If you’re not employed by a Georgia school district, graduate credits are one of the fastest ways to satisfy your five-year certificate renewal: you need 6 semester hours of graduate-level coursework from a GaPSC-accepted, regionally accredited institution, completed during your certificate’s validity period. That’s the short answer. What trips people up is which courses actually qualify, how to get transcripts to GaPSC correctly, and — the part most teachers never think to ask — whether those same credits can also move you up the salary schedule. Here’s what counts, how to submit it, and how to get double value out of it.
What Qualifies as Graduate Credit for Georgia Renewal
Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36, graduate coursework used for renewal must come from an institution GaPSC recognizes as accredited, and the coursework must relate to teaching or your teaching field. A few things disqualify a course outright:
- Developmental or remedial courses don’t count, even if they carry credit at the institution.
- Audited coursework — anything taken without earning a letter grade — is not accepted.
- Undergraduate-level courses don’t satisfy the graduate coursework option, even if they’re education-related.
Beyond graduate coursework, GaPSC also accepts equivalent professional learning: 10 Georgia Professional Learning Units (PLUs), 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from an accredited institution or IACET-authorized provider, 100 Bright from the Start (BFTS) training hours, or a valid National Board (NBPTS) certification. As a rule of thumb, 6 semester hours of graduate coursework is treated as equivalent to 10 PLUs or 10 CEUs — so if you’re comparing a university course to a PLU-based workshop, that’s the conversion GaPSC uses.
| What Counts | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Coursework | 6 semester hours, letter-graded | Grade B or Better Recommended |
| Georgia PLUs | 10 units from an approved provider | Equivalent to 6 Credit Hours |
| CEUs | 10 units, IACET-authorized or accredited institution | Equivalent to 6 Credit Hours |
| Developmental / Audited Courses | Not accepted | Does Not Qualify |
Which Institutions Are Accepted
GaPSC requires coursework to come from an institution with regional accreditation recognized under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.31. In practice, this covers the large majority of accredited public and private universities, including most online and hybrid graduate programs designed specifically for working teachers. Before you enroll anywhere, confirm two things: that the institution itself holds the right accreditation, and that the specific course is graduate-level and grade-based rather than pass/fail or audit-only. If you’re ever unsure whether a provider qualifies, it’s worth checking directly with GaPSC or your district’s HR/certification office before you pay for a course — reversing an ineligible enrollment after the fact is far more painful than confirming it up front.
Pro-Tip: If a course provider advertises that credits are “accepted for Georgia renewal,” ask them directly whether their institution carries the specific regional accreditation GaPSC requires — general “accredited” marketing language doesn’t always mean the same thing as GaPSC-accepted.
How to Submit Your Transcripts
Once your coursework is complete, an official transcript is required — GaPSC does not accept unofficial printouts or personal online account screenshots. You have a few ways to get it there:
- Electronic delivery: GaPSC accepts electronic transcripts sent directly by your institution through one of its approved secure transcript delivery services, or delivered directly by your Georgia LUA.
- Direct email: If you’re not going through an LUA, official electronic transcripts can be emailed directly to GaPSC by the institution.
- Mail or fax: Traditional paper transcripts are still accepted by postal mail or fax if that’s what your institution offers.
Your transcript needs to show the course numbers, titles, grades, and credit hours earned — and if you’re completing a degree, a degree-conferral statement with the exact date. Upload confirmation to MyPSC typically takes 15–30 minutes to post, so don’t panic if it doesn’t appear the second you submit it.
Free Tool
Find Out What Your Credits Are Worth
Before you enroll in a renewal course, see whether those same credits could also bump you to a higher salary lane — and exactly what that’s worth in your district.
The Dual Benefit: Renewal Credit That Also Pays You
Here’s what most Georgia teachers miss: the 6 semester hours you need for renewal don’t have to be a one-time compliance task. If you choose coursework that also counts toward a Master’s, Specialist’s, or Doctoral degree at a GaPSC-accepted institution, that same coursework can eventually upgrade your certificate level — moving you from a T4 lane to a T5, T6, or T7 lane on the salary schedule. Since certificate level drives base pay at every step of the schedule, a strategically chosen set of renewal credits can turn into a permanent raise, not just a box you checked every five years.
The key is planning ahead rather than picking whatever course is fastest or cheapest. A few credits taken with a degree program in mind now can save you both time and money later, since you won’t need to retake coursework that doesn’t apply toward a degree. For the full mechanics of how a certificate upgrade happens once your degree is conferred, see our guide on how to upgrade your Georgia teaching certificate.
Where CFT Fits In
Credits for Teachers’ graduate-level courses are built specifically around this dual-benefit approach — regionally accredited, priced for working teachers, and designed so the same coursework can satisfy your GaPSC renewal requirement while counting toward a degree that moves your salary lane. If you’re renewing soon, it’s worth checking course options before you commit to the first program you find.
Graduate Courses for Georgia Teachers
Make Your Renewal Credits Count Twice
Browse regionally accredited graduate courses built to satisfy Georgia’s renewal requirement and move you toward a higher salary lane.