Campus Connection for Credentials That Matter
As Bradley University’s central hub for digital badging and licensed continuing education, our division issues Continuing Education Contact Hours (CEs), Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for a wide range of professional fields. Whether you’re expanding your skills or maintaining your licensure, we make it easy to get recognized for what you’ve learned.
Bradley University’s digital badges are more than just icons – they’re verifiable proof of achievements, skills, or competencies earned through our microcredentials programs. Each badge is part of the Open Badges network, making it verifiable, portable, packed with rich metadata and a digital signature that links directly to your Bradley University learning experience.
Employers and organizations can easily validate each badge’s authenticity and see exactly what it represents, thanks to embedded details about the skills mastered, the criteria met, and the rigor behind each achievement.
To support your lifelong learning goals, we register every digital badge and maintain those records for seven years to help professionals meet regulatory requirements, demonstrate continued development, and stay credentialed in a competitive landscape.
CEs are professional development hours awarded to learners who complete non-credit educational activities that meet specific, identified goals.
Some regulators refer to these activities as CEUs (continuing education units), CPEs (continuing professional education units), or PDHs (professional development hours).
Bradley University uses the term CE (contact hours) as the descriptor for all of these activities. The official paperwork provided to learners, however, lists calculations for Contact Hours, CEs, CEUs, and PDHs.
As a division of an accredited university, Continuing Education is both a statutorily approved sponsor/provider and State of Illinois licensed sponsor to award specific CEs:
| Occupation | License Number |
| Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Registered Nurse (RN) Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | Statutorily approved provider |
| Social Worker (SW) Clinical Social Worker (CSW) | 159.000337 |
| Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Clinical Professional Counselor (CPC) | 159.000337 |
| Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) | 168.000153 |
| Physical Therapists (PT) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) | 216.000076 |
| Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology | 202.000222 |
| Licensed Illinois Educators | Statutorily approved provider |
| Professional Engineer (PE) | Statutorily approved provider |
| Structural Engineer | Statutorily approved provider |
| Funeral Director and Embalmer | Statutorily approved provider |
| Nursing Home Administrator | 139.000073 |
Digital Badge FAQs
A digital badge is a visual token of verifiable achievements, skills, or competencies. It provides a way to differentiate yourself in competitive job markets and showcase your expertise to employers, clients, or professional networks through platforms like LinkedIn, resumes, and personal websites.
Bradley University’s digital badges do not equate to academic credit; they are designed to supplement and showcase specific competencies.
Bradley University’s digital badges are available to professionals, lifelong learners, and anyone looking to gain or validate skills through our non-credit programs. You do not need to be a degree-seeking student to enroll in our non-credit offerings. Current Bradley students can earn unlimited no-cost digital badges through our innovative Professional Pathways program.
Digital badges are included with all microcredentials at no additional cost, but badges associated with some professional development workshops may have a small fee.
Bradley’s portfolio includes more than 24 badges that can be earned by completing microcredentials, workshops, and immersive experiences.
Some badges remain valid indefinitely, while others (especially in fast-changing industries) may have an expiration date or require periodic renewal to ensure continued relevance.
The time commitment varies by badge. Some can be earned through a short workshop or online module, while others may require several weeks of learning and skill application.
You can add digital badges to your LinkedIn profile, resume, email signature, or professional portfolio. Employers and clients can verify the details of your badge with one click.
Many employers value digital badges as proof of specialized skills. Badges are particularly useful for demonstrating expertise in evolving fields like computer programming, analytics, healthcare, and more.
Continuing Education FAQs
The two terms are often used interchangeably in the context of professional development, but are very different. CEs (Continuing Education Hours) are 1:1 calculations – 1 CE equals 1 hour of activity.
CEUs (Continuing Education Units) were first defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training. Rather than 1:1, CEUs are calculated 1:10 — 1 CEU equals 10 hours of activity.
Example: Verified learners who complete a four-hour workshop would be awarded 4 contact hours, 4 CEs, 4 PDHs, and .4 CEUs.
In either case, Bradley University is ready to provide the continuing education our learners need.
Our division can award CEs three ways:
- On behalf of a regulatory agency that requires ongoing professional development for licensure
- As part of a Bradley-sponsored, non-credit educational program
- For other organizations or individuals who have completed a verified, pre-approved professional development activity
We provide the necessary documentation for you to present your hours to associations, state licensing boards, and other organizations.
You will be emailed a digital certificate that incorporates your name, activity/program date, learning objectives, signature of our Executive Director, and a calculation of the hours earned (contact hours, CEs, CEUs, and PDHs). Upon request, we can edit these sections as needed to fit your profession.
Please refer to your state code to verify your state will accept continuing education hours licensed by the State of Illinois.
Our typical fee is $15 per award with an unlimited number of hours for any one activity/program/event. Discounts and sliding scales are available for organizations requesting a large number of awards.
We make it easy! Simply download, complete, and return this form to [email protected]. Our staff will contact you within 48 hours to discuss your program and calculate the hours to award.
