Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Michigan teacher certification renewal takes 150 hours of education-related professional learning in each 5-year period. You can use SCECHs, District Provided PD, college credit or a mix. One semester credit counts as 25 hours, so 6 credits meet the full 150. College credit must come from a regionally accredited college and suit your certificate's content and grade level.
Under Mich. Admin. Code R 390.1129b a Michigan standard teaching certificate is renewed for 5 years with 150 hours of education-related professional learning, and MDE counts 1 semester credit hour from a regionally accredited college or university as 25 hours, so 6 semester credits, 150 SCECHs, 150 DPPD hours or a mix meet the rule.
The rule asks for 150 hours = 6 semester credits (1 credit = 25 hours). The legal source is R 390.1129b.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total for a 5-year renewal | 150 hours of education-related professional learning since the last issue date | [1] |
| College credit | 1 semester credit hour = 25 hours; from a regionally accredited college or university | [2] |
| Other hours | SCECHs and DPPD count hour for hour; any mix works | [3] |
| Relevance | Credit must suit the content and grade level of the certificate and endorsement | [3] |
| Extra hours | Hours over 150 do not carry over to the next renewal | [1] |
Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Educator Excellence; hours are recorded in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Educator Excellence; hours are recorded in the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS).
Learning, motivation and classroom behaviour: relevant to most teaching certificates.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Working with diverse students and families.
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Background for teachers supporting students with mental health needs.
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
A current topic for teachers planning AI use in class.
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 →
Reading and using education research.
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 →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; ask the partner college whether its transcript meets MDE's regionally accredited rule before you rely on it for renewal.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| 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 |
| Teaching Channel graduate course | $489 for a 3-credit graduate course | About $978 for 6 credits (two courses) | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Macomb Community College (Macomb County resident) | $113 per billable contact hour, fall 2026 to spring/summer 2027, before fees | About $678 in tuition for two 3-hour courses, plus fees | 15 Nov 2026 |
Free SCECH and DPPD hours from your district may cover much of the 150. Paid credit makes sense for the remainder, and only for courses MDE or your district agrees fit your certificate.
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.
Ask MDE or your district certification contact in writing whether each named course, on a transcript from a regionally accredited college, would count toward your 150 hours, before you enrol.
Michigan counts renewal in hours, not credits. The total is 150 hours of education-related professional learning, completed since your certificate was last issued. College credit converts at 25 hours per semester credit hour, so 6 semester credits make the full 150. Many teachers mix routes: for example, 75 SCECH or DPPD hours plus 3 college credits.
R 390.1129b sets this rule for renewing a standard teaching certificate for 5 years, and MDE's guidance uses the same 150 hours for professional certificates. Hours beyond 150 do not carry over, so plan to the number rather than past it.
SCECHs are clock hours from approved sponsors, often workshops and conferences. DPPD is professional development your district provides and records. College credit is the third route and the only one where 3 credits equal 75 hours in a single course.
MDE looks for satisfactory credit from a regionally accredited college or university, and the course must suit your certificate's content and grade level. A community college course in your subject, a university course, or online recommended courses recorded by a college can all be candidates, if they meet both tests.
UPI Study's courses are undergraduate and carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations. They are not a college transcript on their own. A college that considers recommended credit would need to review them and record any credit it awards, and MDE or your district should agree in writing that the course suits your certificate before you start.
150 hours of education-related professional learning since the certificate was last issued. SCECHs, District Provided PD and college credit all count, and you can combine them. One semester credit hour from a regionally accredited college counts as 25 hours.
Six semester credit hours equal the full 150 hours, at 25 hours per credit. The credit must come from a regionally accredited college or university and suit the content and grade level of your certificate. You can also use fewer credits and make up the rest with SCECHs or DPPD.
Collect 150 hours of education-related professional learning since the certificate was issued, make sure they are recorded in MOECS, and apply for renewal there with the fee. College transcripts are added to MOECS before you apply. Check MDE's renewal page for your certificate type.
No. R 390.1129b says hours beyond the required 150 do not apply toward later renewals. Plan your courses and PD so you reach 150 without going far past it, and spread the rest of your learning into the next 5-year period, where it will count.
R 390.1129b allows one 5-year renewal of a standard certificate for a teacher who has earned an education-related master's or higher degree at any time. Later renewals still need the 150 hours. Check with MDE how this applies to your certificate.
Ask MDE or your district in writing first, then take the courses that suit your certificate at your own pace.