UNA Pressroom

Una's Micro-credentials Program Designed To Help Professionals Advance Careers

Oct. 21, 2019



Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256-606-2033 or 256-765-4392 FLORENCE, AL - In the spring of 2020, the University of North Alabama will launch three micro-credentials: Professional Accounting, Instructional Technology and Design, and Spanish for the Clinical Encounter. UNA received approval from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to offer an alternative for professionals seeking to advance their careers without completing a traditional degree program. "All micro-credentials that will be offered at UNA are aligned with the 21st-century workforce demands," said Dr. Ross Alexander, UNA's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. "These small programs are designed to equip professionals with in-demand skills so they may stay at the leading edge of their fields." A micro-credential is an abbreviated program that allows professionals to gain relevant skills that are in demand in today's workforce. Compared to a traditional degree or advanced certificate program, micro-credentials take less time to complete, are offered in accelerated and flexible formats, and are labor-market driven. All students who complete a micro-credential at UNA will receive a notation on an academic transcript as well as a digital badge. Digital badges offer additional ways for professionals to share their skills with employers. A fourth micro-credential in Healthcare Simulation is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2020, pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. For details about UNA's micro-credentials, log on to www.una.edu/microcredentials. About The University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National