Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
To renew teaching certificate Washington state rules require 100 clock hours or equivalents, including 15 Equity-Based School Practices hours and, for some endorsements, 15 STEM hours. Under WAC 181-85-030, one semester credit equals 15 clock hours and one quarter credit equals 10. The credit must come from an accredited college; UPI Study courses fit only once such a college puts them on its transcript.
Under WAC 181-85-030, each college semester hour earns 15 continuing education clock hours and each quarter hour earns 10, toward the 100 clock hours OSPI requires for a teacher certificate renewal, and WAC 181-85-025 limits college credit to credit awarded by an accredited institution of higher education.
The rule asks for 100 clock hours; 1 semester credit = 15 clock hours, 1 quarter credit = 10. The legal source is WAC 181-85-030.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hours to renew (teachers) | 100 clock hours or equivalents | [1] |
| Equity hours | 15 hours of Equity-Based School Practices within the 100 | [1] |
| STEM hours | 15 hours for educators who hold certain endorsements | [1] |
| Semester credit | 15 clock hours per semester hour (WAC 181-85-030) | s1, s2 |
| Quarter credit | 10 clock hours per quarter hour (WAC 181-85-030) | s1, s2 |
| Which credit | Normally 100 level or higher, awarded by an accredited institution of higher education (WAC 181-85-025) | [2] |
| Timing | Completed after the issue date of the certificate being renewed | [1] |
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Certification Office; rules in chapter 181-85 WAC from the Professional Educator Standards Board 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 Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Certification Office; rules in chapter 181-85 WAC from the Professional Educator Standards Board.
How students learn and develop; close to classroom practice for most teachers.
Self-paced online Educational Psychology course (Psychology 120). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Topics near equity and inclusion; ask OSPI in writing whether a course can count toward the equity hours.
Self-paced online Psychology of Diversity course (Psychology 112). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Reading and using education research and data.
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 →
A current topic for teachers planning around AI tools 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 →
For teachers building computer science skills; ask whether it fits your STEM hours.
Self-paced online Programming in Python course (Computer Science 230). ACE and NCCRS recommend 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 them first how they evaluate the course, then use their transcript for your 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 |
| Washington community or technical college (resident, lower division) | $1,697 per 15-credit quarter (2026-27 ceiling) | 15 quarter credits equal 150 clock hours; part-time rates differ by college | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month | Same step: an accredited college must transcript the credit before it converts to clock hours | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month plus a course fee (for example $79 for English Composition I) | Membership plus a fee per course; same transcript step | 15 Nov 2026 |
Clock hour courses from approved providers, ESDs and districts are another route and are often cheaper per hour. College credit makes most sense when you also want it to count toward a degree or your district's salary rules.
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 the OSPI Certification Office in writing whether college credit from an accredited college that transcribed ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses counts toward your 100 clock hours, and which requirement it can meet, before you enrol.
For a teacher or CTE educator, OSPI asks for 100 clock hours or equivalents. Inside those 100, 15 must be Equity-Based School Practices hours, and teachers with certain endorsements also need 15 STEM hours. One hour cannot count twice: a STEM course used for STEM hours cannot also count as equity hours.
Clock hours can come from approved clock hour providers, from a Professional Growth Plan (OSPI says a PGP may be submitted for 25 clock hours), or from college credit. College credit is where this page helps: it converts at a fixed rate and the transcript proves it.
Because one semester credit equals 15 clock hours, about seven semester credits cover the full 100 hours (7 x 15 = 105). In quarter credits, 10 quarter credits make exactly 100. Two typical three-credit semester courses give 90 clock hours, which covers most of the requirement.
WAC 181-85-025 sets the type of credit: college or university credit, normally 100 level or higher, awarded by an accredited institution of higher education. So the question is never whether a course provider is accredited, but whether an accredited college has put the credit on its own transcript.
The renewal rule and pay are separate. OSPI's rule decides whether you can renew. How college credit moves you on a salary schedule is set by your district, so read your district's salary schedule and ask payroll in writing which credits it counts and from when.
Some teachers choose college credit because it can serve both purposes at once. That only works if your district says so, which is why the written answer matters before you pay.
Teachers need 100 clock hours or equivalents completed after the issue date of the certificate being renewed, including 15 Equity-Based School Practices hours and, for some endorsements, 15 STEM hours. Clock hours can come from approved providers, a Professional Growth Plan or college credit from an accredited college. You apply through OSPI's certification system.
Under WAC 181-85-030 one semester credit equals 15 clock hours and one quarter credit equals 10. A three-credit semester course therefore equals 45 clock hours. The credit must be awarded by an accredited institution of higher education, normally at the 100 level or higher.
OSPI says teachers and CTE educators need 15 hours of Equity-Based School Practices within the 100 clock hours. The same hours cannot also count toward STEM or another requirement. Ask OSPI in writing whether a specific college course can meet the equity hours before you take it.
College credit counts when it is awarded by an accredited institution of higher education. Online courses from UPI Study are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended; they can help only after an accredited college evaluates them and lists the credit on its transcript. Ask OSPI and the college in writing first.
OSPI requires 15 STEM hours for educators with certain endorsements. Whether a given college course meets the STEM requirement is OSPI's decision. Before you choose a course for STEM hours, ask OSPI in writing and keep the answer with your renewal records.
Often, yes. OSPI says a PGP based on work you have completed may be submitted for 25 clock hours, at no course cost. College credit costs more but can also count toward a degree, and possibly your district's salary rules if the district agrees.
Two courses can equal 90 clock hours once an accredited college puts them on its transcript.