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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West Virginia teaching licence renewal: hours, credits and conversions
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
West Virginia teaching license renewal hours come down to one number: six semester hours of approved credit on an official transcript, within five years, under W. Va. Code 18A-3-3. That is usually two 3-credit courses. Quarter credits convert at two-thirds of a semester hour, and WVDE decides whether a given course counts.
The numbers in one table
These are the figures in the statute and in WVDE's renewal guidance.
| Item | Number | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal credit | 6 semester hours | W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 |
| Renewal window | 5 years from the date the certificate became valid | W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 |
| Grade | 3.0 GPA on the renewal coursework | WVDE renewal guidance |
| Age route | 60 or older: no renewal credit, other requirements apply | W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 |
Semester hours, quarter hours and course credits
West Virginia counts renewal in semester hours. If your college uses quarters, one quarter hour equals two-thirds of a semester hour, so six semester hours equal nine quarter hours. Most single courses carry three semester hours, so two courses usually cover the requirement.
Check the credit value printed on the transcript, not the value in a course description, because the transcript is what WVDE reads.
- Two 3-credit semester courses = 6 semester hours.
- Nine quarter hours = 6 semester hours.
- A 1-credit course or workshop covers only part of the six.
Clock hours and professional development
The renewal rule for a professional teaching certificate is written in semester hours of approved credit, not clock hours. Professional development hours you complete for your county do not turn into semester hours unless they come as college credit on an official transcript, or WVDE lists them as an option, as it does for WVDE E-Learning. If you are unsure whether something counts, ask WVDE before you rely on it.
Undergraduate versus graduate hours
Six hours is six hours in the statute, but WVDE decides what approved credit includes. Salary classifications such as MA+30 usually need graduate hours, and some teachers find their renewal does too. Ask WVDE whether undergraduate coursework counts for your renewal before you choose a provider. If it does, two ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses recorded via a college transcript are one option; if it does not, choose graduate courses.
Common mistakes that cost a renewal
Most renewal problems come from timing and paperwork rather than the courses themselves. Teachers who leave the second course to the last few months, or who forget that a transcript takes time to be issued, can run out of days before the expiry date. Others take a course that WVDE does not see as related to the public school program, or finish with a grade below the 3.0 GPA WVDE lists.
- Starting too late to finish two courses and order a transcript.
- Taking a course with no clear link to teaching.
- Assuming undergraduate hours count without asking WVDE.
- Sending a student copy instead of an official transcript.
A simple timeline
Twelve months before expiry: ask WVDE in writing about your planned courses. Nine months: start the first course. Six months: start the second. Three months: request the official transcript. Then file Form 4T. The full rule is 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
How many courses is six semester hours?
Usually two. Most college courses carry three semester hours each, so two complete courses add up to the six semester hours that W. Va. Code 18A-3-3 asks for. A 4-credit course plus a 2-credit course would also add up, if WVDE accepts both.
Do quarter hours count for West Virginia renewal?
Quarter hours convert to semester hours at two-thirds each, so nine quarter hours equal six semester hours. Whether a particular quarter-system course counts as approved credit is still WVDE's decision, so list the course and its hours when you ask.
Can county professional development hours replace college credit?
The statute asks for semester hours of approved credit on an official transcript. County PD hours are not semester hours unless they come as college credit or WVDE lists them as an option, such as WVDE E-Learning. Ask WVDE before you count them.
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 →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.