Fulbright College Microcredential Helps Students Connect Classroom to Career

Students in Fulbright College can show their career readiness by earning a PACE (Professional Agility and Career Essentials) microcertificate by completing nine credit hours of career-focused coursework.

The PACE microccertificate is designed to help students bridge the gap between academic learning and career readiness by intentionally connecting classroom experiences to professional skills. It helps students to be career ready and to show others that they are career ready.

Microcredentials allow students to verify specific knowledge, expertise and competencies in a focused area. According to Coursera's 2025 Microcredentials Impact Report, 96% of employers agree that microcredentials strengthen a candidate's job application.

To earn the PACE microcertificate, students must complete one to three credit hours of Fulbright College internship credit along with an additional six to eight hours of approved courses, for a total of nine credit hours of career-focused coursework.

Eligible courses include Fulbright College Career Connections, Professional ePortfolio, Seminar for Professional Entry into Music Education, Arts Entrepreneurship, Internship Readiness and AI for Career Readiness. A full list of approved courses is available in the Catalog of Studies. 

"The goal of the PACE microcertificate is to help students intentionally connect their academic experiences to their future careers and to learn how to articulate the amazing skills they are gaining in the classroom," said Michelle Pribbernow, Fulbright College director of career initiatives. "We know that Fulbright College students graduate career-ready. PACE helps employers better understand the content and workforce relevance of arts and sciences degrees and how they prepare students for lifelong success."

The PACE microcredential is one way Fulbright College "provides a transformational education that prepares all students to lead and thrive in a complex world."