Tempe, AZ -- (SBWire) -- 01/10/2013 --Online certificate programs are the wave of the future for business professionals. An online certification badge is a new type of credential that has been developed by some of the most prominent universities in the world, including Thunderbird Online, a professional development division of Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.

Thunderbird Online provides online courses and executive certificates to busy professionals seeking to continue learning throughout their professional career. Badges given for completion of these courses represent traditional academic achievements and the acquisition of skills such as marketing, finance and leadership. Individuals who want to acquire a business certificate online now have the opportunity to take advantage of a unique online badge. The badge highlights their skills and achievements to current and future employers.

More and more individuals are committing to continuing education online to brush up on or acquire skills needed to advance their career. The new online badges help to account for that formal learning process that is not necessarily measured through the acquisition of a diploma. Increasing numbers of professionals are interested in online professional development and Thunderbird Online helps them showcase academic accomplishments and skills.

Badges are the new and enhanced way to accurately measure an individual’s competency and recognize the time and effort someone has put into continuing their education. In addition, badges help engage students in learning and broaden the avenues for learners of all ages to acquire and demonstrate, as well as document and display, their recently acquired skills.

Once someone has completed an online certificate program, Thunderbird Online provides access to download or save the badge. Thunderbird Online participants can reference their certification badge in their resume, e-mail signature, personal websites and more.

About Thunderbird Online
Thunderbird Online, a professional development division of Thunderbird School of Global Management, provides online courses and executive certificates to busy professionals seeking to continue learning throughout their professional career. Thunderbird Online develops and delivers innovative continuing education programs designed specifically for working professionals looking to improve their marketability and gain a leading edge over their competition. These programs are also ideal for experienced executives seeking to gain expertise in a global business focus area and take their organization to the next level with enhanced knowledge and skills in today’s dynamic global marketplace. For more information, please visit http://online.thunderbird.edu.