CampusTalks Insights: How William Woods University Is Preparing Its Students for Work
Students today seek relevance, flexibility, and career readiness from their college experience. William Woods University (WWU) meets this need by seamlessly integrating industry micro-credentials into liberal arts programs.
By adding industry-recognized micro-credentials to its curricula, WWU has empowered students to build job-ready skills and enriched teaching practices across its Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programs, as shared by the university in a recent CampusTalks webinar. WWU’s model serves as a useful guide for institutions that want to align their curriculum with industry trends and harness the transformative power of micro-credentials.
Highlights
WWU students and faculty enthusiastically welcomed the introduction of industry micro-credentials.
WWU’s innovative approach enables faculty to integrate relevant industry certificates into their courses and programs.
Faculty buy-in and growing enthusiasm have led to a ~5x increase in the number of courses offered at WWU.
Students can build in-demand job skills with ‌industry leaders while earning career credentials, increasing their employability.
University adoption has steadily grown as students are drawn to earn industry-recognized certificates alongside their degree.
How did WWU embed micro-credentials into its curriculum?
"We have a long history of innovating," said Dr. Jeremy L. Moreland, President at WWU. Indeed, the institution’s culture of innovation, adaptability, and enthusiasm enabled its seamless adoption of Professional Certificates from Coursera’s Career Academy. Students can earn Professional Certificates, a type of micro-credential, to build skills for jobs while learning from industry leaders such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, and Meta.
The university developed a step-by-step guide to introduce Professional Certificates across academic departments in three stages. “We started with some early adopters out of the School of Business," explained Dr. Aimee Sapp, Provost and Chief Academic Officer. "We had three faculty and three certificates that we started out with and that took off quickly."
This initial cluster of enthusiasts sparked interest across the university, leading to organic adoption as more faculty saw value. WWU’s guide also outlined relevant content for each department that added depth to the existing curriculum, while the university provided instructor training to foster buy-in.
"Our faculty embraced this quickly," said Dr. Sapp, which contributed to a ~5x increase in the number of courses offered. "They use the certificates almost like assignments, allowing students to earn the credential while also learning from their faculty member." Today, Professional Certificates—as well as the full Coursera catalog—are integrated across five of six academic schools in diverse courses, enhancing the value of WWU’s liberal arts degrees.
Our faculty embraced this quickly. They use the certificates almost like assignments, allowing students to earn the credential while also learning from their faculty member.
Dr. Aimee Sapp, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, WWU
WWU is championing student success through micro-credentials
The program has received positive feedback from students, interest from employers in hiring graduates with valuable skills, and an increase in enrollment driven by industry-recognized career credentials. Dr. Sapp shared stories about students who showcased their badges online and were subsequently offered jobs.
"The growth we saw and the positive feedback from students was just really incredible," Dr. Sapp said. Dr. Ted Blashak, Chief Student Experience Officer and SVP of Operations, added, "We're starting to see [improvements] from a student acquisition perspective as well." Students appreciate the interactive content and career advantages, as well as the reduced textbook costs.
We're starting to see [improvements] from a student acquisition perspective as well.
Dr. Ted Blashak, Chief Student Experience Officer and SVP of Operations, WWU
WWU’s nimble approach to digital transformation provides a blueprint to prepare students for career success while enhancing the value of university programs. We’re proud to partner with innovative schools like WWU to help shape the curricula of tomorrow. Learn how universities around the world are benefiting from micro-credentials and seeing a rise in enrollments, rankings, and reputation.
This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.