1. A group interested in developing new microcredential(s) must develop a comprehensive proposal including well-defined objectives, learning outcomes, curriculum and admission requirements (if applicable). 
2. A Faculty, the INSPIRE Office or McMaster Continuing Education (MCE) take new proposals forward for review by the CDM committee. Individuals should first identify the appropriate body to work with during the development of their microcredential(s).With the exception of McMaster Continuing Education, groups that are not academic departments or Faculty-based units should contact and work with the INSPIRE Office. 
3. The Faculty, INSPIRE Office or MCE will make a recommendation to Undergraduate or Graduate Council. 
4. Individuals interested in offering a new microcredential should identify the body (Faculty, INSPIRE Office or McMaster Continuing Education) responsible for its initial review and for taking the proposal forward to the CDM Committee.   

Whether a course is brought forward and delivered through a faculty or INSPIRE could depend on the target audience of the microcredential. If the microcredential is faculty-specific, it may be better suited to remain within the Faculty most aligned with the course content. If the intent is to appeal to a broader population of students, including external learner, then the course could be brought through INSPIRE.  

• Faculty Pathway: If your concept is geared towards undergraduate students, graduate students, or professionals from your discipline augmenting their education within the workforce.
• McMaster Continuing Education Pathway: If your concept is geared towards external learners through professional development and continuing education broadly. 
• INSPIRE Pathway: If you are from a non-academic unit and your concept is geared towards undergraduate or graduate students and/or if your concept is designed to be intentionally interdisciplinary in nature. 

The CDM Committee and Undergraduate/Graduate Council will look for:  

• Well-defined objective(s)
• Well-defined learning outcomes 
• Curriculum to meet learning outcomes 
• Admission requirements (if applicable) 

Additionally, to be approved, Academic Microcredentials must: 

• Be at a level of intellectual rigour comparable to undergraduate or graduate degree programs in similar fiends (this will be assessed by the Faculty most relevant to the content of the microcredential) 
• Include a systematic evaluation of Student performance by methods usually used in degree courses such as tests, essays, reports, narrative responses, interviews and/or other assignments. 

Microcredentials typically tend to be 6-18 hours in length. For academic microcredentials, one academic unit typically corresponds to 10-15 academic contact hours.  

Certificates of Completion require a minimum of 30 contact hours whereas Certificates of Attendance have no minimum contact hours.  

For Academic Microcredentials, any changes to the course description or requirements must be approved by the CDM committee and Undergraduate or Graduate Council.  

For non-academic microcredentials, the phrase Non-Academic Microcredential must appear in the credential name (e.g. Non-Academic Microcredential in Outdoor Leader Training).  

For academic microcredentials, the phrase Microcredential must appear in the credential name (e.g., Microcredential in Project Management) 

For Certificates of Completion, the phrase Certificate of Completion must be included in the credential name (for example, the Teaching and Learning Foundations Certificate of Completion).  

For Certificates of Attedance, the phrase Certificate of Attendance must appear in the credential name (for example, the Medical Acupuncture Program Certificate of Attendance)