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 a West Virginia licence when you are not in a classroom
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
If you want to renew a West Virginia teaching license while not teaching, start with the rule itself: W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 asks for six semester hours of approved credit on an official transcript within five years. Ask WVDE in writing which renewal options apply to someone not employed in a school, and whether undergraduate coursework counts, before you enrol.
Who this is for
Teachers who stepped away to raise children, care for family, move out of state or work outside education often want to keep a West Virginia certificate valid so returning is easy. The renewal law is written about the certificate holder and the credit, so the first step is to find out which route WVDE will let you use.
- Parents taking a few years at home.
- Teachers now working in another state or another field.
- Teachers between contracts or substitute teaching only.
What the law asks for
W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 says the certificate is renewable when the holder, within five years, presents an official transcript of six semester hours of approved credit as the state board prescribes. A holder aged 60 or older need not present renewal credit but must meet the other renewal requirements. WVDE's guidance adds a 3.0 GPA and that the coursework relate to the public school program under Policy 5202.
Routes that may be harder when you are out of the classroom
Some renewal routes in WVDE's forms mention teaching experience or a county recommendation. If you are not employed by a county, those steps may not be open to you, which is why the coursework route matters. WVDE decides which route applies, so put the question to the Office of Certification directly.
The questions to send WVDE
Send these by email and keep the reply with your records.
- I am not currently employed in a West Virginia school. Which renewal options are open to me?
- Does my renewal need a county recommendation, and if so, who signs it when I am not employed?
- Do undergraduate courses related to the public school program count as approved credit for me?
- Can the official transcript come from any regionally accredited college, or only certain institutions?
If WVDE confirms the coursework route
Choose two 3-credit courses tied to teaching, such as Educational Psychology and Psychology of Diversity, and finish each with at least a B. Credit is recorded via a college transcript; TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Then send the official transcript with Form 4T before the expiry date.
The full rule and the cost comparison are on the page College credit for West Virginia teaching licence renewal: what counts.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the WVDE Office of Certification in writing whether undergraduate courses recorded via a college transcript count as approved credit for 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
Can I let my West Virginia certificate expire and renew later?
The statute speaks of renewal within five years of the date the certificate became valid. What happens after expiry, and how to reinstate, is set by WVDE and Policy 5202. Ask WVDE before the expiry date rather than after, since reinstatement can be harder than renewal.
Do I need a county superintendent's signature if I am not teaching?
Some WVDE renewal forms involve the county. If you are not employed by a county, ask WVDE in writing who completes that step for you, or whether your route skips it. Keep the reply with your renewal papers.
Can I renew from another state?
The law asks for an official transcript of approved credit, not a West Virginia address. Whether coursework from your current state or an online college counts is WVDE's decision, so name the college and courses when you ask.
Is substitute teaching enough to keep my certificate current?
Substitute work is not the same as the renewal credit the statute asks for. The coursework route still needs six semester hours of approved credit unless another WVDE route applies to you. Confirm with WVDE in writing.
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
Only after WVDE confirms in writing that undergraduate credit counts for your renewal.
Sources
- W. Va. Code 18A-3-3: Renewal of teaching certificates (official)Certificate renewable within five years on an official transcript of six semester hours of approved credit as the state board prescribes; holders aged 60 need not present renewal credit but must meet all other renewal requirements. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- WVDE: Professional Teaching Certificate renewal (Form 4T) (official)WVDE lists the renewal options as six semester hours of qualifying coursework or WVDE E-Learning, an earned master's degree with a Master's +30 salary classification, or age 60; coursework must reflect a 3.0 GPA and relate to the public school program as defined in Policy 5202 (the site blocks automated readers; wording read from the WVDE page excerpt). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.