About Micro-Credentials

While hundreds of individuals might earn the same badge, each badge is unique due to its verifiable metadata. Metadata includes information regarding issuing institution, date of issuance, criteria for earning and evidence that the learner has met the criteria. Evidence is supporting information such as: the learner’s work, rubrics, course information, peer or expert endorsement, narratives, documents, videos, etc. Evidence can be uploaded or shared via a link. Each program will require a distinct piece of evidence that will be embedded in your badge.

Micro-credentials allow you to gain knowledge and skills in areas that are important to you. Because micro-credentials are small programs, they are easier to add to your schedule than a full major, minor or certificate. This allows you to diversify your skill-set and earn credentials that help you to meet your unique goals.

Micro-credentials and digital badges at UB are aligned with the competencies of 21^st century workforce, including critical thinking, professionalism, intercultural fluency, digital technology and more. These programs are specifically designed to better equip you with the skills that employees demand and to help you to communicate those skills in the right setting.

Digital badges are valuable in that they offer more ways to showcase and share skills, knowledge and achievements, than a typical transcript. Digital badges can be shared:

• On your social media accounts, such as LinkedIn.
• On your digital resumes.
• In your ePortfolio.
• In your email signature.

Take a look at the What are Micro-Credentials tab to see what courses we currently offer credentials for. Be sure to check back in the coming months, as new courses and programs will be added.

All course and program enrollment questions should be directed to our Admissions team. More information for each program can also be found by clicking on the course or program name.

To enroll in your desired course or program visit the respective page, where you will find full enrollment directions. If you have additional questions on how to register and pay for the course or program of your desire, please connect with a representative from our Admissions Team and they will be able to assist you with the registrations process.

If you have already satisfactorily completed one or more of the approved micro-credential courses, you may request to be issued the earned micro-credential.

Acclaim is the platform used by UMBC Training Centers for issuing and earning digital badges. Once you complete all of the requirements for a digital badge, including submitting your evidence to the program coordinator, you will be awarded a digital badge through Acclaim (if your program was credit-bearing, you will also receive academic transcript notation).

Congratulations, you have earned a digital badge from UMBC Training Centers! Digital badges are credentials that you own, so you can decide how you want to share them.

You will be notified via email that your badge is available. For first time users, the email will prompt you to sign up on Acclaim.

To immediately share your badge, click on “Accept your Badge” within that email. You will be directed to Acclaim’s login page. Create an account using a reliable, personal email address.

Once logged in, you will see your badge and the evidence for which you earned it. To share on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, click on the “share” button and select the social media platform(s) of your choice. You will be prompted to allow Acclaim to access to your social media account(s) to post your badge.

If you choose not to immediately share your badge, you can log in to your Acclaim account at any time to access and share your badges. To do so you must:

1. Log into your account.
2. Select the badge you’d like to share.
3. At the top of the page, select the “share” button.
4. You will be brought to the “share badge” screen where you can find different tabs directing you to connect your social media accounts and share your badge.

There are several ways you can share your digital badge. Once you are logged into your account and have navigated to the Share Badge screen you will see the following sharing options:

1. Social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and XING). Select one of these social media platforms and click to connect. You will be prompted to log in to your account.
2. Email. Select the email tab and you will be prompted to create a message with the subject line “View my verified achievement from UMBC Training Centers!”
3. Link. Select the link tab to copy the badge URL. This URL can be shared on a resume, e-portfolio, website, etc.
4. Embed code. Select the embed tab, then, copy and paste the code to display your digital badge directly on your webpage, blog or anywhere else that accepts HTML.
5. Download. Select the download tab to download your badge to your computer or other device.
6. Print. Select the print tab to download a printable certificate that showcases your badge (please note that this option is not available for all badges).

For more information on ways to share your digital badges, please visit the Acclaim Help Center.

You can choose to make your Acclaim profile—and your individual badges—viewable to the public or viewable only to you. To manage your privacy settings, log in to your Acclaim account.

To manage profile privacy:

1. Click the profile icon in the top right corner of the page.
2. Select “settings”.
3. Select “profile” from the menu on the left.
4. Check or uncheck the “make profile private” box, toward the bottom of the screen.

To manage badge privacy:

1. From your dashboard, select the badge you’d like to manage.
2. From the top of the screen select the “more” icon.
3. Select “make badge private”.

Please note that if you’d like to share either your profile or a badge, they must be marked public.

To Check out more step-by-step tutorials and FAQs, check out Acclaims Help Center