Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Does Michigan count transfer credit toward the 60 hours?
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Yes, Michigan adds up credit from more than one college. MCL 380.1233(5) says the 60 semester hours do not need to come from the same college. MDE counts hours with a grade of C or better from colleges recognised by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education. Credit from a provider that is not a college must first be on a college transcript.
What the law says about combining colleges
The Revised School Code allows a district to employ a substitute without a teaching certificate who has at least 60 semester hours of college credit or an associate degree from a college, university or community college. It adds that the 60 semester hours do not need to be from the same institution. So 20 hours from a community college, 30 from a university and 10 from a second community college can make 60.
Which hours MDE counts
MDE sets two quality checks on top of the law. Each grade must be a C or better, and each college must be recognised by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education. Hours that do not meet both checks are left out of the count.
- C or better: counts
- C-minus, D or F: check with the district, and expect it not to count
- College recognised by CHEA or USDE: counts
- Unrecognised school or a non-college provider on its own: does not count
Where recommended credit fits
ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended courses are not college courses by themselves. A college that considers recommended credit reviews them and decides whether to award credit. If it does, the credit appears on that college's transcript, and that transcript is what the district and MDE review.
TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Before you take a course with this plan in mind, ask the district in writing whether hours recorded that way would count toward the 60.
Planning the last few courses
Once you know your gap, choose courses that do double duty. General education courses such as English Composition, College Algebra, Introduction to Psychology and US History fit almost any later degree plan, so the hours stay useful if you decide to work toward a teaching certificate. Courses linked to classroom work, such as Educational Psychology, also help you in the job itself.
Leave time at the end for paperwork. A college needs time to review outside courses and issue a transcript, and the district needs that transcript before it can request your permit. If a school year is about to start, ask the district when its last hiring round closes and work back from that date.
A worked example
Here is how a mixed record might add up. The numbers are only an example; your own count depends on your transcripts and grades.
| Source of hours | Hours | Counted toward 60? |
|---|---|---|
| Community college, grades C or better | 24 | Yes |
| University, grades C or better | 21 | Yes |
| University course with a D | 3 | No |
| Recommended courses recorded on a partner college transcript | 15 | Ask the district in writing first |
Questions to send the district
One clear email saves time. List your transcripts, your own count of C-or-better hours, and the courses you plan to add. Ask for a reply in writing and keep it with your papers.
- Do you agree with my count of hours with a C or better?
- How do you convert quarter hours?
- Would hours from these named courses count once a college records them on its transcript?
- When do you need final transcripts to request the permit?
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the district's HR office or MDE in writing whether hours from the named ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses would count toward the 60 once they are on a college transcript, 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
do credits from a college i left years ago still count
The law and MDE's rule set no age limit on the hours. What matters is a C or better and a recognised college. Ask the district to confirm, and order official transcripts early because older records can take longer.
does a c minus count for a michigan substitute permit
MDE asks for a grade of C or better. A C-minus is below a C, so expect it not to count. Ask the district how it treats plus and minus grades on your transcripts.
do quarter hours count toward the 60 semester hours
Quarter hours are converted to semester hours, usually at a lower number. Ask the district or MDE how it converts them before you work out how many courses you still need.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Introduction to Sociology
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Check with your district in writing first, then finish the courses it will count at your own pace.
Sources
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 380.1233 (Revised School Code) (official)Subsection (5): a board may employ a substitute without a teaching certificate who has at least 60 semester hours of college credit or an associate degree from a college, university or community college; the 60 hours do not need to be from the same institution. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Michigan Department of Education: Permits (official)The daily substitute permit requires 60 semester hours of satisfactory credit, grade C or better, from two- or four-year colleges or universities recognised by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Mich. Admin. Code R 390.1142: Daily substitute permitThe permit is issued at a district's or nonpublic school's request for a person who meets MCL 380.1233(5); it is valid for no more than 90 consecutive calendar days in the same assignment and is not renewable, with limited extensions. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.