Undergraduate Degree vs. Micro Credentialing: The Pros & Cons of Each

Reading Time: ~3 Mins | Written By: Sydney Vardja

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In the past, there was one pathway if someone wanted to pursue a career in marketing: attending a relevant university or college program. Today, schooling options for marketing are becoming less black and white. Rather than picking between university and college, there are diverse opportunities for aspiring marketers to consider. 

Micro credentialing courses have become increasingly popular thanks to their short length, narrow focus, and ability to provide job-ready skills. Universities, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. Nevertheless, these four-year programs still appeal to many students interested in the field. After all, there are business degrees that offer a specialization in marketing.

So what’s the right option for you? An undergraduate degree or micro credentialing? It’s entirely dependent on your goals. But we’ve made a list of pros and cons to help you understand the value of each. 

Undergraduate Degree

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University comes with its fair share of pros for future marketers. But considering the amount of money you have to fork up, it should be advantageous! We’ll touch on that in the cons. 

Pros: 

1. You can become an expert in a subject you love

2. Graduates typically earn more

3. University can prepare you for a specific career path that you wouldn’t be able to achieve otherwise

4. You will gain high-level transferable skills

5. You’ll broaden your outlook

Cons: 

1. You might not gain technical skills

2. You’ll incur debt 

3. You’re not guaranteed a job upon graduation

4. You will commit a long time to your studies

5. You will miss out on steady income for four years

Micro Credentialing Courses

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Micro credentialing is a newer option for those looking to take the marketing world by storm. From SEO to social media marketing courses, micro credentialing offers a deep understanding of the tools needed in the industry.

Pros:

1. You will achieve technical industry specific skills

2. Significantly cheaper than university

3. Short term commitment 

4. Higher likelihood of landing an industry job

5. Ability to balance courses and a full-time job 

Cons:

1. You might miss out on a foundational learning experience

2. Course options might be limited

3. You might not gain the time and project management skills related to your studies over a longer period of time

4. You have to put a high level of focus into a short period of time to get the most of your experience

5. Less time to build a network with your classmates 

Despite being vastly different from one another, undergraduate degrees and micro credentialing programs actually compliment each other. Attending university teaches students the ‘why’ behind marketing. Why brands market, why marketing works, why some campaigns fail—these are the foundational topics every marketer should understand. 

Micro credentialing, on the other hand, teaches us the ‘how.’ How we market, how we utilize SEO, how we stay up to date with evolving technologies—without this knowledge, we wouldn’t be able to create remarkable campaigns. 

If you’re deciding between an undergraduate degree and a micro credentialing program, our advice is to do both if you can. Your university degree will offer intangible learning, and teach you soft skills like collaboration, organization, and time management. Your micro credentials will equip you with the most sought after skill sets in the industry. 

The more marketing knowledge the merrier!