Noncredit Course Development

Noncredit Course Development Services

K-State Global Campus is the right partner if you are interested in offering noncredit professional development opportunities, including microcredentials. Noncredit programs and courses can be offered online, in person or in hybrid formats, depending on program and participant needs. Because noncredit short courses have high value to business and industry and business, there is a market for high quality, professional and informal learning content from K-State subject matter experts.

Professionals in the K-State Global Campus Program Development and Management unit can provide guidance developing your noncredit course, as well as gaining access to and setting up a course shell in the Canvas-Pro learning management system for online opportunities. Canvas-Pro allows for easy management of online courses and simple navigation and access to interactions for participants.

Global Campus also manages noncredit registration and, for online courses and programs, participant access to CanvasPro, which features direct integration with a course catalog for registration, payment gateway and participant result tracking.

Global Campus is the university unit authorized to issue continuing education hours from Kansas State University in the form of contact hours.

K-State Noncredit Categories

Microcredentials

Microcredentials are relevant, high quality and market-aligned learning opportunities that are acknowledged in the form of a digital badge. K-State Microcredentials have the following characteristics:

• focused on learners and their interests, needs, skills and career goals
• awarded based on demonstrated skill or competency in a specific area(s)
• developed, approved and endorsed by the university
• gained in a shorter or more flexible time period
• stand-alone or stackable leading to a certificate or degree (for credit microcredentials)

Continuing Education (CE) Hours

K-State Global Campus is authorized to award continuing education hours from Kansas State University. The primary of purpose of continuing education hours is to provide a permanent record of educational activities for professionals needing contact hours for licensure or to meet accrediting requirements. Programs offered for K-State CE hours verify that educational content is provided by a faculty expert from the university or that content and instructional providers have been vetted and approved by Global Campus and K-State faculty who are subject matter experts. It is the responsibility of the individual receiving K-State CE hours to verify with their accrediting body that K-State hours will be accepted.

Certification Training

Noncredit certification training courses lead to the attainment of a professional certification, which is evidence that the learner has achieved a specific competency at a certain level. Certifications may be preferred or required for certain professions. Certification is a designation earned by an individual to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Certification training courses are designed to build a learner’s skills and knowledge leading to professional industry certification.

Certificate of Completion

A certificate of completion may be awarded to a noncredit participant who successfully fulfills course requirements. Requirements typically include one or more of the following to demonstrate evidence of knowledge learned and to confirm successful course completion:

• Assessment
• Assignment
• Project
• Other activities that demonstrate learning comprehension of course content

Other Professional Development

K-State offers a wide variety of noncredit programming designed for individuals and professionals who desire to gain knowledge or enhance their learning in a specific area. Some of these opportunities do not culminate in the awarding of continuing education (CE) hours, a certificate of completion, a microcredential in the form of a digital badge, or a training leading toward a professional certification.

Getting Started

For more information about developing a noncredit opportunity or offering professional development for continuing education hours, contact gcprograms@k-state.edu or the Global Campus program administrator assigned to your college or unit.