Why the University of Texas System is offering microcredentials to students — for free

Higher Ed Dive

Lilah Burke

February 26, 2025

 Microcredentials are often touted as a way for students and working adults to learn skills and move into new industries without the same time and money commitment required to pursue a college degree. But some college officials are working to pair microcredentials with a traditional four-year education.

The University of Texas System expanded its partnership with Coursera late last year to provide some 15,000 students across its five health campuses with free access to the online learning platform’s microcredentials. Through the partnership, students, faculty, staff, and alumni have access to Coursera’s Career Academy, which offers some 50 professional certificate programs with companies like Google and Microsoft.

System officials say they hope the microcredentials help students build upon their college classwork to succeed in the workforce. The results of pairing microcredentials with degree programs have not been fully studied, but higher education experts say they may offer benefits for students.

The partnership has been active on the UT System’s nine academic campuses since August 2023 following a pilot launched the year before. Together, the campuses collectively enroll some 245,000 students. The partnership has so far cost the UT System about $1.7 million dollars.

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