Educational Psychology
Learning and development, central to teaching.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →VirginiaTeachers
Virginia teaching license renewal: 30 points for each semester hour of college credit
Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
The short answer
Virginia teaching license renewal under 8VAC20-23-110 needs 270 professional development points for a ten-year license, or 180 for a five-year renewable license. College credit is one of eight options: VDOE's Renewal Manual counts one semester hour as 30 points, so two 3-credit courses give 180 points.
The rule
Under 8VAC20-23-110, a license may be renewed with 270 professional development points within a 10-year validity period, or 180 points for a five-year renewable license, and college credit from an accredited two-year or four-year institution is one of eight options.
The rule asks for 270 points (ten-year license) or 180 points (five-year license); 1 semester hour = 30 points. The legal source is 8VAC20-23-110.
| Point | What applies in Virginia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ten-year license | 270 professional development points per validity period | [1] |
| Five-year renewable license | 180 points | [1] |
| College credit value | 1 semester hour = 30 points; 1 quarter hour = 20 points | [2] |
| College credit conditions | Regionally accredited two- or four-year college, taken for credit, passing grade | [2] |
| College credit cap | 180 points in the five-year manual | [2] |
| Professional development activity | 1 point per clock hour, at least 5 hours, prior approval, up to 180 points | [2] |
| College credit required? | No; it is one of eight options | [1] |
| Renewal fee | $50, nonrefundable | [2] |
Who decides
Virginia Department of Education, Office of Licensure (Department of Teacher Education and Licensure) 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
- Option 1: courses taken for credit at a regionally accredited two-year or four-year college or university, with a passing grade, at 30 points per semester hour.
- Option 8: approved professional development activities at one point per clock or contact hour, at least five hours each.
- Six other options, such as conferences, curriculum work, mentorship and publications, each with its own cap.
What does not count
- Courses not taken for credit, or without a passing grade, under the college credit option.
- College credit is never required; the regulation says no one must renew through college coursework.
- Points do not replace the separate required trainings, such as first aid/CPR/AED and dyslexia awareness.
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 Virginia Department of Education, Office of Licensure (Department of Teacher Education and Licensure).
Psychology of Diversity
Background for diverse classrooms.
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
Useful context for student behaviour and support.
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Research Methods in Psychology
Reading and judging 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 →
College Algebra
Content refresh for maths teachers.
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Pre-Calculus
Deeper content for secondary maths.
Self-paced online Pre-Calculus course (MATH 115). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →The path via a college transcript
- Check your license typeTen-year licenses need 270 points; five-year renewable licenses need 180. Note your expiry date.
- Get prior approvalIf you work for a Virginia school division, get approval from the superintendent or designee before you start; if not, write to VDOE for pre-approval.
- Ask which option a course fitsAsk in writing whether a course counts as college credit (option 1) or as a professional development activity (option 8).
- Finish and keep recordsKeep official transcripts for college credit, or certificates and hours for activities.
- Complete the required trainingsAdd first aid/CPR/AED, dyslexia awareness, child abuse recognition and students-with-disabilities training before you apply.
TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; start with their own transfer pages, then any other college you already attend.
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 |
| Northern Virginia Community College (in-state) | $232.05 per credit, tuition and fees (2026-27) | Accredited two-year college credit under option 1; two 3-credit courses about $1,392 for 180 points | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month (or $299 per 4 months) | Self-paced; credit via its partner colleges; ask whether your division accepts it | 15 Nov 2026 |
Prices checked on each provider's own page on the date shown. A community college course is on that college's own transcript, which fits option 1 directly. A UPI Study course needs approval from your division or VDOE before you rely on it.
What UPI Study cannot do here
- UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited, so a UPI Study course is not itself college coursework from an accredited institution under option 1.
- Its courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended and become college credit only via a college transcript; whether VDOE treats that credit as option 1 is VDOE's decision.
- We cannot approve points; your school division or VDOE decides.
- We do not provide the required trainings such as first aid/CPR/AED or dyslexia awareness.
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 division superintendent's designee, or VDOE if you are not employed, to confirm in writing which option a course counts under and how many points before you enrol.
How many points you need
8VAC20-23-110 sets the renewal rule. Most Virginia teaching licenses are now ten-year licenses and renew with 270 professional development points earned within the validity period. Holders of a five-year renewable license need 180 points. The points come from one or more of eight options, and every renewal also needs the trainings the regulation lists, such as emergency first aid, CPR and AED use, dyslexia awareness, child abuse recognition and teaching students with disabilities.
VDOE's Renewal Manual explains that since July 1, 2018 the Board of Education issues ten-year renewable licenses, and that on January 24, 2019 it set 270 points for those renewals.
- Ten-year license: 270 points
- Five-year renewable license: 180 points
- Plus the required trainings
- $50 nonrefundable renewal fee
The college credit option: 30 points per semester hour
Option 1 is college credit. The Renewal Manual counts one semester hour as 30 points and one quarter hour as 20 points. Coursework must give new information, come from a regionally accredited two-year or four-year college or university, be taken for credit and end with a passing grade or a pass. An official transcript verifies it. The manual caps this option at 180 points.
So two 3-credit courses are 6 semester hours, or 180 points, which covers a whole five-year renewal. For a ten-year license, the same two courses give 180 of the 270 points, and the rest can come from other options. The regulation also says no one is required to renew by earning college credit, so this is a choice, not a duty.
Approval comes first
The manual says all activities need prior approval from the division superintendent or designee if you work in a Virginia educational agency. If you are not employed by one, you send a written request for pre-approval to VDOE's licensure office. Points earned with approval in one Virginia division carry to another.
Ask two questions before you pay for any course: which option it counts under, and how many points it will earn. Get the answer in writing.
Where UPI Study fits
UPI Study offers self-paced courses such as Educational Psychology, Psychology of Diversity, Abnormal Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, College Algebra and Precalculus for $99 a month with PRO. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. Its courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended, and they become college credit only via a college transcript: TESU, UoPeople and Newlane are partner colleges that consider such credit.
That means a UPI Study course is not, by itself, option 1 college coursework. Some teachers may be able to count a course under option 8, professional development activities, at one point per clock hour, if their division approves it first. That is the division's or VDOE's decision, so ask in writing before you start. If you need option 1 points with no doubt, a course at an accredited community college is the direct route.
Questions people ask
How many points do I need to renew a Virginia teaching license?
Under 8VAC20-23-110, a ten-year license needs 270 professional development points within the validity period, and a five-year renewable license needs 180. You also need the required trainings, such as first aid, CPR and AED, and dyslexia awareness.
How many points is a college course worth?
VDOE's Renewal Manual counts one semester hour as 30 points and one quarter hour as 20 points. A 3-credit semester course is 90 points, and two of them are 180 points, the cap for the college credit option in the five-year manual.
Do I have to take college courses to renew?
No. The regulation says no one is required to renew by completing coursework and earning credit at an institution of higher education. College credit is one of eight options, alongside conferences, mentorship, projects and professional development activities.
Does a community college course count?
The manual accepts courses from regionally accredited two-year or four-year colleges, taken for credit with a passing grade. A Virginia community college course fits that description. Get prior approval from your division first, as the manual requires.
Can a UPI Study course count toward renewal?
Not as option 1 by itself, because UPI Study is not an accredited college. Your division may approve a course as a professional development activity under option 8, at one point per clock hour. Ask in writing before you enrol.
What does renewal cost?
The Renewal Manual lists a $50 nonrefundable renewal fee per license. Course costs are separate: at NOVA, a Virginia resident pays $232.05 per credit for 2026-27, so two 3-credit courses come to about $1,392.
Read next
- 1 credit = 30 points: Virginia renewal optionsVirginia teaching license renewal points come from eight options. In VDOE's Renewal Manual, college credit is 30 points per semester hour up to 180...
- Does community-college-level credit count for Virginia renewal?Community college credit for Virginia teacher renewal counts under option 1: 8VAC20-23-110 accepts college coursework from any accredited two-year or...
The same topic in nearby states
Ready when you have it in writing
Only after your division or VDOE confirms in writing which option a course counts under.
Sources
- Virginia Administrative Code: 8VAC20-23-110 Requirements for renewing a license (official)A: 270 professional development points within a 10-year validity period; 180 points for a five-year renewable license; no one is required to renew by earning credit at an institution of higher education. D, F, G, I: first aid/CPR/AED, dyslexia awareness, child abuse recognition and students-with-disabilities training. K: eight options; option 1 college credit offered by any accredited two-year or four-year institution. M: some options need advance approval by the employing agency; people not employed submit to the Office of Professional Licensure with official transcripts from an accredited two-year or four-year institution. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- VDOE: Virginia Licensure Renewal Manual (five-year renewable license, updated January 2023; read from the Internet Archive copy of https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/40586/638079887225000000) (official)Option 1 college credit: coursework from a regionally accredited two-year or four-year college or university, taken for credit, passing grade or pass; maximum 180 points; one semester hour = 30 points, one quarter hour = 20 points; verified by official transcript. Option 8 professional development activities: one point per clock/contact hour, minimum five hours per activity, prior approval if employed in a Virginia educational agency, maximum 180 points. $50 nonrefundable renewal fee. Since July 1, 2018 the Board issues ten-year renewable licenses; 270 points for ten-year renewals. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Northern Virginia Community College: Tuition and CostsPrice for Northern Virginia Community College (in-state), checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Sophia Learning: Plans and pricingPrice for Sophia Learning, checked on 15 Nov 2026.