Benefits of Earning Alternative Credentials:
One-Year Follow-up
This brief summarizes findings from the third and final survey in a longitudinal study of the benefits and costs to learners of participating in MOOC-based alternative credentials.
Note that we received few responses to this follow up survey which limits our ability to generalize about trends across time and about the population of learners earning these credentials. We report the results here as indicative of learner experiences a year after completing a MicroMasters or Specialization but caution readers not to assume these findings would apply to all such learners.
Key Takeaways
A year or more after earning a MicroMasters or Specialization:
Ø 33% of learners claimed their job performance had improved as a result of earning the credential
o Among this subset of learners, 30% indicated that this improvement was due to improvement in their knowledge of relevant topics
o 25% indicated that the quality of their work had improved
Ø 19% of learners claimed the credential improved their applications to different employers from those for whom they were working
Ø 15% claimed the credential improved their application to a first job
Ø While none of the respondents enrolled in a degree program at the universities offering the credentials, almost one in six enrolled in a program at a different university
Ø Over one third of the respondents went on to participate in a variety of additional alternative credentials
o Over a third of this subset of learners received some form of support from their employers towards their participation in the programs
Additional Reports on This Topic
Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-Based Alternative Credentials: MicroMasters and Specializations (2023)
This report summarizes findings about the benefits and costs of participating in MicroMasters or Specializations programs from almost 26,000 learners who started a program and almost 2,300 who completed one. We also present findings for a small number of participants who completed surveys at both the beginning and end of the programs.
Employer Support for Employee Participation in Alternative Credentials (2023)
This research brief provides a deeper dive into data from the study Benefits and Costs of Participation in MOOC-based Alternative Credentials exploring the extent to which employers encouraged or supported employees in participating in Specializations or MicroMasters.