Educational Psychology
Directly about learning and teaching; NCCRS-recommended.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →KansasTeachers
College credit for Kansas teaching license renewal: what counts
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
Kansas teaching license renewal for a professional license without an advanced degree needs 160 professional development points in five years, and at least 80 must come from college credit (K.A.R. 91-1-205). One semester hour equals 20 points, so 4 semester hours meet the college minimum. With an advanced degree you need 120 points and no college minimum. Your local council approves the plan.
The rule
Under K.A.R. 91-1-205, a Kansas professional license holder without an advanced degree renews with 160 professional development points under an approved individual development plan, including at least 80 points for college credit; KSDE counts one semester hour as 20 points.
The rule asks for 160 points, at least 80 from college credit (4 semester hours); 120 points with an advanced degree. The legal source is K.A.R. 91-1-205.
| Item | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| License term | Professional license, 5 years | [1] |
| No advanced degree | 160 points, at least 80 from college credit | s1, s2 |
| Advanced degree | 120 points, no college minimum | s1, s2 |
| Conversion | 1 semester hour = 20 points; 1 hour of in-service = 1 point | s1, s3 |
| Approval | Individual development plan approved by your local Professional Development Council | s1, s2 |
| Retirement system members | Half the points | s1, s2 |
Who decides
Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), Teacher Licensure; local Professional Development Councils approve plans decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Which credits count
What counts
- College credit at 20 professional development points per semester hour, under an individual development plan approved by your local Professional Development Council.
- In-service education at one point per hour, for the points above the college minimum.
- 8 credit hours in an approved program, or completing an approved program, as a separate renewal option.
What does not count
- Points earned outside an approved individual development plan.
- In-service hours toward the 80-point college minimum (that part must be college credit if you have no advanced degree).
- Points earned outside the current license term.
Courses that fit
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), Teacher Licensure; local Professional Development Councils approve plans.
Psychology of Diversity
Fits work with diverse classrooms; NCCRS-recommended.
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
Background for student mental health and special education; NCCRS-recommended.
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Relevant to teaching with new classroom technology, if your plan covers it.
Self-paced online Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course (Computer Science 373). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Research Methods in Psychology
Helps with reading education research and data.
Self-paced online Research Methods in Psychology course (Psychology 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- File or update your individual development planYour local Professional Development Council must approve the plan before points count. List the college courses you intend to take.
- Ask the council and KSDE about the transcriptAsk in writing whether credit posted on your chosen college's transcript, at undergraduate level, counts as college credit for the 80-point minimum.
- Earn the college pointsTwo 3-credit courses give 120 points, more than the 80-point college minimum. Add 40 more points from in-service hours or another course.
- Move the credit via a college transcriptTESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Submit the official transcript to your council for points.
- RenewSend the renewal application, fee and proof of your renewal option to KSDE during the current license term.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; your council and KSDE read the result via a college transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
What it costs
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Johnson County Community College | $106 per credit hour (Johnson County), $128 (other Kansas counties) | 6 credits: $636 or $768 | 15 Nov 2026 |
Graduate courses from universities and renewal course companies price differently; KSDE's renewal fee is extra on every route. Ask your council about the transcript before you pay.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited; the credit reaches your council and KSDE only via a college transcript.
- UPI Study cannot approve an individual development plan or award professional development points; your local council does.
- UPI Study cannot renew a license or promise that a course will count; KSDE and your council decide.
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.
Confirm in writing first
Ask your local Professional Development Council, and KSDE if needed, in writing whether undergraduate credit on your chosen college transcript counts toward the 80 college-credit points before you enrol.
Kansas teaching license renewal requirements
The Kansas professional license runs for five years. KSDE lists several ways to renew it. The most common is professional development points earned under an individual development plan, or IDP, approved by your local Professional Development Council. Without an advanced degree you need 160 points, and at least 80 must be from college credit. With an advanced degree you need 120, with no college minimum.
KSDE also lists 8 credit hours in an approved program, or finishing an approved program, as a renewal option. Advanced-degree holders can instead show three years of recent accredited experience, limited to two renewals. People in an educational retirement system complete half the points.
Why Kansas forces some college credit
Kansas is one of the few states whose renewal rule requires college credit for teachers without an advanced degree. At 20 points per semester hour, the 80-point minimum equals 4 semester hours. In practice that means two college courses for most teachers, because courses usually run 3 credits each.
Two 3-credit courses give 120 points, which covers the college minimum with 40 points to spare. The remaining 40 can come from in-service hours, which count at one point per hour, or from a third course. A teacher who prefers to do it all through courses can reach 160 points with 8 semester hours.
Choosing courses your council will approve
Your IDP sets the goals; the courses should fit them. Questions to settle with your council first:
- Does the council count undergraduate credit, and from which colleges?
- Which subjects fit your IDP goals and license area?
- What record does it want: an official transcript, a grade report, or both?
- When must the credit be posted to count in the current term?
Questions people ask
how to renew kansas teaching license
File an individual development plan with your local Professional Development Council, earn the points it approves (160 with at least 80 from college credit, or 120 with an advanced degree), then send KSDE the renewal application, fee and proof during your current license term.
how many points do i need to renew my kansas teaching license
Without an advanced degree, 160 professional development points with at least 80 from college credit. With an advanced degree, 120 points with no college minimum. Members of an educational retirement system complete half the points, under K.A.R. 91-1-205.
how many professional development points is a college credit hour in kansas
Twenty. KSDE says one semester hour of college credit equals 20 professional development points. A 3-credit course is 60 points, and 4 semester hours meet the 80-point college minimum for teachers without an advanced degree.
do i need college credit to renew a kansas teaching license
Yes, if you do not hold an advanced degree: at least 80 of your 160 points must come from college credit. With a master's degree or higher, the 120 points can all come from in-service education under your plan.
does undergraduate credit count for kansas license renewal
KSDE's page speaks of college credit without saying undergraduate or graduate, and your local Professional Development Council approves the plan. Ask the council in writing whether undergraduate credit on your chosen transcript counts before you enrol.
what is the seal of literacy requirement for kansas renewal
KSDE's renewal page says that from 1 July 2028 some educators must also meet the Seal of Literacy requirement. Check with KSDE whether it applies to your license area when you plan your next renewal.
Read next
- Kansas teaching license renewal: hours, credits and conversionsKansas counts renewal in professional development points. One semester hour of college credit equals 20 points, and one hour of in-service education...
- Renewing a Kansas teaching license when you are not in a classroomRenewing a Kansas teaching license when you are not in a classroom still means meeting a renewal option: points under an individual development plan...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Two courses cover the 80-point college minimum once posted on a college transcript.
Sources
- KSDE Teacher Licensure: License Information and Application (Renew a Professional (5 year) License) (official)Professional license is a 5-year license. Renewal options: 160 points including at least 80 from college credit under an approved IDP (no advanced degree); 120 points under an approved IDP filed with the local PDC (advanced degree); 8 credit hours in an approved program, or completing an approved program; one college credit hour is 20 PD points; all plans approved by the local Professional Development Council; retirement system participants complete half the points; Seal of Literacy requirement for some educators from 1 July 2028. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- K.A.R. 91-1-205(b), Renewal of a professional license (Cornell LII copy of the Kansas regulation)(b)(3)(C): 160 professional development points under an approved individual development plan filed with a local professional development council, including at least 80 points for college credit, without an advanced degree; 120 points with an advanced degree; (b)(3)(E): three years of recent accredited experience for advanced-degree holders, limited to two renewals; (b)(3)(F): half the points for people in an educational retirement system. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- KSDE: Professional Development (official)A professional development point represents one hour of in-service education; one semester hour of college credit equals 20 professional development points. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Johnson County Community College: Current Tuition Rates (official)Fall 2026 rates per credit hour including fees: $106 for Johnson County residents, $128 for other Kansas residents. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- JCCC Current Tuition RatesPrice for Johnson County Community College, checked on 15 Nov 2026.