About microcredentials

A microcredential is a course you can start anytime, study at your own pace and build into a recognised qualification. You just register, pay, and start right away – so you can fit your learning around your life and commitments, with no need for entry requirements or long application forms.

Once you successfully complete your course, your personal account will show the academic credits you’ve achieved by studying a microcredential. Over time, you’ll be able to stack these up to achieve a recognised qualification, making each step part of your lifelong learning journey.

Our microcredentials are studied fully online, allowing you to learn wherever and whenever suits you.

As soon as you register and pay, you’ll have access to the University of London’s global digital campus. This is where you’ll find your course materials, track your progress and submit your assessments.

Each topic is explored through a mix of engaging materials, including videos, readings, and interactive activities designed to help you apply what you’ve learned in practical ways.

You’ll also have access to an AI study assistant that provides instant feedback and support as you progress through the course.

Our new microcredentials are perfect if you want to deepen your expertise and excel in your current role, are preparing for a promotion or career switch, or simply want to keep your skills up to date in a fast-changing workplace. They’re also a great way to refresh skills and rebuild confidence if you are re-entering the workforce after a time away.

You can take one course to build confidence in a specific area, or stack several to work towards a postgraduate award.

Our new microcredentials are open to everyone who meets the admissions criteria. We know that people may not have copies of old degree transcripts, so you just need to certify that you have the academic background and required level of English. There is no lengthy application form.

Just register, pay and start learning.

Registration is fully online. Simply choose your course, complete the short form, pay your fee, and you’ll receive immediate access to your materials.

Anytime. There’s no need to wait for a new term — once you register and pay, you can begin immediately.

At an introductory £495 per 15-credit course, our microcredentials offer world-class learning at an affordable price.

You pay online with a credit/debit card using Flywire, the University of London’s payment provider. Once you add your chosen microcredentials to the cart, you’ll complete the check out and make the payment. You’ll then receive a confirmation via email.

No. Our microcredentials are designed for flexibility.

You can study whenever it’s convenient for you and move through the course at a pace that fits your lifestyle.

You can also start anytime, which means you don’t need to wait for the start of a term to begin your microcredential.

You won’t have to reschedule your commitments to attend live sessions or be available for fixed hours.

No, there are no exams.

Instead, you will need to successfully complete the assessment at the end of each microcredential. You can choose to take the assessment whenever you’re ready – so there’s no more working to deadlines you can’t control.

All assessments are online, and will consist of a project or piece of written coursework that gives you the chance to show you have met the learning outcomes. If you fail the first time, you have two more chances to resit the assessment.

It’s up to you how long you take, but you might typically spend about 10 weeks studying around 15 hours a week. We recommend that you study regularly and move through at a comfortable pace. We also suggest that you take the assessment while the learning is still fresh in your mind.

You can take as many of our microcredentials as you like, when you like, but do pace yourself.

Once you have registered on a microcredential, you have up to 12 months to complete it, including the assessment - though you shouldn’t need anything like that long!

You’ll have access to digital study tools, AI-based feedback, and a Student Progress Advisor to help you stay on track. You’ll also have access to the University’s online library and careers resources.

Yes. Our microcredentials are stackable, which means the credits you gain from studying our microcredentials can be accumulated into a recognised qualification.

Each microcredential carries 15 UK academic credits at Level 7 (postgraduate).

How accumulated credits can translate into qualifications

• 60 credits = Postgraduate Certificate
• 120 credits = Postgraduate Diploma
• 180 credits = Master’s degree

Credits can be accumulated over time and you can use your credits if you choose to apply for the full degree programme from which the microcredentials are adapted, so you won’t have to duplicate your learning.

What you do with each microcredential you achieve is completely up to you. On successful completion, you’ll receive a certificate confirming 15 credits at postgraduate level from the University of London.

You can study multiple microcredentials and build up to a recognised qualification, transfer your credits into one of our degree programmes, or use it as evidence of your skills when applying for a new job.

Our microcredentials are drawn from our portfolio of globally recognised postgraduate programmes, reimagined for today’s lifelong learners.

Our postgraduate programmes have been developed in partnership with our federation members, who rank among some of the world’s leading universities. This means that you can be confident that each course reflects the same academic excellence as the University of London degree programmes that are currently being studied by around 40,000 learners worldwide.

You will be able to share your microcredential achievements with employers, confident that they carry the reputation of a globally recognised academic brand.

Both options let you study a focused area of interest – however, our new microcredentials and existing short courses are designed for different kinds of learners.

In summary:

Microcredentials offer a purpose-built, flexible learning pathway, and short courses offer a more traditional study experience with set teaching and assessment periods.

Microcredentials in detail

Our new microcredentials are a flexible way to study:

• you can start anytime
• study at your own pace
• gain academic credit that you can stack towards a recognised postgraduate qualification

Each microcredential follows a similar structure and offers tailored onboarding and on-demand assessment. If you are looking to develop your knowledge and fit your study around your lifestyle, our new microcredentials could be your route into lifelong learning.

Short courses in detail

If you study one of our short courses, you are studying an individual module on one our degree programmes (undergraduate or postgraduate). The short course follows the structure and schedule of the ‘parent’ degree programme, so your start date would correspond to when the module is delivered within that programme.

To study one of our short courses, you would complete our standard online application form.

The price of the short course is based on the fee for the full degree programme.

We also offer short, non-credit online courses via Coursera (Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs), which are designed for learners who want to gain new skills without formal assessment or academic credit.

The LLB microcredential (‘Introduction to Pakistani Law’) is a short, non-credit-bearing learning opportunity developed for students in Pakistan currently enrolled on the University’s LLB Bachelor of Laws degree. It offers a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the foundations of the country’s legal system, including key constitutional principles and core areas of legal practice, and will support students preparing to enter the Pakistani Bar.

By contrast, the University’s new online microcredentials are standalone, credit-bearing courses in various subjects, designed for a wide range of learners. You can start anytime, study flexibly, and the credits you earn can stack towards a recognised postgraduate qualification.

Both courses provide a flexible path for lifelong learning and professional development.