St. Cloud State University is one of nine Minnesota State institutions who have seen success in partnering with Google and the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) to provide Google Career Certificates to students.
Google Career Certificates are industry-recognized credentials that equip students with job-ready skills in high-demand fields like cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support and more.
Also offered are microcredentials for AI Essentials, including foundational AI skills, effective prompting techniques and responsible AI usage.
Abram Hedtke, executive director of Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) at SCSU, said the in-demand skills being taught in these courses are being implemented across the University.
“We’ve infused AI Essentials and AI Prompting Essentials courses into the undergraduate curriculum at the Herberger Business School, ensuring students build practical AI literacy alongside their core studies,” Hedtke said. “At the graduate and community level, Project Management and Data Analytics have been the most popular certificates — reflecting what regional employers need right now.”
SCSU has had the largest participation rate of Minnesota State institutions, with over 450 enrollments since launching in spring of 2025 and greater than 80 percent completion rate.
Visit PACE’s site to learn more about the Grow with Google portfolio or enroll in a Google Career Certificate.
