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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Renewing an Ohio licence while not teaching
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
If you are not employed in an Ohio school, OAC 3301-24-08 lets you apply directly to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for renewal with evidence of six semester hours of coursework related to classroom teaching or your licence area. You do not need a district LPDC for that route. CEUs instead need a plan reviewed by a regional provider.
Who this route is for
Many Ohio teachers step away from the classroom for a few years: to raise children, care for family, work in another field or teach in another state. Their five-year licence keeps running while they are away. Without a district, there is no district LPDC to approve a professional development plan, so the rule gives a separate route.
Paragraph B of OAC 3301-24-08 says educators not employed in Ohio schools may apply directly to the state for renewal. With six semester hours of related coursework, that is all you need to send.
Semester hours or CEUs
The direct route uses semester hours. If you would rather use CEUs or other activities, the rule asks for an Individual Professional Development Plan reviewed and approved by a regional provider that has an LPDC. That adds a step, so most teachers outside a district choose six semester hours.
The coursework should relate to classroom teaching and/or your licence area. Education, psychology of learning and content courses in your subject are the common choices.
Whichever route you pick, write down what you plan before you start. A one-page list of the courses, their credit hours, the provider and the date you expect each grade helps you keep pace and gives the state a clear record if it asks how the coursework relates to your licence.
| Route | What you need | Who reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Semester hours | 6 semester hours of related coursework | The state, directly |
| CEUs or other activities | 18 CEUs (180 contact hours) under an IPDP | A regional provider LPDC |
Do not let it lapse
Timing matters more when you are away from a district. A licence that has lapsed for up to five years needs nine semester hours to reinstate, and one lapsed for more than five years needs twelve. Renewing before the expiry date keeps the requirement at six.
The rule also says the larger lapsed-licence amounts do not apply if you finish the six semester hours and submit the renewal application by the deadline in the year the licence expires. Check the current deadline with the Office of Educator Licensure.
Getting six semester hours
Semester hours come from a college transcript. Some teachers take two graduate courses at a university; others take undergraduate courses. UPI Study's courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, and credit becomes semester hours only once a college posts it via a college transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and Newlane is a third.
Before you enrol, email the Office of Educator Licensure and ask whether the course and the transcript it would arrive on would count for a direct renewal. Keep the reply.
Sending the renewal
Apply through your OH|ID account. Have the college send an official transcript showing the six semester hours, and keep a copy of each course description in case the state asks how the coursework relates to classroom teaching or your licence area. If you return to an Ohio school later, your new district's LPDC handles the next renewal.
Allow time for each step. Colleges can take several weeks to post credit and send an official transcript, and renewal applications can take time to process. Starting the coursework a year before your expiry date leaves room for a delay without risking a lapse.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your LPDC (or, if you are not employed in an Ohio school, the Office of Educator Licensure) in writing whether each course counts toward 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
Do I need an LPDC if I am not teaching in Ohio?
Not for the semester-hours route. You can apply directly to the state with six semester hours. CEUs or other activities need a plan reviewed by a regional provider with an LPDC.
Can I renew from another state?
Yes, the direct route is for educators not employed in Ohio schools, wherever they live. Send evidence of six semester hours of related coursework with your OH|ID application, and keep course descriptions in case the state asks how they relate to your licence.
How much coursework if my licence already expired?
Nine semester hours if it lapsed up to five years ago, and twelve if longer, unless you were continuously employed under a valid credential during the lapse. Confirm with the Office of Educator Licensure.
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 →
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Take two related courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations, then have a college post the six semester hours, after your LPDC confirms in writing that they fit your plan.
Sources
- Ohio Administrative Code 3301-24-08: Professional or associate license renewal (official)Five-year licence; renewal with six semester hours related to classroom teaching and/or the licence area, or 18 CEUs (180 contact hours), as approved by the LPDC; educators not employed in Ohio schools may apply directly with six semester hours, or use other options under a plan reviewed by a regional provider; 9 semester hours to reinstate a licence lapsed up to five years, 12 if more; effective 4 Nov 2021; authority ORC 3319.22(A) and 3319.29(H). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.