Publish Non-Credit Credentials

Credential Engine, in partnership with the Lumina Foundation and the Future Ready States Initiative, is making information on non-degree credentials (NDCs) transparent and accessible in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas. By using structured open data in the Credential Registry, diverse stakeholders can obtain comparable information on NDCs from a single source.

Learn more about Credential Engine’s work with non-degree credentials.

What is a Non-Degree Credential?

NDCs share many of these characteristics:

Lead to a credential that is not an academic degree (such as an associates or bachelors).
May be classified as certificates of completion, certificates of participation, technical certificates, certificates of proficiency, apprenticeship certificates, certifications, and more.
They are often (but not always) short-term, career-focused, and skills-based.
May be issued by two- and four-year colleges, private technical schools, apprenticeship consortia, employers, trade unions, or industry associations.

Who Should Publish Non-Degree Credentials?

Any organization that owns or offers NDCs should add its information to the Credential Registry.

This includes employers, private companies, HR departments, community colleges, continuing education units, apprenticeship sponsors, private technical schools, trade unions, local chambers of commerce, industry associations, and more.

Use the resources below to get started.

If your organization collects or houses NDC information from multiple providers or sources in a given region, occupation, or industry, it may not be feasible to add this information on your own.

Please contact Credential Engine for technical assistance.

How to Publish NDCs

1. Create a Credential Engine account

To create an account for your organization, follow these easy steps.

2. Fill out a credential template

Data is added (published) to the Credential Registry using spreadsheets in CSV format. Use this template to fill out data about your NDCs.

3. Upload to the Credential Registry

Use the Credential Publisher tool to upload and approve your template by following these instructions.

You will log in using the same username and password you created when setting up your account.

Important: Make sure you “Approve” your credentials before you finish.