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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Nevada teaching licence renewal: hours, credits and conversions
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Nevada renewal is 90 clock hours, 6 semester credits, or any mix of the two. NDE counts 1 semester credit as 15 instructional hours and a clock hour as 60 minutes. Licences issued before 16 September 2024 follow the older rule of 15 hours a year. College credit counts only on an official transcript sent to NDE.
The two units and how they convert
Since R088-23 took effect on 16 September 2024, the Nevada Department of Education measures renewal in two units. Clock hours come from workshops and training; NDE defines a clock hour as 60 minutes. Semester credits come from college courses. NDE's professional development page sets the bridge between them: 1 semester credit equals 15 instructional hours. So 6 credits and 90 hours are the same total.
| Semester credits | Clock hours equivalent | Clock hours still needed |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 1 | 15 | 75 |
| 2 | 30 | 60 |
| 3 | 45 | 45 |
| 4 | 60 | 30 |
| 5 | 75 | 15 |
| 6 | 90 | 0 |
Worked examples
A teacher who attends 45 hours of district training during the licence period needs 45 more hours, which is 3 semester credits. A teacher who has no district training can take 6 semester credits. A counsellor who earned 30 hours at a Regional Professional Development Program needs 60 more hours, which could be 4 semester credits.
Credits do not need to come in whole courses of the same size: two 3-credit courses make 6, and a 3-credit course plus 45 workshop hours also makes the total.
Older licences: 15 hours a year
NDE's renewal page says licences issued before 16 September 2024 must earn 15 hours per year. The Nevada code has long counted 1 semester hour of credit as the same as 15 hours, so one 3-credit course covers three of those years. If your licence was issued before that date, ask the Office of Educator Licensure whether your remaining years follow the yearly pattern or the new total.
Proof NDE wants for each unit
Each unit has its own proof, and mixing them up is the most common reason a renewal stalls.
- Clock hours: a certificate or letter showing provider name, activity title, your full name, dates and total instructional hours, uploaded to OPAL.
- College credit: an official transcript only, sent by the college in person, by mail or by e-Script to transcripts@doe.nv.gov.
- Not accepted: transcripts you upload yourself, including student-portal copies.
Common mistakes that slow a renewal
Most delays come from proof rather than from the hours themselves. Check these before you submit in OPAL, and leave a few weeks for a college to send its transcript.
- Uploading a student-portal transcript instead of having the college send an official one.
- Counting quarter credits as semester credits without asking NDE.
- Counting hours from a provider that is not a college, district, RPDP, employee organization or NDE-approved provider.
- Waiting until the last month: renewal can begin 9 months before expiry.
Where outside online credit fits
Colleges and universities are approved providers in Nevada; UPI Study is not. Our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, so they could count only if a college places the credit on its official transcript and NDE then agrees. Ask NDE in writing first, naming the course, the recommendation and the college that would issue the transcript.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the Nevada Department of Education's Office of Educator Licensure in writing whether the credit, once on a college's official transcript, will count toward your renewal 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
Is a Nevada clock hour 60 minutes or 50?
NDE's renewal page says a clock hour is defined as 60 minutes. Shorter sessions are added up by actual minutes, so check the total hours printed on each certificate before you upload it.
Can I use quarter credits for Nevada renewal?
NDE states its conversion in semester credits. If your college uses quarter credits, ask NDE in writing how it converts them before you count them toward the 6-credit total, and keep the reply with your renewal records.
Do I have to earn 15 hours every year under the new rule?
No. R088-23 lets a licensee earn the total at any time during the licence period, so you can take a course in your first year or your last. The 15-hours-a-year pattern is for licences issued before 16 September 2024.
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
Ask NDE in writing first, then take education and psychology courses at your own pace.
Sources
- Nevada Department of Education: Licensure Renewals (official)Renew with 90 clock hours, 6 semester credits or a combination; licences issued before 16 Sep 2024 need 15 hours per year; a clock hour is 60 minutes; renewal can start 9 months before expiry; retirees under NAC 391.073. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Nevada Department of Education: Professional Development Information for Educators (official)1 semester credit = 15 instructional hours; colleges and universities, school districts, RPDPs and employee organizations are approved providers; all other providers need NDE approval; college credit only on official transcripts sent to NDE. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Commission on Professional Standards in Education: Summary of Regulations Effective 16 September 2024 (official)R088-23 changes NAC 391.065 and 391.080: 90 clock hours, 6 semester credit hours or a combination, earned any time in the licensure period, from approved providers; R008-24 makes the Parent Involvement and Family Engagement course a renewal requirement. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.