials recognition was no walk in the park, said Simmonds. “Not only did we test every part of the ABET process, but we were able to give feedback throughout and give a sense, from an industry perspective, of what the challenges are and how we were able to navigate the process. It was a positive and productive partnership on both sides.

“We can attest to the robust standards and review process. Our assessment reports were dozens of pages. The second one was upwards of 50 pages. So yes, a very thorough process.”

What has most excited Siemens about the partnership with the University of Colorado, Boulder, is that the micro-credential is globally accessible, with non-credit courses available to any learner anywhere. But at any point, a learner can enrol at the university and earn credit.

“It unlocks a second level of assessment. It is a truly stackable model. It’s outside traditional thinking. Particularly in the US, higher education is navigating real challenges. Many universities are actively looking for alternative offerings that add value. So partnerships like this are a win for universities as well.”

The Future

Heading into the future, Simmonds said: “As a global company, we want graduates with strong, applied skills who can contribute effectively from day one. ‘Onboarding’ often takes six months to a year; by aligning academic learning with real-world credentials and industry content, we hope to shorten that transition, benefiting students, universities and employers.”

Micro-credentials and alternative learning pathways are essential in lifelong learning. For ABET, the Recognition of Credentials service represents a natural evolution of purpose. With growing demand for and acceptance of micro-credentials, ABET is extending its quality assurance to skills-based learning.

In future, it will be possible to scale up the service quite quickly, said Melanie Diaz. “Given the Recognition of Credentials review is 100% virtual, this allows ABET to reach credential offerors around the globe and provide a consistent process and standard at which credentials will be evaluated.”

ABET expects significant uptake as credentials providers become aware of the service. “As we grow, we’ll continue to ramp up recruitment of quality experts who will serve as expert credential evaluators to conduct virtual reviews and continue to implement continuous improvement measures to meet the increase in demand.”