Online microcredentials

Microcredentials are short certification courses that allow you to build industry-relevant skills at a university level.

The microcredentials available online through Open Universities Australia are subjects taken from undergraduate and postgraduate courses. You can enrol in them without committing to any further study. The benefit to this is that you will only upskill in the area you want to, and you don’t have to spend time or money on study you don’t need. These microcredentials are offered at different proficiently levels, so you will want to check if there are any entry requirements before enrolling.

Once you complete your microcredential, you will receive a certificate of completion that you can share with employers.

The National Microcredentials Framework was developed by the Australian Government in 2021 to standardise microcredentials, which were previously unregulated. Now, course providers must ensure that Australian microcredentials fit the following criteria:

• The course must run for at least an hour, and up to several months, provided it’s shorter than an award qualification
• The course must have an industry-specific learning outcome
• The course must be assessed

It’s best to enrol in a microcredential with a recognised university or TAFE to ensure that it fits this framework and will be respected by employers. You can find universities offering microcredentials through Open Universities Australia.

It’s easy to be confused about the difference between microcredentials and short courses because they are very similar. Think of it like this:

• Microcredentials include a formal assessment like an essay, test or exam, and are designed to give you skills and knowledge that you can use to address a need or shortage in your industry.
• Short courses do include assessments, but are not required to test your knowledge. For this reason, they’re a good option for you if you’d like to learn without pressure, get hands-on training or find a new hobby. 

With Australia facing significant skills shortages across many industries, businesses need workers who are willing to invest in themselves and fill these gaps, fast. Employers value microcredentials because they show that you have upskilled in your field at a university level.

Some microcredentials are recognised by professional bodies and can be used to meet your continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. You should check the course description carefully before enrolling to ensure the course fits the criteria. You can also call us to ask us about this if you’re unsure.

It’s important to note that microcredentialing isn’t the same as earning an award qualification like a certificate, diploma or degree. But a microcredential can give your resume a much-needed boost.

If you’d like to study at university for the first time, you can start with an ‘open enrolment’ microcredential. These microcredential subjects don’t have entry requirements and can help you get into a related undergraduate qualification. 

If you have studied at uni before and you want to earn a postgraduate qualification in the future, there are options for you too. Many microcredentials count as academic credit towards certificates, diplomas and degrees.  

Chat with us to find out more about this.  

The cost of your microcredential course will vary depending on the university that you study with, and the complexity of the topic. Microcredentials typically range from $499 to $3,500. 

Since all online microcredentials available through Open Universities Australia are university subjects, they are covered by HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP funding. This means you can choose to put off paying your course fee until you’re earning a suitable income. 

Some microcredential subjects can be combined or ‘stacked’ together over time to create a qualification. 

You can stack four undergraduate-level microcredentials together to form an undergraduate certificate. And you can stack four postgraduate-level microcredentials together to form a graduate certificate. This is an option worth considering if you’d like a more formal recognition of your study efforts.

You can explore undergraduate certificates and graduate certificates through our website. This will tell you which microcredential subjects to focus on.