Micro-Credentials and Certifications

They typically require 25–50 hours of asynchronous learning and conclude with an exam. They are often accompanied by a digital badge that can be added to online profiles, and they help students stand out when applying for jobs and internships.

The micro-credentials below are excellent options offered by trusted third-party providers that employers know and respect. Faculty can incorporate these micro-credentials into their curriculum if desired. For more information, contact careers@hope.edu.

PMI Project Management Certification

The PMI Project Management Ready certification allows students to gain hands-on experience in project management and connect with industry professionals.

Purchase Course Bundle

"I had a great experience and am very excited about my credential and certificate in PMR."
—Anoymous Student Participant

Tableau Certification

Tableau is a software that is often considered the “new Excel”! It can handle any numerical and qualitative data, create beautiful graphics, visuals and charts, and create interactive dashboards and stories to share. Tableau is not only a great tool to integrate into a classroom setting to prepare for your students’ journey into the workforce, but can also be a great asset for student-faculty research. Tableau has a free badging system for classroom settings, students and nonprofit higher education teaching and research. Through the Tableau e-learning program, you can receive Tableau, Tableau Prep (their software for data clean up), and access to the online, interactive, digital badging platform Tableau e-learning all for free. 

Tableau E-Learning

TO GET STARTED: 

1. Go to Tableau for Students or Tableau for Teaching/Research depending on what best describes your needs/status (feel free to reach out to Tori Longfield, digital liberal arts specialist, if you have questions about your status!).
2. Fill out the form to request a Tableau Desktop Subscription for free. You'll need to verify your status with documentation (Hope College profile for faculty or proof of enrollment for students). 
3. Once Tableau sends you the email (usually in about 5–20 minutes, depending on the type of documentation that you sent), you’ll use the link provided to download and install Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep. 
4. Once they’re installed, open up both applications and verify it with the product key found in the email sent from Tableau.
5. Then follow the instructions at the end of the email to enable your free tableau e-learning license. They’ll provide an activation code that you’ll need to access e-learning. 
6. Use Tableau e-learning to learn Tableau. We recommend the Analyst badge as a nice comprehensive overview of Tableau, although all of their learning modules and badges are great options! 

“I was able to use my Tableau experience when applying for my current internship… I learned a new skill that helps me better understand data driven decisions.”
—Cy B.

Microsoft Excel Certification

If you have completed CSCI 140 Business Computing, you may want to obtain this official Microsoft Certification. This certification is helpful because it gives employers a standard baseline for your knowledge. The class does not teach to the certification, but with a small amount of extra studying you would be prepared.  This certification focuses on about half the content that is taught throughout the semester, so not all of your skills will be tested. 

The cost of the exam is payable through the website and is not affiliated with Hope College. You will want to take your exam online through an online proctoring session (with an additional cost). Other Hope College students have shared that this is a good way to take Certiport exams.

Certification Options

Select "Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate" for either Microsoft 365 Apps or Excel 2019.