Credentials Overview
The University of Washington, at the unit level, offers badges to validate learning and experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.
Badges
Badging, as a specific type of a digital credential, a badge is a digital representation of an accomplishment that’s been completed by the individual who earns the badge. A badge is verifiable back to an issuer (i.e. a UW unit) through some digital means such as a third-party software (e.g. Canvas Credentials, formerly Badgr) accessible via a public URL (and this authentication of the badge doesn’t involve a human).
Badges Available at the University of Washington
At this time, badges are awarded by unit (e.g. college, school, or offices). Since there is no centralized process for the UW to award badges, please contact individual units with questions about earning a badge.
Continuum College/UW Professional and Continuing Education Digital Badges
Students can now earn digital badges in select UW Professional & Continuing Education courses, specializations and certificates.
UWPCE digital badges help showcase student’s University of Washington education and demonstrate new skills and competencies.
Stackable Certificates
Stacked Masters Degrees in Engineering – Learn from renowned instructors while advancing your career by enrolling in a stackable graduate certificate. You can “stack” additional graduate certificates to earn a master’s degree.
Instructure Badging
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at this time. We are still capturing what is happening in this space and will continue to build out if the UW will have centralized process in place with the faculty on all three campuses.
The decision to set up a badge is a unit-level decision, so the first place to go is your unit leadership. The software we use to award badges at the UW is owned by Canvas, our web-based learning management system. If your unit is ready to move forward with awarding a badge, please invite your unit administrator to reach out to XYZ.
Units at the UW make the decision about what constitutes the learning and experiences that qualify for a badge.
There are a multitude of reasons students may want to document a badge earned at the University of Washington, so this is a personal decision for each student.
Consider joining the Badging and Alternate Credentials Community of Practice. Contact University Registrar, Dr. Helen B Garrett, to be added to the invite list.