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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Iowa teaching license renewal: hours, credits and conversions
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Iowa counts renewal in credits, not clock hours. One semester hour of college credit related to education equals one renewal credit, so two 3-credit courses meet the six needed for a standard license. An evaluator-verified IPDP can cover three, National Board certification four, and approved provider courses count at the credit value the provider sets.
The unit Iowa uses
Many states count professional development in clock hours or points. Iowa's Board of Educational Examiners counts renewal credits. Under 282 IAC 20.3(1)a, you earn one credit for each semester hour of college credit completed related to education or any endorsement area. Approved renewal credit courses are counted at the value the board's guidelines give them.
For the standard teaching license, the target is six renewal credits in the five-year term.
Conversions at a glance
These are the conversions the rules and the board's pages state:
| Activity | Renewal credits |
|---|---|
| 1 semester hour of college credit (related to education or an endorsement area) | 1 |
| A 3-credit college course | 3 |
| One IPDP verified by your evaluator (Iowa school setting) | 3 (half of 6) |
| National Board certification or renewal | 4 |
| Cooperating teacher: 90 practicum hours / 180 hours | 1/2 / 1 |
| Micro-externship, minimum 40 hours | 1 |
| CEUs or staff development hours | 0 |
What about quarter hours and clock hours
The rule speaks of semester hours. If your college uses quarter hours, the usual conversion is two-thirds of a semester hour per quarter hour, but ask the board how it will count your transcript. Clock hours of workshops count only when they are part of an approved renewal credit course; on their own they are staff development and do not count.
Three ways to make six
Most teachers combine routes. Common patterns:
- IPDP (3) plus one 3-credit college course (3).
- Two 3-credit college courses (6).
- Six one-credit AEA renewal courses (6).
- A cooperating teacher year (up to 1) plus college or provider courses for the rest.
- National Board renewal (4) plus a 2-credit option from an approved provider or college (2).
Making college credit count
Three checks decide whether a college course counts. It must be from a regionally accredited institution, as the board's page says. It must relate to education or an endorsement area. And it must be completed after your current license was issued. Graduate and undergraduate credit are both named on the board's page.
UPI Study courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations and reach the board via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Check that your transcript college is regionally accredited and ask the board in writing before you start. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. For renewal, the board decides.
Keep a simple record as you go: course name, credits, completion date, and where the transcript will come from. When the renewal window opens a year before expiry, you will have everything ready to upload.
One last point on conversions: credits from one license term do not carry over to the next. If you earn nine credits in a term, the extra three do not bank toward your following renewal, because each renewal counts credits earned during that license's own term.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners in writing whether the transcript and courses you plan to use count toward your six renewal credits 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
how many renewal credits is a 3 credit college course in iowa
Three. Under 282 IAC 20.3(1)a, one renewal credit is earned for each semester hour of college credit related to education or an endorsement area. A 3-semester-hour course therefore gives three of the six credits needed for a standard license.
how many renewal credits is an ipdp worth
An individualized professional development plan verified by your evaluator covers half of the required credits, which is three for the standard teaching license. The board's page says the plan must be completed in an Iowa school setting.
do workshop clock hours count toward iowa renewal
Only if the workshop is an approved renewal credit course from a provider such as an AEA. General staff development hours and CEUs do not count, according to the board's renewal page. Check the provider's approval before you sign up.
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 education-related courses can cover six renewal credits once posted on a college transcript.
Sources
- Iowa Administrative Code 282 IAC chapter 20 (Renewals and extensions) (official)282 IAC 20.3(1)a: one renewal credit for each semester hour of college credit related to education or any endorsement area; 20.3(1)d: an IPDP can earn half the credits; 20.3(2)a: the standard teaching license needs six renewal credits; 20.1(2) child abuse training; 20.1(3) recency; 20.1(4) apply no earlier than one year before expiry; 20.3(3) master's plus ten years; 20.4 extensions (ARC 8818C, effective 26 Feb 2025). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Iowa Board of Educational Examiners: More Renewal Information (official)Renewal credits from approved Iowa providers (AEAs, ISEA, PEI) or semester hours of college credit (graduate or undergraduate) from regionally accredited institutions, not CEUs or staff development; credits earned after the current license's issue date; credits no more than five years old for an expired license; credits relevant to education or an endorsement area; one IPDP is 3 credits and must be completed in an Iowa school setting. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Iowa Board of Educational Examiners: Standard Teaching License (official)Term 5 years; renewal needs 6 renewal credits and mandatory reporter training for child abuse; alternative route with a master's degree or higher and 10 years of PK-12 licensed experience; extension available if more time is needed. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.