Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees - Certification-Degree Pathways Project - November 2020

Aug 29, 2026

Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: Certification-Degree Pathways Project synthesizes opportunities, challenges, and practical partnership models for integrating high-quality industry certifications into bachelor’s degree programs. The workcred-led effort coordinated convenings across healthcare, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and liberal arts, supported by national participation from universities, certification bodies, and employers. The report outlines project activities, convenings, outreach and follow-up, key outcomes, convening themes such as quality assurance and transparency, and recommendations for scaling affordable pathways for adult learners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Activities

Convenings

Timeline

Outreach and Follow-up

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Participants, certification bodies, and the higher education community

Outcome 2: Emerging community of practice

Outcome 3: Framework for pathway examples, challenges, and opportunities

Additional Project Outcomes

Developing Value Propositions

Discovering Partnership Examples

Sharing Knowledge through the Higher Education Community

Convening Themes

Quality Credentials and Quality Assurance

Transparency

Scaling Affordable Pathways

First Credentials for Adults

Recommendations and Future Directions

EMBEDDING CERTIFICATIONS INTO BACHELOR’S DEGREES CERTIFICATIONDEGREE PATHWAYS PROJECT Funding for this publication was made possible by Lumina Foundation. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Lumina Foundation, its officers, or employees. AUTHORS WORKCRED Roy Swift, Executive Director Karen Elzey, Associate Executive Director Isabel Cardenas-Navia, Director of Research UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (UPCEA) Robert Hansen, Chief Executive Officer Julie Uranis, Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LANDGRANT UNIVERSITIES (APLU) Sheila Martin, Vice President, Economic Development and Community Engagement Shalin Jyotishi, Assistant Director, Economic Development and Community Engagement COALITION OF URBAN SERVING UNIVERSITIES (USU) Shari Garmise, Executive Director, USU; Senior Vice President, APLU Andréa Rodriguez, Director, USU/APLU Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: Certification-Degree Pathways Project 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Activities 4 Convenings 4 Timeline 5 Outreach and Follow-up 6 Outcomes 8 Results 9 Outcome 1: Participants, certification bodies, and the higher education community 9 will gain knowledge and better understand the current landscape of relationships between universities and certification bodies, and among credentials. Outcome 2: Foster an emerging community of practice between universities and ~~ ~~ 10 certification bodies. Outcome 3: Synthesize convening outcomes and themes into a framework that 11 identifies certification-degree pathway examples, challenges, and opportunities associated with building these pathways. Additional Project Outcomes 13 Developing Value Propositions 13 Discovering Partnership Examples 13 Sharing Knowledge through the Higher Education Community 22 Convening Themes 24 Quality Credentials and Quality Assurance 24 Transparency 25 Scaling Affordable Pathways 27 First Credentials for Adults 28 Recommendations and Future Directions 29 Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: Certification-Degree Pathways Project 3 ACTIVITIES Workcred, in partnership with the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities (APLU) and its permanent partner, the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU), and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), identified opportunities, challenges, and practical examples associated with integrating high- quality, industry certifications into bachelor’s degree programs in order to create more opportunities for students to earn credentials with labor-market value. This project’s main activities included planning and facilitating convenings, outreach and follow-up with convening participants, and research and synthesis of information from the first two activities. The analysis from the convenings is outlined in the outcomes and discussion sections of this report. CONVENINGS To identify examples, opportunities, and challenges associated with integrating industry certifications into bachelor’s degrees, the project team hosted four two-day convenings. Three of the convenings focused on industry sectors—healthcare, cybersecurity, and manufacturing—and one focused on the liberal arts.1 The convenings also included a discussion of cross-sector skills, such as project management or translation.2 1 A fifth convening, focused on the hospitality industry, was planned for March 26-27, 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Universities and certification bodies that expressed interest in participating in that convening have been included in future project communications. 2 See“Appendix A: Convening Agendas and Summaries” for more details on each convening. Embedding Certifications into Bachelor’s Degrees: Certification-Degree Pathways Projec

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Certification-Degree Pathways Project?

The project identifies opportunities and challenges in integrating high-quality industry certifications into bachelor’s degree programs to expand student access to labor-market valued credentials.

Which sectors were covered in the project convenings?

Four two-day convenings focused on healthcare, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and the liberal arts; a planned hospitality convening was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced with individual interviews.

What major outcomes does the report highlight?

The report describes knowledge gains about current relationships between universities and certification bodies, development of a community of practice, and synthesis into a framework with pathway examples, challenges, and opportunities.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Emma Wilson