Earn Digital Badges
What is a Digital Badge?
Micro-Credentials for Applied Learning
A digital badge is a verified, shareable micro-credential that recognizes the skills and competencies you build through hands-on learning at Cal Poly Pomona. Each badge shows not just what you completed, but what you learned, how you applied it, and who verified it, so employers and graduate programs can quickly understand your experience. Digital badges reflect learning gained through courses, workshops, campus programs, leadership roles, and project-based experiences, helping you connect your CPP journey to your future goals.
How do they work?
Your Skills as Data
The value of a digital badge comes from its built-in metadata and official validation. Each badge includes verified details such as who issued it, what skills it represents, how it was earned, and links to criteria or evidence. This allows employers and others to trust that the badge is authentic, meaningful, and truly earned.
Make Your Learning Visible to Employers
Turn Your Polytechnic Experiences into Verified Career-Ready Skills
CPP digital badges align with real-world workforce competencies, including Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Leadership, Innovation, and Technology. Each badge provides verified evidence of your abilities so recruiters can quickly understand your strengths.
How Do I Earn a Digital Badge?
College Courses
Complete designated courses that align with specific competencies such as Communication, Critical Thinking, or Quantitative Reasoning. Some badges are awarded through demonstrated mastery of learning outcomes.
Programs
Enroll in structured campus programs that include defined learning pathways. Program badges recognize completion of milestones and applied skill development over time.
Micro-Internships
Engage in short-term, project-based professional experiences with employers or campus partners. Earn badges by applying skills in real workplace settings and delivering measurable results.
PolyX
Participate in PolyX courses, projects, or innovation challenges where you apply interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Earn badges by demonstrating collaboration, leadership, and real-world solution development.
Clubs
Take on active roles in student organizations where you demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and initiative. Badges can recognize sustained involvement, project leadership, or measurable impact.
Conferences
Present, participate, or contribute to academic and professional conferences. Earn badges by showcasing research, networking skills, or professional engagement beyond the classroom.
Workshops
Attend and actively engage in skill-based workshops focused on areas like communication, leadership, technology, or career readiness. Some workshops require reflection or applied activities to earn a badge.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU EARN A BADGE?
Put Your Skills to Work
Earning a badge is just the beginning. Once you earn one, you can add it to LinkedIn to showcase verified competencies, include it on your resume as proof of specific skills, reference it confidently in interviews with clear examples, and build toward stackable skill pathways that lead to larger credentials. Every badge includes details about what you demonstrated and how it was assessed, so you’re never guessing how to explain its value.
Skill Development Pathways
Strengthen Your Professional Profile
Progress from Explorer to Implementer to Master as you strengthen your foundation, apply your skills in real-world settings, and develop advanced expertise. Each level builds purposefully on the last, creating a structured path for growth.
Digital badges at CPP are transforming how students demonstrate verified skills.
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Skill Validation
Over 17,166 digital badges have been awarded, each representing verified competencies demonstrated through coursework and co-curricular experiences.
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Active Learning
More than 10,391 badge-earning instances reflect strong student participation and continued engagement in skill-based learning opportunities.
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Professional Growth
6,324 individual CPP students have earned at least one badge, building documented proof of their skills and strengthening their professional profiles.
FAQs
A digital badge is a verified credential issued by Cal Poly Pomona that recognizes demonstrated skills or competencies. Each badge includes information about what you did to earn it and the criteria used to assess your work.
Digital badges recognize demonstrated skills and include embedded evidence and assessment criteria, making them easier to verify and share online.
Employers value clear, skills-based evidence. Digital badges help you communicate specific competencies such as communication, teamwork, leadership, or technical skills in a way that is verifiable and aligned with workforce expectations.
Digital badges are aligned to workforce competencies and industry-recognized skills. They help translate your academic and co-curricular experiences into language employers understand.
You can earn badges through:
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Academic courses
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Co-curricular programs
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Workshops and events
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Experiential learning opportunities
Each badge outlines the requirements and assessment criteria needed to earn it.
Once earned, you’ll receive a notification and can:
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Add your badge to LinkedIn
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Include it on your resume
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Share it in your digital portfolio
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Use it as a talking point in interviews
Badges are designed to be shared and showcased.
Yes. Many badges are stackable, allowing you to build deeper levels of skill development over time (e.g., Explorer, Implementer, Master). Earning multiple badges helps demonstrate continued growth and commitment.
You can share badges directly to:
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LinkedIn
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Email
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Digital portfolios
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Social media
Each badge includes a unique verification link so employers can view details about what you achieved.