Empowering Innovators and Lifelong Learners
Boost your skills and earn a free digital badge! Northern’s self-paced micro-credentials let you develop real-world expertise without committing to a full course or degree. Earn badges like the Ambassador Badge to showcase your dedication and leadership.
Northern Micro-Credential Program At-A-Glance
- 35 (and counting!) micro-credentials offered for free
- Over 3,000 badges awarded to Northern students, staff and faculty
- Over 1,500 unique earners
- 1-3 hours average time to complete a micro-credential and earn a badge
Micro-Credential Topics
- Generative AI
- Art and Design
- Resilience and Decision-making
- Lean Six Sigma
- Faculty Training
- Networking and Resume Building
Any Northern student or faculty member can take a micro-credential—and they’re completely free! Professors can also integrate them into their courses as they see fit.
Through Credly, the world’s leading digital badging platform, Northern offers verified skills
training for students, employees, and the community.
What is a Digital Badge?
A digital badge is a modern, shareable credential that showcases your skills and
expertise. It’s:
- A micro-credential for in-demand skills and experience
- Self-paced and non-credit-bearing
- Hands-on learning, based on a "learn-by-doing" model
- A digital replacement for traditional paper certificates
- Easily shareable on LinkedIn and other platforms, with built-in metadata to verify your achievement to employers
Have an idea for a micro-credential?
You could be compensated for your idea! Learn more:
Skill Badges
Online Instructor Certification (Faculty Only)
Learners will enhance their teaching philosophy with research-based principles, develop expertise in using D2L for course organization, and design inclusive, accessible online courses aligned with the UbD framework and ADA standards.
Driving Impactful and Sustainable Decisions
This micro credential equips you with strategies to navigate complex, evolving challenges while maintaining thoughtful, strategic decision-making. It emphasizes adaptability as a key skill in a constantly changing world.
Ethical Leadership in High-stake Decision Making
When tough calls arise, how do you ensure your decisions align with your values and integrity? In this micro credential, we'll explore the foundations of ethical decision-making—breaking down the principles that help guide leaders toward morally responsible choices, even when the stakes are high.
Building Emotional Resilience for Decision Making
This course explores how emotions influence decision-making and teaches techniques to stay composed under pressure. You'll develop emotional resilience to make confident, clear-headed choices in high-stakes situations.
Understanding Pressure for Better Decision Making
This course explores how pressure, while stressful, can drive growth and impactful decision-making. You'll develop resilience and strategic thinking to thrive in high-pressure situations.
Lean Six Sigma Applications
Learn the basics of problem solving using Lean Sigma Six as part of Northern's Micro Credential program.
Strategic Decision Making in a High-Stakes Environment
Whether you're juggling tight deadlines, demanding stakeholders, or complex situations, making sound decisions when the stakes are high isn't always easy. In this course, we'll break down the strategies to help you stay calm, prioritize effectively, and make impactful decisions even when the pressure is on.
Northern Apps 101
In a step-by-step model, learn the basics of the apps you will need to use to be successful at Northern.
Northern Micro Credential Ambassador
Micro-credentials at the university level are reshaping education and encouraging lifelong learning. As Northern’s portfolio continues to grow, it’s important for every student to grasp the purpose, goals, and value of our micro-credential program.
Growing Your LinkedIn Network
You will update and professionalize your LinkedIn profile in a step-by-step learn-by-doing model. You will familiarize yourself with the core aspects of the app, learn the importance of network cultivation, engage with peers, companies and causes all while building your personal, professional profile to make you and your career goals stand out.
AI Primer: Effective Prompt Writing for ChatGPT (Updated for 4 Omni)
Mastering effective prompt writing for ChatGPT is particularly valuable for college students and content creators. Expect to learn terms and definitions, how ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLM) work and understand the structure and process of creating effective prompts.
Understanding and Addressing Bias
Understand the origins and sources of assumptions and biases, differentiate between types of bias, analyze personal bias through self-assessment, examine the neuroscience and case studies of implicit bias, and reflect on the impact and mitigation of bias.
Writing Ethically with AI
Explore the ethical implications of AI-assisted writing, examining whether tools like ChatGPT enhance writing skills or contribute to academic dishonesty. It challenges learners to consider AI’s role in writing and its impact on creativity and originality.
Social Thinking and Social Influence
Explore human perception and social influence across four main sections: Forming Impressions of Others, The Problem of Prejudice, The Power of Persuasion, and The Power of Social Pressure.
HyFlex Cohort
Learners will gain expertise in HyFlex course design, evaluating its effectiveness, creating syllabi and lesson plans, implementing best practices, and reflecting on their teaching strengths and areas for growth.
Intro to Design Thinking: Ideation, Evaluation, and Visual Literacy
Design Thinking is a user-focused approach that enhances creativity and problem-solving, giving designers and businesses a competitive edge. By mastering this process, individuals can refine their research, ideation, and solution development in an increasingly automated world.
AI Primer: Effective Prompt Writing for ChatGPT
Mastering effective prompt writing for ChatGPT is particularly valuable for college students and content creators. Expect to learn terms and definitions, how ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLM) work and understand the structure and process of creating effective prompts.
Networking Glow Up
Networking Glow Up helps you enhance your professional profile, connect with peers and mentors, and engage with topics of interest on LinkedIn. As the world's largest professional network, LinkedIn offers opportunities to build relationships, find jobs or internships, and develop career skills.
Speaking the Same Language About Digital Badging
In this course you will learn how to speak with Consistency, Clarity, Unity and Professionalism around the subject of micro-credentials and digital badges, what they mean for the students, why they are a vital part of life-long learning and how they will drive enrollment and engagement in the Northern ecosystem.
Recognition Badges
President's List Fall 2024
The Presidents List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. President’s List is for full and part time students with a 4.0 GPA.
Dean's List Fall 2024
The Dean's List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Dean's List is for full and part time students with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.
Northern Edge Grant Recipient 2024
Created in 2020, the purpose of the Northern Edge Award is to augment existing funding sources for undergraduate scholarship at Northern State University. It is intended to aid student scholarship in under-represented disciplines and/or projects that may not be eligible/competitive for other funding opportunities on campus.
President's List Spring 2024
The Presidents List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. President’s List is for full and part time students with a 4.0 GPA.
Dean's List Spring 2024
The Dean's List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Dean's List is for full and part time students with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.
Pitch Competition Winner
The badge earner was a winner in the Northern State University Idea Pitch Competition, which promotes entrepreneurial and creative thinking. The competition also fosters collaboration by pairing students with faculty from diverse disciplines for meaningful engagement.
Pitch Competition Finalist
The badge earner was a finalist in the Northern State University Idea Pitch Competition, which promotes entrepreneurial and creative thinking. The competition also fosters collaboration by pairing students with faculty from diverse disciplines for meaningful engagement.
Northern Edge Grant Recipient 2023
Created in 2020, the purpose of the Northern Edge Award is to augment existing funding sources for undergraduate scholarship at Northern State University. It is intended to aid student scholarship in under-represented disciplines and/or projects that may not be eligible/competitive for other funding opportunities on campus.
Hackathon Fall 2023
Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., offers a personalized education with nationally accredited programs across various disciplines, over 45 majors, and extensive scholarship opportunities. Known for affordability and a supportive community, NSU provides a welcoming environment with dedicated faculty and diverse campus organizations.
Dean's List Fall 2023
The Dean's List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Dean's List is for full and part time students with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.
President's List 2023
The Presidents List is awarded twice yearly at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. President’s List is for full and part time students with a 4.0 GPA.
Contact Us
Joshua Citrak, NSU Director of Innovator Empowerment
joshua.citrak@northern.edu
605-626-2108