Insights from Dean Craig Downing of Rose-Hulman on the value of microcredentials for engineering, lifelong learning and more 

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is consistently recognized as a leader in undergraduate engineering education. This reputation is built on a foundation of excellence, with 96% of their faculty holding doctoral degrees, small class sizes averaging 20 students and a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. 

Rose-Hulman students gain practical experience through capstone projects, research and community service, with an impressive 94% completing at least one internship or co-op.  

Beyond traditional degree programs, Rose-Hulman is also pioneering educational opportunities in lifelong learning and microcredentialing, as led by Dr. Craig Downing, Dean of Lifelong Learning and Head of the Department of Engineering Management.  

We interviewed Dean Downing to capture his perspective on the current evolution of engineering education and the value of these new modalities for students, educators and industrial organizations alike. 

Learn more about how Siemens is collaborating with engineering educators to create industry-recognized credentials. 

Among students, demand is growing for engineering microcredentials 

Dean Downing sees microcredentials as a valuable opportunity to create richer educational experiences for students, especially given the dynamic nature of today’s job market and the evolving skill sets required by industry. 

“What we find is that students oftentimes will take their traditional bachelor degree and then add on credentials that are specific to a discipline or their specific area of concentration,” Dean Downing noted. “The flexible modality of microcredentials allows students to enhance their marketability and showcase a new set of skills.” 

With microcredentials, educators can offer students the ability to more rapidly verify skill sets in emerging technologies like AI, the digital twin and more. They also allow students to take a deeper dive into areas not covered in the existing curriculum. 

“I think one of the other exciting parts about this is that the students are asking for these types of experiences. They know that an institution cannot be all things for all students. But when we have viable partners that are providing complementary educational experiences that give them the mindset and the perspective of being a value-added engineer, they’re really looking forward to those opportunities.” 

Microcredentials as a tool to bridge the gap between academic theory and industrial applications 

It’s important to understand that microcredentials aren’t meant to replace traditional degrees.  

Instead, they act as powerful complements, enabling engineers to acquire highly specific or niche skill sets and broaden their mind set. By illuminating how engineering concepts are applied in today’s industrial environments, microcredentials accentuate the value of traditional engineering degrees. 

“Oftentimes providing students with a theoretical background in a vacuum and no practical application can cause harm,” said Dean Downing. “But by using the microcredential to bring in a realistic perspective, an end to field experience, it allows for synergy between academic theory, classroom activities and lab activities.”  

Dean Downing’s perspective is partly informed by his recent experiences in the pilot program for Siemens’ new microcredential, Expedite – Skills for Industry. This microcredential is designed to equip early-career engineers with both the technical and durable skills required to excel in modern industrial workplaces. Interested learners can enroll in this microcredential via Coursera.

“The value of the Expedite – Skills for Industry microcredential can nicely underline the value of a traditional engineering education by highlighting in context how the skills, the theory and the experiences may play out in a particular context…one of the primary reasons I was excited about the opportunity to participate in this pilot program was the fact that it provided an industry-recognized, quality-assured set of academic experiences that provide students with an element of marketability that augments their baccalaureate degrees.” 

To deliver the best experiences for students, engineering educators need industry input 

When asked to share a message with industry, Dean Downing emphasized that engineering educators are eager to receive more input from industry. 

“Gathering more industry perspectives allows us to deliver higher quality educational experiences and create the best engineers, scientists and mathematicians…this equation is really about the return on investment. Work with us to help produce qualified employees that can provide great dividends to your organizations.” 

Microcredentials offer educators a tool for readily capturing and sharing these industry perspectives with students. 

“I think the biggest thing that engineering educators need to consider when they are discussing microcredentials is how best can it be used or they be used to accentuate what’s happening in the classroom, to give the broadest array of experiences, the broadest array of perspectives, the broadest array of touch points that will prepare a student to be a value-added member of an organization.”