Online learners can now earn multiple Penn State credentials while working toward master’s degrees in eight academic areas through stackable credentials.
Students can complete graduate certificates in fields of study like engineering, artificial intelligence, information science, data analytics, and human resources.
The certificates and degrees that can be earned by stacking credentials are being offered through Penn State World Campus, which has been providing a Penn State education online for more than 25 years.
Through stackable credentials, a student takes courses in sequence to complete a graduate-level certificate of either 9 or 12 credits. Some certificates can be completed in a year or less. The certificates can be combined, or stacked, in the same discipline toward the completion of one of eight master’s degrees.
The goal is to streamline the time it takes for students to get a credential they can use to market themselves to employers with their new skills and knowledge.
27 graduate certificates in 8 academic disciplines
Students who use the stackable credential pathways can choose from a comprehensive selection of 27 graduate certificates offered through eight master's degree programs.
By stacking credentials to earn the certificates, students can gain in-demand, employer-desired skills as they seek to upskill themselves and advance their careers.
Stackable credentials are available in the following master’s degree programs:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Analytics
- Engineering Management
- Human Resources and Employment Relations
- Information Science
- Psychology of Leadership
- Software Engineering
- Systems Engineering
Earn multiple credentials while getting a Penn State master’s degree
Penn State’s stackable credentials through Penn State World Campus provide a new path for working adults to earn a master’s degree. Students can, for the first time, complete a master's degree by stacking credentials to earn multiple graduate certificates.
For example, someone interested in artificial intelligence can use the stackable credentials pathway to earn a master's degree through three certificates. The first certificate that can be completed is the foundations of artificial intelligence, which consists of courses in the foundations, analytics programming in Python, predictive analytics, and applied statistics.
The student would complete two additional certificates, natural language processing and computer vision, plus the required capstone course to earn the master’s in artificial intelligence.
Students interested in a degree program must apply and be accepted prior to completing 15 credits.
Once an applicant is accepted to enroll in one of the certificate or degree programs among the participating stackable credentials programs, the application fee for any associated programs in the stackable credential pathway will automatically be waived.
A Penn State education online
Penn State World Campus offers a Penn State education online, with a comprehensive selection of more than 200 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs.
The stackable credential program is the latest addition to the academic portfolio, which includes programs in business, health care and nursing, the liberal arts, engineering, communications, and more.
Learn more about earning stackable credentials online from Penn State through Penn State World Campus.