WGU launches new microcredential in Information Technology

RENO, Nev. — Western Governors University recently announced the university's first globally available microcredential in Information Technology (IT).

WGU's IT Career Framework MicroBachelors program is designed to create pathways for individuals looking to advance their IT careers, according to a press release from the school.

Credit-backed and stackable, WGU's new microcredential provides value as a standalone credential, but also allows busy working learners to apply credit toward a bachelor's degree program at WGU, pending admission.

“WGU is committed to ensuring that we address the needs of working learners,” WGU Provost and Chief Academic Officer Marni Baker Stein said in a statement. “We've developed this program to serve as an industry-verified standalone credential as well as a stepping stone to several WGU bachelor's degree programs in the College of IT. This pathway ensures that busy students acquire valuable credentials as they work toward their degrees.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and IT occupations is expected to grow 12 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. And according to CompTIA's 2019 Cyberstates Report, there were 3.7 million postings for tech occupation job openings in 2018 alone.

The microcredential stacks into seven IT bachelor's degree programs at WGU: B.S. Computer Science, B.S. Software Development, B.S. Cloud and Systems Administration, B.S. Data Management/Data Analytics, B.S. Information Technology, B.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance, and B.S. Network Operations and Security.

Go to www.wgu.edu to learn more.