Educational Psychology
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Renewing an Indiana licence when you are not in a classroom
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
To renew an Indiana teaching license when you are not teaching, use the same routes as classroom teachers: a 90-point Professional Growth Plan or 6 hours of college coursework from a regionally accredited institution. Without a school, the Office of Educator Licensing verifies your points directly from official documentation you upload to LVIS, so coursework on a transcript is often the simpler proof.
The rule does not change when you leave the classroom
Whether you are at home with children, working in another field or between jobs, a 5- or 10-year Indiana license renews the same way: 90 PGP points or 6 hours of college coursework, earned after the license's issue date, plus CPR and AED certification and Child Abuse and Neglect Training. Combining points and coursework is allowed.
How points are checked without a principal
In a school, a principal, superintendent or human resources officer can sign a letter to verify PGP points. When you are not employed in a school, IDOE says the Office of Educator Licensing verifies the plan itself, and you upload official documentation of each activity to LVIS. That means certificates with dates, hours and the provider's name for every workshop or class.
Collecting that evidence for 90 clock hours can be slow. A college transcript showing 6 hours of coursework is a single document, which is why many teachers outside schools choose coursework.
Coursework that fits your situation
Out-of-state courses need no pre-approval when they are in professional education or a licensed content area. Educational Psychology covers learning, motivation and assessment; Psychology of Diversity covers identity and inclusion; Abnormal Psychology helps teachers who work with students with additional needs. Each is 3 credits and NCCRS-recommended, and each counts only once a college posts it via a college transcript. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited.
TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Check that the posting college meets IDOE's regional accreditation wording, and ask IDOE in writing whether the credit will count.
Timing when you plan to return
If you plan to return to teaching, renew before the license expires so that you can apply for jobs with a valid license. Apply in LVIS no more than 45 days before expiration. Allow several weeks for the courses, more for the college to post the credit, and time for the official transcript to reach IDOE. Book CPR/AED and Child Abuse and Neglect Training in the same window so nothing holds the application.
Questions to ask in writing
A short email to the Office of Educator Licensing saves guesswork.
- Will 6 hours of coursework posted by this college count for my license?
- Do my chosen courses count as professional education or a licensed content area?
- If I mix points and coursework, how will the coursework be counted?
- Which CPR/AED providers are approved?
Keep your records together
Save your license, the written replies from IDOE and the college, your transcript, your CPR/AED card and your training certificate in one folder. If you return to a school later, the same folder helps a new employer check your license quickly, and it gives you a head start on the next renewal cycle.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the IDOE Office of Educator Licensing in writing whether your planned 6 hours will count for your license, and ask the college in writing which courses it will post, 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 renew my Indiana license if I am not teaching?
Yes. The renewal routes do not require current employment. Use 90 PGP points or 6 hours of college coursework, plus CPR/AED and Child Abuse and Neglect Training. Educator Licensing verifies points directly when you are not in a school.
Who signs my PGP if I have no principal?
No one at a school needs to. IDOE says Educator Licensing verifies the PGP for educators not employed in a school, using official documentation you upload to LVIS. Keep dated certificates for every activity.
Is coursework easier than points when I am not in a school?
Often, because one college transcript shows all 6 hours, while 90 points need documentation for each activity. Ask IDOE in writing whether your chosen coursework will count before you enrol.
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 →
Abnormal Psychology
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Two 3-credit courses make 6 hours. Ask IDOE and the college in writing first.
Sources
- IDOE: Current Indiana educator to renew a license (official)To renew a 5- or 10-year license, applicants may complete 6 hours of college coursework from a regionally accredited institution, earned after the issue date of the license being renewed; graduate or undergraduate credit may be used (graduate strongly encouraged for administrative and school services licenses); out-of-state courses need no pre-approval if in professional education or a licensed content area; coursework and PGP points may be combined; CPR/AED from an IDOE-approved provider and Child Abuse and Neglect Training required; apply no more than 45 days before expiration; 511 IAC 16-1-1(e) on validity through the school year. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- IDOE: Professional Growth Plan (PGP) (official)A 90-point PGP renews a 5- or 10-year license; one clock hour equals one PGP point; points must be obtained since the issue date of the license being renewed; the 15-point career awareness part is no longer mandatory; requirements changed under SEA 319 (2020); educators not employed in a school have PGPs verified by Educator Licensing and upload official documentation to LVIS. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.