What Are Stackable Credentials?
Stackable credentials are industry certifications, micro-credentials, or specialized certificates that students can earn by completing specific combinations of course sections. Think of them as educational building blocks that can be “stacked” together to create meaningful credentials that align with industry needs and career pathways. In Mapademics, stackable credentials allow you to:- Define industry-recognized certification pathways
- Group related course sections into meaningful credentials
- Track skills coverage across credential requirements
- Analyze how your credentials align with job market demands
- Report on credential completion and skills development
Unlike traditional degree programs, stackable credentials focus on specific course sections rather than entire courses, allowing for more targeted and flexible educational pathways.
Before You Start
To work with stackable credentials, you’ll need:- Access to the Credentials section in your Mapademics dashboard
- Course sections already created in your organization
- Understanding of your institution’s certification requirements
- Knowledge of industry standards for your credentials
Before creating credentials, review your existing course sections and ensure they have meaningful names and descriptions. This will make it easier to build logical credential pathways.
Creating Your First Stackable Credential
1
Navigate to Credentials
From your Mapademics dashboard, click Credentials in the left sidebar. You’ll see the credentials management interface with any existing credentials listed.
2
Add a New Credential
Click the Add Credential button in the top right. A new credential row will appear with editable fields and default values.
The new credential appears immediately in your list with “New Credential” as the placeholder name.
3
Configure Basic Information
Fill in the credential details directly in the table:
- Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Digital Marketing Certificate”, “Cybersecurity Fundamentals”)
- Code: Add an optional code for internal tracking (e.g., “DMC-2024”, “CYBER-101”)
- Description: Provide a detailed explanation of what this credential represents and its industry value
Your changes are automatically saved as you type, so there’s no need to click a save button in the table view.
4
View Credential Details
Click View next to your credential to access the detailed management page where you can add course sections and see comprehensive statistics.
Adding Course Sections to Credentials
Course sections are the building blocks of your stackable credentials. Each credential can include multiple sections from different courses, but only one section per course is allowed to maintain credential clarity.1
Open Credential Details
From the credentials list, click View next to the credential you want to modify. This opens the detailed credential management page.
2
Add Course Sections
In the “Course Sections” area, click Add Course. This opens a selection dialog showing all available courses and their sections.
You can only select one section per course for each credential. This ensures clear educational pathways and prevents confusion about requirements.
3
Select Sections
Browse through your programs and courses to find relevant sections:
- Use the program filter to narrow down courses
- Review course names and codes to identify relevant content
- Select the specific section that best fits your credential requirements
- Consider the instructor and section-specific content when choosing
Look for sections that complement each other and build a logical skill progression. Consider prerequisites and difficulty levels when selecting sections.
4
Confirm Selection
Click Add Section to include it in your credential. The section immediately appears in your credential’s course list with full details including course information and assigned instructor.
The statistics panel updates to show your new section count and unique course count.
Managing Credential Information
Editing Credential Details
You can modify credential information in two ways: Quick Editing (Credentials List):- Edit name, code, and description directly in the main credentials table
- Changes save automatically as you type
- Perfect for quick updates and bulk management
- Access the full credential management interface
- Modify all credential properties with better formatting
- Add and remove course sections
- View comprehensive statistics
1
Navigate to Credential Details
Click View next to any credential in your list to access the detailed editing interface.
2
Update Information
On the credential page, you can:
- Modify the name in the larger, more user-friendly input field
- Update the code with better validation and formatting
- Edit the description using a multi-line text area for detailed explanations
The page title updates dynamically as you change the credential name, helping you stay oriented while editing.
3
Save Changes
Click Save Changes when you’re satisfied with your updates. The system validates your changes and provides confirmation.
A success message confirms your changes have been saved, and you can see the updates reflected throughout the interface.
Removing Course Sections
1
Locate the Section
In the credential’s course sections list, find the section you want to remove. Each section is displayed as a card with course and instructor information.
2
Remove Section
Click the X button on the section card you want to remove. The section is immediately removed from the credential.
Section removal is immediate and cannot be undone. Make sure you’re removing the correct section before clicking.
3
Verify Changes
Check that the statistics panel reflects the updated section count and that the removed section no longer appears in your list.
Understanding Credential Statistics
The credential details page provides valuable insights about your credential structure:Key Metrics
- Course Sections: Total number of sections included in this credential
- Unique Courses: Number of different courses represented (always equals or less than sections since each course can only contribute one section)
Section Information
Each course section card displays:- Course name and code for easy identification
- Instructor name to understand who teaches the content
- Section-specific details that may differ from other sections of the same course
These statistics help you understand the scope and complexity of your credentials, making it easier to communicate requirements to students and faculty.
Working with Credential Skills
Stackable credentials inherit their skills from the course sections they contain. When you include a section in a credential, all skills identified in that section’s syllabus become part of the credential’s skill profile.Skills Integration
- Automatic Aggregation: Skills from all included sections are automatically combined
- Skills Analysis: Use the Reports section to analyze how credential skills align with job market demands
- Gap Identification: Compare credential skills against industry job postings to identify areas for improvement
Regularly review your credential skills through the reporting features to ensure they remain relevant to industry needs and job market requirements.
Deleting Credentials
You can only delete credentials that have no assigned course sections. This prevents accidental deletion of credentials that students might be working toward.1
Remove All Sections
Before deleting a credential, remove all course sections using the section removal process described above.
2
Delete Credential
Once the credential has no sections, the delete button (trash icon) becomes active in the credentials list. Click it to permanently remove the credential.
Credential deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Make sure you’re certain before deleting any credential.
Using Credentials in Reports
Stackable credentials appear as options in your job market analysis reports, allowing you to:Skills Gap Analysis
Compare credential skills against specific job postings to identify:- Skills covered by the credential
- Skills missing from current curriculum
- Areas where additional course sections might be needed
Market Alignment Reports
Analyze how well your credentials prepare students for available jobs in your region or industry focus areas.Access credential reporting through the Reports section of your Mapademics dashboard, where you can select credentials as the entity type for analysis.
Best Practices
Credential Design
- Focus on industry relevance: Align credentials with recognized industry certifications and employer needs
- Create logical progressions: Ensure sections build upon each other in a meaningful sequence
- Consider student workload: Balance comprehensiveness with achievability
- Use clear naming: Choose names that clearly communicate the credential’s value and focus area
Section Selection
- Choose complementary sections: Select sections that work together to build comprehensive skill sets
- Consider different instructors: Diverse teaching perspectives can enrich the learning experience
- Review syllabus content: Ensure section content aligns with overall credential goals
- Update regularly: Review and update section selections as curriculum evolves
Ongoing Management
- Monitor market trends: Regularly assess whether your credentials remain relevant to industry needs
- Collect feedback: Gather input from students, faculty, and industry partners
- Track completion rates: Use analytics to understand how students progress through credential requirements
- Maintain currency: Update credentials as new courses and sections become available