Approved Semester Credits for Georgia Certificate Renewal

Earn Graduate-Level Semester Credits for Your Georgia Teaching Certificate Renewal

Affordable, fully accredited, online semester credits for your Georgia teaching certificate renewal.

  • Hundreds of Georgia teachers take Model Teaching courses every year to help them renew their teaching certificate, advance their salary, or simply to improve their instructional effectiveness.
  • Learn more below about Georgia teacher certificate renewal requirements, and how our courses can help.

Professional development courses
Home » PD Requirements By State » Georgia Teacher Professional Development

Professional Development for Georgia Teachers

High-quality, straightforward, and cost-effective online courses for Georgia Teachers.  Let us show you how we can help you improve your teaching effectiveness, maintain your teaching certificate, and advance your teaching career.

  • Easy, Template-Based Course Format Built to Help You Earn Your Georgia Renewal Credits Quickly

  • High-Quality Courses, Full of Resources, Tools, & Templates

  • Access Your Courses Immediately, Any-Time, Anywhere & at Your Own Pace
Pay for Credits As You Go

Regionally Accredited Semester Credits

Model Teaching partners with accredited universities to offer semester credit courses (semester hours).  You’ll receive an official transcript suitable for submission to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for your renewal.

Credit Courses for Georgia Teacher Certificate Renewal

Georgia educator certificates (e.g., Standard Professional, Performance-Based, Advanced Professional, etc.) are generally valid for five years before requiring renewal. To renew, most educators either have their employing district verify ongoing professional learning, or if not working in a GA school, complete a renewal option such as 6 semester hours of coursework, 10 Georgia PLUs (Professional Learning Units), 10 CEUs (Continuing Education Units), or other options offered by the state (see below).


What’s Required for Georgia Teacher Certificate Renewal

If Currently Employed by a Georgia Local Unit of Administration (LUA):

  • Your employer verifies that you engaged in ongoing professional learning (participation in the LUA’s professional learning community) during the school year the certificate expires.

If NOT Currently Employed by a Georgia Local Unit of Administration (LUA):

  • Complete 6 semester hours of accredited professional development courses. (This is equivalent to 10 PLUs, 10 CEUs, or 100 BFTS hours) (What we recommend)
  • Requirements for a currently valid certificate must be completed within the current validity period; for an expired certificate, within the 5 years preceding the renewal application.

OR

  • Maintain a performance-based designation or other exempt designation (See gapsc.com for a full listing).

Acceptable Credits for Georgia Certificate Renewal:

Georgia recognizes multiple continuing education credits and courses for renewing teacher certificates.

  • Accredited Semester Credits: Teachers may complete 6 semester credits from accredited colleges/universities related to teaching or teaching areas. This must include an official transcript and letter grade. (what we recommend) 
  • CEUs/Contact hours:  10 PLUs, 10 CEUs, 100 BFTS hours, or have a valid NBPTS.
    • Note: 6 semester credits = 10 PLUs, 10 CEUs, or 100 BFTS hours.

Important Terminology:

Semester Hours = Semester Credits, Grades B or better

CEUs = Continuing Education Units. Issued by a GaPSC-accepted accredited college/university or by an IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training) or IDA (International Dyslexia Association)-authorized provider; proper CEU transcript/certificate required.

PLUs = Professional Learning Units. Awarded by a GA state education agency, RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency), a Georgia LUA, or a Ga PSC-approved college/university (only LUAs with approved programs may issue PLUs).

BFTS training = BFTS = Bright from the Start (Georgia DECAL). Trainings.

How Model Teaching Can Help

Model Teaching offers online, graduate-level courses designed for Georgia certificate renewal. Our partnered courses provide semester credits that you can use to meet the 6-credit GA requirement. Model Teaching’s university partners are all regionally accredited, and all coursework will provide semester credits (semester hours), including access to an official transcript from that academic institution for submission to Georgia for your renewal. Pick courses from our diverse course menu in your teaching area to earn your required credits, or choose one of our build-your-own credit course bundles (6 credits) and pick any courses from our full menu at your own pace to earn your credits.

How Our Courses Work

Quick FAQs

All Model Teaching university partners are regionally-accredited universities that offer our courses in partnership for graduate-level, academic, and/or post-baccalaureate credit. Georgia accepts Model Teaching credit courses to fulfill the full 6-credit requirement.  You will not be required to complete CEUs, PLUs or BFTs hours, only the required semester credits. Also, most states and school districts allow teachers to earn this type of credit as part of advancing in the salary scale. Please check with your district’s policies regarding continuing education for salary advancement prior to enrolling.

We recommend choosing any of our regionally-accredited university-partnered courses or course bundle packs. These courses are offered in partnership with regionally accredited universities and include an official transcript.

We highly recommend any of our Build Your Own Credit Bundles, as this is the most cost-effective way to earn credits in bulk.

The most cost-effective way to earn credits is by enrolling in one of our course bundle packs (see below).
Model Teaching believes that teachers should be provided with affordable, high-quality opportunities for professional development, whether they are seeking salary advancement, renewing their teaching license, or simply improving their instructional effectiveness.  Our streamlined, standardized course structure enables us to deliver high-quality, evaluated courses to teachers at costs far below the industry standard.  Additionally, by bundling our courses, we can significantly reduce our overall costs—passing these savings on to our valued teachers.  LiveChat with us if you have any questions about how the courses work.

Once you have completed your courses and processed your credits, our university partner will notify you via email that your transcripts are ready, and you may request them. When requesting them, you can choose to have the transcripts sent directly to the GA PSC, to yourself, or both.

Please refer to our course menu for a listing of graduate-level courses. Within each course page, you will have access to a syllabus that you may download.

To read a live list of running reviews from teachers currently taking our courses, please visit: https://www.modelteaching.com/latest-course-reviews

Additional Information for Renewal

Criminal Record Check: If employed in a Georgia public school at renewal, a criminal record check is required for that school year. If you haven’t had an FBI fingerprint check in your current district, you’ll need one; otherwise, a Georgia criminal history check may suffice. Clearance is denoted via a Clearance Certificate. Private school staff are noted to have a slightly different approach to handling the rule.

Special timing rules: Valid-certificate renewal activities must occur within the current 5-year validity period; for expired certificates, activities must occur within the 5 years preceding the application.

Application Process:

  • Employed in a GA LUA: your employer submits your renewal electronically.
  • Not employed in a GA LUA: you apply directly via MyPSC.

Performance-Based, Advanced, Lead nuances:

Performance-Based renews as Standard if you don’t meet the three Proficient/Exemplary TKES-TAPS ratings (subject to evaluation history limits). Advanced/Lead can renew as Standard if there’s a below-Proficient rating in the period.

Retired Educator certificate: Valid for 30 years initially and then 10-year renewals; no PL required to renew; cannot serve in positions requiring GaPSC certification.

Reference: Georgia Professional Standards Commission

*Please refer to the GA PSC for the most up-to-date and accurate information (https://www.gapsc.com/CurrentEducator/takeCareYourCertificate/RenewCertificate.aspx) on Georgia teacher recertification requirements.

What we recommend for Ohio teacher license renewal

What We Recommend For Georgia Teachers

Build Your Own Graduate-Level Bundle

Everything You Need for Your GA Teaching Certificate Renewal

Access Our Full Course Menu to Earn Your Required Number of Credits

  • Includes full access to all graduate-level courses from any of our university partners

  • Choose our 6-credit bundle if you need the full six credits for your renewal

  • All university-partnered courses are regionally-accredited & include an official transcript & letter grade ready for GA PSC submission
  • Great for salary advancement or Georgia certificate renewal

Salary Advancement Courses For Georgia Teachers

Model Teaching partners with regionally-accredited universities across the country to provide graduate-level courses to thousands of K-12 teachers and educators every year. Generally, school districts across the country provide various salary scale advancement opportunities to teachers that often includes participation in graduate-level professional development. Our university-partnered, graduate-level courses are an excellent and cost-effective way for you to earn the continuing education academic credit you need.

University Accredited Seal-color-min

All Model Teaching university partners are regionally-accredited universities who offer our courses in partnership for graduate-level, academic and/or post-bachelorette credit.  Most states and school districts allow teachers to earn this type of credit as part of advancing in the salary scale.  Please check with your district’s policies regarding continuing education for salary advancement prior to enrolling.

The most cost-effective way to earn credits is by enrolling in one of our course bundle packs.
Please refer to our course menu for a listing of graduate-level courses. Within each course page, you will have access to a syllabus that you may download.
Yes, all university-partnered graduate-level courses will include access to an official transcript from the university.

Yes! You may apply up to 9 credits towards an M.Ed. program through our university partner, Augustana University. Read more here >

To read a live list of running reviews from teachers currently taking our courses, please visit: https://www.modelteaching.com/latest-course-reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia Teacher Certificate Renewal — Credits, PLUs, CEUs & GaPSC Requirements

Bundle Pack