In today’s rapidly changing job market, continuous learning with microcredentials isn’t just an advantage, it’s a necessity. As industries like technology, finance, and digital marketing evolve, professionals must consistently upgrade their skills to stay relevant. Microcredentials for professional growth provide a flexible, targeted, and efficient way to enhance expertise, making lifelong learning career development more accessible than ever. But are microcredentials truly the key to lifelong learning? Let’s explore the role of microcredentials in career development, skills development, and future-proofing your career.
Microcredentials and lifelong learning go hand in hand. These compact, skill-focused certifications are designed for quick and practical learning. Unlike traditional degrees that take years to complete, microcredentials in technology, finance, and marketing can be earned in just a few weeks or months. Many microcredentials are offered online and can be shared on LinkedIn, resumes, and job applications to showcase specialized qualifications to employers.
The Role of Microcredentials in Lifelong Learning Link
Microcredentials for continuous career advancement are reshaping how professionals stay competitive by offering:
For example, industries such as technology, finance, and digital marketing change at a breakneck pace. Microcredentials for professional growth allow professionals to gain timely, relevant skills and stay ahead of market trends, ensuring career longevity and job security.
Additionally, ongoing education is crucial for lifelong learning career development. Microcredentials and lifelong learning offer a structured yet flexible way to build expertise, making them ideal for working professionals who want to upskill without committing to a full degree program. As a result, these certifications help individuals stay competitive in the job market and open doors to new opportunities.
Consequently, with automation and AI reshaping industries, traditional roles are evolving. Future-proof your career with microcredentials by gaining specialized knowledge in emerging fields, helping professionals adapt to changing job requirements and maintain long-term employability.
Additionally, employers recognize the value of microcredentials for continuous career advancement as proof of expertise. Individuals who pursue these certifications demonstrate a commitment to self-improvement, making them more attractive candidates for promotions and higher-paying positions.
Digital learning and career progression go hand in hand with microcredentials after all. Online courses allow professionals to upskill while balancing work, family, and personal responsibilities, ensuring continuous career progression without disrupting daily routines.
The Benefits of Lifelong Learning Through Microcredentials Link
All in all, investing in microcredentials and lifelong learning offers multiple advantages, including:
Cost-effectiveness: Compared to traditional degrees, microcredentials are more affordable and time-efficient.
Specialized knowledge: Focused learning ensures professionals acquire the exact skills they need.
Flexibility: Online options enable learners to balance education with work and personal life.
Employer recognition: Many companies now accept lifelong learning certifications as valid proof of expertise, enhancing career opportunities.
So are you ready to take your career to the next level? Explore microcredential programs with the Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies today and unlock new opportunities for success!
Tuition Incentive Grant Reduces Per-Credit Rate by Nearly 25%, Making a Syracuse University Education More Accessible to Working Adults
The College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University is providing all undergraduate students admitted to and enrolled in its online programs with the Tuition Incentive Grant, effectively reducing the per-credit rate from $750 to $575. This reduction of $175 per credit hour demonstrates the College’s commitment to making quality education more accessible to working adults pursuing their bachelor’s degrees.
The Tuition Incentive Grant is automatically applied to all part-time undergraduate online students in the College of Professional Studies. No additional application or eligibility requirements are needed beyond admission and enrollment. This grant reduces the financial investment required to earn a Syracuse University degree while maintaining work and family responsibilities.
“The Tuition Incentive Grant demonstrates our commitment to expanding opportunities for working professionals to earn their Syracuse University degree,” said Michael Frasciello, dean of the College of Professional Studies. “We recognize that adult learners are making significant investments in their futures, and this automatic grant helps reduce that investment while maintaining the innovative course design, market-responsive programs and top-tier faculty for which the University is known.”
The grant applies to all part-time, undergraduate, online programs offered through the College of Professional Studies, encompassing degrees in business management, project management, organizational development and leadership, cybersecurity, and healthcare administration. Through a blend of asynchronous and synchronous online course delivery, multiple start dates throughout the year, and dedicated support services, the college ensures that adult learners can successfully integrate their educational pursuits with professional and personal responsibilities.
This tuition reduction addresses the critical need for affordable pathways to degree completion at a time when career advancement increasingly requires bachelor’s degree credentials. The initiative recognizes that many working adults have delayed or interrupted their educational journeys due to financial constraints, and the reduced tuition rate removes a significant barrier to degree completion. By making this investment in affordability, Syracuse University College of Professional Studies demonstrates its understanding that accessible education benefits not only individual students but also strengthens the broader workforce and economy.
Students interested in learning more about the Tuition Incentive Grant and exploring program options should contact the College of Professional Studies admissions office at 315-443-9378 or parttime@syr.edu. Admissions counselors are available to discuss how the grant applies to specific program paths and to help prospective students understand the full range of financial resources available to support their educational goals.
Join us as we celebrate collaboration in online course design and development. Meet and share ideas with other professionals from the schools and colleges of Syracuse University.
Please mark your calendar to join us for a behind-the-scenes look at our online courses. Talk with University faculty who have participated in the course design process. Learn how collaboration with The Center for Online and Digital Learning at Syracuse University adds value to academic programs across campus and to students across the world.
Wed., Oct. 22, 2025
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bisignano Grand Hall at the D’Aniello National Veterans Resource Center
Please RSVP here. You don’t need to RSVP to attend! Stop by to learn more about how we bring courses to life for the University.
Jason Curry: BPS 211 Introduction to Professional Studies Link
Spotlighting critical thinking videos for instructional design message creation and student roundtables for course outcomes, with a focus on the application of critical thinking.
Jason Curry has more than 15 years of professional and higher education experience across various roles, including faculty, regulatory compliance, corporate, institutional and programmatic accreditation, distance education, and leadership. Prior to joining Syracuse University, Curry served as a curriculum and student consumer research analyst in the Licensing and Registration Unit at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. In addition to his regulatory background, Curry was an assistant professor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, and an instructor and program administrator for the Bachelor of Science in Workforce Leadership program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Curry also served as the director of education and academic affairs at ATA College. In addition, he has held several contract and full-time instructional design, evaluation, and leadership roles for companies such as Humana, LaserShip, Carley Corporation, TCF Bank, and Sears Holdings Corporation.
Katrin Steele: PPM 610 Project Management Fundamentals Link
Katrin Steele is a professor of practice in the Project Management Program in the College of Professional Studies at Syracuse University. She has a 27-year career characterized by diverse roles across biotechnology manufacturing processes, operations quality, and learning and performance. With a strong background as a servant leader and project management expert, she brings extensive practical experience and a commitment to fostering both academic and professional excellence.
Susan Conklin: CRL 313 Strategic Leadership in Professional Studies Link
Spotlighting live session worksheets and applying metacognition to support self-reflection.
Susan Conklin is a professor of organizational development and leadership, as well as an experienced consultant and trainer. She draws on more than 35 years of experience managing people and projects to develop training programs that improve business performance. Her consulting, training, and coaching services focus on personal and interpersonal skill development, leadership, and organizational development. Her clients include public and private corporations and institutions. Conklin holds an MBA from Syracuse University with a concentration in organizational development and marketing. Her corporate experience includes leadership positions with GE and Carrier Corporation, as well as with several small businesses. In addition to her consulting work, Conklin has been teaching management and leadership classes in higher education for more than 20 years.
Emily Nolan: ATR 724 Trauma and Art Therapy: Theories and Applications Link
Spotlighting experiential and scenario-based learning in somatic therapy, experiential and constructivist approaches in trauma-informed art therapy, and audio-guided experiential learning for healing and post-traumatic growth.
Emily Goldstein Nolan joined the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Department of Creative Arts Therapy as a non-tenure-track professor of practice in Fall 2020. She founded a nonprofit organization, Bloom Art and Integrated Therapies, Inc., that focuses on providing access to mental health care and art therapy. Bloom partners with many community organizations to provide innovative treatment. Nolan earned a DAT in 2014 from Mount Mary University, an MA in 2005 from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, and a BFA in 1999 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Rochele Royster: ATR 823 Thesis or Culminating Project II Link
Spotlighting three podcast interviews that highlight the real-world research, inclusive practices, and diverse expertise of guest speakers to inspire students working on their thesis projects. Course assignments were scaffolded to support students in developing and presenting their thesis research projects.
Rochele Royster, PhD, ATR-BC, is an assistant professor of art therapy in the Department of Creative Arts Therapy at Syracuse University. With more than 20 years of experience integrating art therapy into educational settings, she specializes in trauma-informed classrooms, special education, and community-based practice. Her teaching is grounded in a transdisciplinary approach that explores race, power, and policy in education. Royster’s work bridges art, social justice, and pedagogy, preparing students to use creative methods for systemic change.
Spotlighting trial practice skills in action with a demonstration of direct examination.
Todd A. Berger serves as the director of advocacy programs and the director of the College of Law’s joint JD/LLM program in Advocacy and Litigation. His scholarship focuses on criminal law and procedure, as well as the intersection of trial advocacy and attorney ethics. Berger also serves as the faculty host of the American Bar Association’s Law Student Podcast. Berger earned a BA from George Washington University, a JD from Temple University School of Law, and an LLM in Trial Advocacy from Temple University.
Arien Rozelle: STC 319 Digital Analytics for Strategic Communication Link
Spotlighting the integration of the social media platform Threads and the analytics platform Brandwatch for content repetition, to connect students with one another, and as an opportunity for critical thinking. Spotlighting the use of student Threads submissions as data for a reflection assignment on the topics of confirmation bias, echo chambers, and selective exposure.
Arien Rozelle is an assistant teaching professor in the public relations department. She teaches courses in public relations campaigns, public relations writing, and public relations ethics. She also advises students who compete in the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition and led the Newhouse team to place third in the nation in 2025. Rozelle is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and, in 2024, was named Educator of the Year by the PRSA Rochester Chapter. She is an active member of AEJMC’s Public Relations Division, which awarded her the Top Great Idea for Teaching (GIFT) in 2025. As a public relations practitioner, she founded and operated a boutique PR firm in New York City and is now a consultant to a variety of clients. Rozelle earned a BA in communication from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an MA in public relations and corporate communication from New York University.
Soo-Yeon Hong: STC 348 Principles of DEIA in Communications Link
Spotlighting video variety and reflection journals as strong examples of increasing students’ engagement with course material and their engagement in their own thinking processes.
Soo Yeon Hong teaches introductory graphic design, social media, visual communications theory, and multimedia storytelling courses to undergraduate, graduate, and military students. She brings to the classroom an unusual element of diversity, given her PhD in communications from the Newhouse School, her PR and graphic design expertise gained in her earlier professional career, and her creative writing skills learned from National Book Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning authors.
Hong holds a PhD in mass communications from the Newhouse School and an MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Boston University, where she was awarded the 2012 Saul Bellow Prize in Fiction. She has taught at Boston University and Virginia Commonwealth University, in addition to Syracuse University, where she also teaches in Communications@Syracuse. Hong was a marketer at LG, a graphic designer at Time and Health magazines, and an editorial assistant to the co-editor of Communications Research journal. She was a semifinalist for the 2014–2015 Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship.
Syracuse University has a long history of support for those who serve in our country’s armed forces. At the College of Professional Studies, our mission is to provide meaningful assistance to the military-connected population seeking a Syracuse University education. Miguel Pica, military student success specialist in the Office of Online Student Success, stays true to this mission by assisting the military-connected students. In this Q & A, get to know Miguel and his role in the Office of Online Student Success.
What’s your current role and what does it involve?
My current role at the College of Professional Studies is military student success specialist. I primarily serve as the academic advisor for our non-traditional military student population and military-connected students across multiple academic programs offered at our college and serve as the subject matter expert in conducting transfer credit evaluations (TCE) from our military population directly related to their military service.
How long have you been with the College of Professional Studies, and what’s your journey been like?
I have been with the College of Professional Studies since Fall 2023 and my journey has been exciting each and every day. Every interaction I have with my students has been memorable and more importantly, an opportunity to truly give back to the community I am also part of.
In one sentence, how would you describe your department’s mission?
The Office of Online Student Success fosters a supportive environment where online students are embraced as valued members of the Syracuse University community, pairing each admitted student with a dedicated online success advisor who offers personalized academic and online success advising, proactive outreach, and coordinated resources to empower both academic and personal development throughout their degree journey.
Can you share a student interaction that left a lasting impact on you?
Honestly, there are several interactions I have had that have left a lasting impact. The most recent was this past graduation.
One of our students graduated this past Spring. While his primary advisor was my supervisor, Jonah Fugo, his story is nothing short but amazing. Liam and I actually served together in the Army at Fort Campbell, KY back in 2015/2016. We both went through selection for 160th SOAR (A) and successfully completed our training. While we were both assigned different companies (due to our occupations), we both served in the same unit. Somehow, we both ended up at Syracuse University. After seeing him walk, we both took a moment to catch up on life following the closing of the ceremony. This interaction truly reminded me how small and close the military community is.
How does your team help students succeed in the real world?
Compared to the traditional students on campus, majority of our students are already well into their careers (i.e., military, corporate, professional athletes, etc.). We are mostly used as resources to support our non-traditional students in their next career advancement and/or either excel or pivot in their career.
Members of the Online Student Success team outside of the College of Professional Studies.
In what ways does your team go above and beyond to serve your students?
Our team are always readily available and actively responsive to student emails/needs. Whether it is to support our students or when we get a call from students on Main Campus, we do our best to direct them to the resource needed. When it comes to my role, I am either connecting students to either University and/or Military resources.
What advice would you offer to prospective or current students?
The advice I would give prospect and/or current students is to pursue the education that best suits your needs. Not only professionally but more importantly, your interests. With that in mind, it is okay to change your major at any moment you feel the need to switch. Syracuse University will support you!
As an undergraduate alumnus from ‘21, I can assure you that it is okay. When I first started my journey at Syracuse, I started majoring in biology and finished my education as a policy studies graduate. Sometimes, all it takes is one course to inspire you to pursue a major that you may have never considered before.
From your experience, what makes the College of Professional Studies stand out as a leading environment for teaching and learning?
From my experience and exposure to the teaching and learning environment of the College of Professional Studies, what makes this college unique is the flexibility it offers to the students it serves. All courses offered are Online, administered in an 8-week format, and in the evening. This specific format caters to the non-traditional students, meeting the mission set forth by our previous Founding Dean, Kenneth G. Bartlett, and Chancellor William Pearson Tolley.
The quotes above are hung on the fourth floor in the College of Professional Studies and it is something our current Dean, Michael J. Frasciello, reminds our faculty and staff of our college’s mission. While our communities constantly change, these quotes continue to remain true. Reminding myself that our college continues to strive in meeting today’s challenges within higher education head-on. This is what makes our college truly unique and stand out.
“University College is more than a night school. It is an idea that in an age of continuous change, learning must be continuous as well. In an age of rapid change, democratic institutions need the steadying influence of continuous education. That is our purpose at University College.”
-Founding Dean Kenneth G. Barlett, Inaugural address to the staff and faculty, 1948.
“We are building a college that will dare to do things, to experiment, to assume responsibility for the unsuccessful effort as well as the successful venture, to not be bound by tradition but responsive to change and to community and adult student needs.”
-Chancellor William Pearson Tolley, Address to Syracuse University Senate chartering University College, 1947.
The quotes above are hung on the fourth floor in the College of Professional Studies and it is something our current Dean, Michael J. Frasciello, reminds our faculty and staff of our college’s mission. While our communities constantly change, these quotes continue to remain true. Reminding myself that our college continues to strive in meeting today’s challenges within higher education head-on. This is what makes our college truly unique and stand out.
In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, education is no longer one-size-fits-all. Students and professionals are rethinking what it means to be “qualified,” with many asking: Are microcredentials better than degrees? As demand grows for flexible, skill-focused learning, microcredentials in education are emerging as a powerful alternative to traditional academic degrees.
At Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies, we’re leading the conversation around alternative education pathways, offering learners the opportunity to gain relevant skills without sacrificing time, cost, or career momentum.
Microcredentials are short, focused online programs that teach in-demand skills for today’s workforce. They’re flexible, affordable, and career-driven. Microcredentials act as the perfect pathway for professionals who want to learn something new, earn a promotion, or switch industries.
Popular in fields like project management, cybersecurity, healthcare, and business, microcredentials are designed to prepare students for the modern job market and help learners gain practical skills to get job-ready fast.
Microcredentials zoom in on specific, actionable skills. They’re often delivered online and are self-paced, fitting neatly around work and life.
Degrees provide a holistic learning experience: theory, practice, collaboration, and deep exploration across disciplines.
Career Impact
For fast-moving industries, microcredentials can be a powerful tool for gaining relevance quickly.
Traditional degrees remain essential for leadership roles, advanced research, and professions that require intensive accreditation.
How to Know If Microcredentials Are Right for You Link
As the education space evolves, the benefits of microcredentials over degrees are becoming clearer. You might be a good fit for microcredentials if you’re looking for:
Speed and flexibility: Microcredentials can be completed in weeks or months, often on your schedule.
Lower cost: These programs are typically more affordable than full-time degrees.
Career-focused learning: Each course targets skills that directly apply to your current or future job.
Stackable learning: You can build a series of microcredentials over time, or even apply them toward a full certificate or degree.
The future of higher education is flexible, practical, and focused on real-world skills. As more employers shift toward skill-based hiring, microcredentials are becoming an essential part of career development.
Microcredentials help professionals stay current, build confidence, and stay competitive in today’s fast-moving job market. At Syracuse University’s College of Professional Studies, we design our programs to meet learners where they are, and guide them to where they want to go. Whether you’re building new skills, changing careers, or advancing in your current role, our microcredentials are created to help you move forward with purpose.
Explore how our programs are redefining the future of learning.
