Certification

Requirements for advancing to the Professional Certificate:

1. Three years of successful teaching since issuance of the initial Standard Certificate in the content area(s) and at grade levels specified on the Standard Certificate, AND
2. 150 hours of education-related professional learning earned and entered into MOECS since issuance of the most recent Standard Certificate or renewal of the Standard Certificate; options include:
   • Six semester credit hours at a college or university
   • 150 SCECHS (State Continuing Education Clock Hours)
   • 150 DPPD (District Provided Professional Development) hours
   • Some combination of #1-3 since issuance of most recent certificate, OR
   • An education-related master’s or higher degree earned at any time (even if previously used to renew the Standard Certificate)
3. Completion of an approved 3 credit course in reading diagnostics and remediation (TE 846 at MSU); this course can be counted toward the education-related professional learning requirement if it was taken after issuance of the most recent certificate or renewal (it may also be applied toward some master’s degree programs in the College of Education)

TE 800 level coursework taken for the initial (Standard) certificate cannot be reused for renewal of the Standard Certificate or to earn the Professional certificate, even if those credits are applied to a master’s program.

Advancing to the Professional Certificate after July 1, 2018:

Requirements remain the same with addition of year-end effectiveness ratings; applicants must have consecutive or nonconsecutive ratings of Effective or Highly Effective.

• Consecutive: Effective or Highly Effective ratings on annual year-end performance evaluations for the three consecutive school years immediately preceding application for the Professional Certificate; or
• Nonconsecutive: Effective or Highly Effective ratings on annual year-end performance evaluations for at least three nonconsecutive school years prior to applying for the Professional Certificate

The Professional Certificate is valid for 5 years

• It must be renewed every 5 years
• Renewals are unlimited.
• All certificates expire 5 years from June 30 of the calendar year in which the certificate was issued.
• Renewals are handled through MOECS.

Education-Related Professional Learning Hour Conversion

• College credit: 1 semester hour = 25 professional learning hours
• SCECH hours: 1 SCECH hour = 1 professional learning hour
• DPPD hours: 1 DPPD hour = 1 professional learning hour 

For complete and current certification information, see the Michigan Department of Education website.