Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →IdahoTeachers
Idaho teaching license renewal: hours, credits and conversions
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For Idaho teaching certificate renewal, hours and credits work like this: you need 6 semester credits in the 5-year validity period. Up to 3 can be LEA-approved in-service, at 15 contact hours per credit, so 45 hours make 3 credits. At least 3 must be transcripted college credit. Quarter credits convert at 3 quarter credits to 2 semester credits.
The basic sum
Idaho's rule, IDAPA 08.02.02.060, asks for 6 semester credits or equivalent professional development in each 5-year validity period. The State Department of Education lets up to 3 of those come from in-service training and requires at least 3 to be postsecondary credit on a transcript. So the smallest college part is 3 credits, and the largest in-service part is 3 credits.
Conversions at a glance
These are the conversions the Department publishes.
| You have | Counts as |
|---|---|
| 15 in-service contact hours | 1 semester credit |
| 45 in-service contact hours | 3 semester credits (the in-service maximum) |
| 3 quarter credits | 2 semester credits |
| 4.5 quarter credits | 3 semester credits |
| One 3-credit college course | 3 semester credits |
Common mixes that reach 6
Most teachers use one of these three mixes.
- 3 credits of in-service (45 hours) plus one 3-credit college course
- Two 3-credit college courses and no in-service
- 1 or 2 credits of in-service plus college credit to make up the rest, with at least 3 from college
What makes in-service count
In-service must be approved by your local education agency before you apply, and it must line up with your individualised professional learning plan or your professional practice. The Department's page refers to Idaho district, charter school and private school in-service with a signed form. Hours from a conference or a webinar count only if your LEA approves them as in-service.
If you are not working for an Idaho LEA, getting in-service approved may not be possible, and all 6 credits may need to be college credit. Ask the Department.
What makes college credit count
College credit must be on a transcript and completed through a college or university accredited by an entity the State Board recognises. Graduate or undergraduate credit both work. It must tie to your content area or endorsement, to pedagogy or leadership, or to a need your district names, and it must be earned inside the validity period.
UPI Study courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended and reach a college via a college transcript. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited, so ask the Department in writing whether the transcript you plan to send meets the rule.
Keep a copy of every signed in-service form and every transcript in one folder, with the dates. The Department accepts PDFs by email. Check the dates against your validity period before you apply, because credits from outside the period do not count and none carry over.
A worked example
Take a high school science teacher whose certificate runs to 30 June of next year. She has 30 hours of district in-service approved this period, which is 2 credits. She needs 4 more, and at least 3 of the total must be college credit. A 3-credit course in her content area plus a 1-credit course, or two 3-credit courses, would take her to 6 or more.
If she had 45 approved in-service hours instead, she would have 3 credits from in-service and need exactly one 3-credit college course. In-service beyond 45 hours does not help, because the in-service part stops at 3 credits.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the Idaho State Department of Education's Educator Certification office in writing whether the transcript you plan to send meets the renewal rule, and ask your district in writing that the course fits your plan, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Can I use 6 credits of in-service and no college credit?
No. In-service can make up at most 3 of the 6 credits. At least 3 must be postsecondary credit on a transcript from an accredited college or university, so every renewal includes some college credit.
Does a 2-credit course work?
Yes, credits add up. A 2-credit course plus a 1-credit course make 3. Just make sure the college part totals at least 3 semester credits and that each course ties to your plan or practice.
Can a course count as both in-service and college credit?
Count each piece of learning once. If a workshop also offers college credit, use it as one or the other, and keep the paperwork that matches the way you report it on your renewal application.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Psychology of Diversity
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Educational Psychology and Psychology of Diversity are on PRO. Confirm with Idaho Educator Certification first.
Sources
- IDAPA 08.02.02 Rules Governing Uniformity, section 060: Application Procedures / Professional Development (official)6 semester credits or equivalent PD within the 5-year validity period; graduate or undergraduate credit; transcripted and completed through a college or university accredited by an entity recognised by the State Board; at least 3 semester credits postsecondary on transcript; credits tied to content area or endorsement, pedagogy or leadership, or an LEA-designated need, and taken during the validity period; in-service must be LEA-approved, 15 contact hours = 1 credit; no carry-over. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Idaho State Department of Education: Renewal of an Idaho certificate (official)Up to 3 of the 6 credits from Idaho district, charter or private school in-service with a signed form; 15 hours = 1 credit; 3 quarter credits = 2 semester credits; $75 non-refundable fee plus $3.25 online fee; apply from 1 January to 31 August of the expiry year; no extensions. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.