North Dakota Teacher PD Hours: What Counts Toward License Renewal

If you’ve been attending workshops, completing district PD days, and logging professional development hours, you might assume those activities count toward your North Dakota teacher license renewal. The reality is more nuanced — and understanding the distinction early can save you from a frustrating surprise when your renewal deadline approaches.

This article clarifies what counts toward North Dakota teacher license renewal, why PD hours alone don’t satisfy the requirement, and how to choose professional development that actually moves the needle on both your renewal and your salary.

The Core Requirement: College Coursework, Not PD Hours

North Dakota’s renewal requirement for a 5-year professional license is 6 semester hours of college coursework. That’s the standard set by the Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB), and it’s unambiguous: you need college credits, not professional development hours or continuing education units (CEUs).

This is different from many other states that accept a mix of graduate credits, PD hours, CEUs, and other activities. North Dakota’s requirement is straightforward — but it also means that district PD days, conference attendance, and workshop hours do not count toward the 6-credit renewal requirement, regardless of how many hours you accumulate.

Activity	Counts for ND Renewal?	Notes
Graduate college credits	Yes	Most common and most valuable option
Undergraduate college credits	Yes	Counts for renewal but not salary lane advancement
District PD days	No	Required by district but don’t count toward ESPB renewal
Conference attendance	No	Valuable professionally but not renewal credit
CEUs / workshop certificates	No	Not accepted for 5-year license renewal
National Board Certification prep	Yes (if graduate credit)	Must be transcripted graduate credits
Online PD platforms (e.g., PD360)	No	Not college coursework

Why Graduate Credits Are the Right Choice

Given that college coursework is the only path to renewal, the question becomes: undergraduate or graduate? For most North Dakota teachers, graduate credits are the clear answer — not just because they satisfy the renewal requirement, but because they also qualify for salary lane advancement.

North Dakota district salary schedules use lanes based on degree level and graduate credits earned beyond the bachelor’s degree. Moving from BA to BA+15 requires 15 graduate credits; BA+15 to BA+30 requires 15 more. Each lane advancement is permanent and results in a higher base salary for every remaining year of your career in that district.

The 6 renewal credits can be the exact credits that push you across a lane threshold. A teacher at BA+9 who earns 6 graduate credits for renewal ends up at BA+15 — satisfying renewal and locking in a permanent pay increase simultaneously. That’s the double-duty strategy that makes graduate credits the most efficient renewal option.

District PD Requirements vs. ESPB Renewal Requirements

It’s important to understand the difference between what your district requires and what ESPB requires for license renewal. These are two separate systems with different standards.

Your district almost certainly has its own professional development requirements — a certain number of PD hours per year, mandatory training on specific topics, participation in school improvement initiatives, and so on. These requirements are set by your district and are separate from ESPB’s renewal requirements. You must meet both, but they don’t overlap.

District PD days and required training are part of your employment obligations. ESPB’s 6-credit requirement is what keeps your teaching license valid. Completing district PD satisfies your employment obligations; completing 6 college credits satisfies your license renewal obligation. You need to do both — they’re just different things.

Planning Your Renewal Credits Strategically

With five years to complete 6 credits, you have significant flexibility in how you approach the renewal cycle. Here are three common strategies North Dakota teachers use:

Front-load in year one or two: Complete both courses early in the renewal cycle, then you’re done. This approach eliminates the risk of running out of time and gives you the salary lane advancement benefit for more years of the cycle.

Spread across the cycle: Take one course in year two and one in year four. This spreads the time commitment and cost across the renewal period without creating a last-minute crunch.

Summer intensive: Complete both courses over a single summer. Many online programs offer summer sessions that allow you to complete 6 credits in 8–10 weeks. This approach keeps the coursework concentrated and out of the school year entirely.

Whichever approach you choose, start planning before year four. Teachers who wait until the final year of their renewal cycle often find themselves rushing to complete credits, which limits their course options and increases stress. ESPB allows renewal applications to begin six months before the expiration date — use that window to submit early and avoid the $100 late fee.

Making Your Professional Development Count

Even though district PD hours don’t count toward ESPB renewal, that doesn’t mean professional development is wasted. District PD builds your skills, satisfies your employment obligations, and keeps you current with curriculum and instructional practice. The key is understanding which activities serve which purpose, so you’re not surprised when renewal time comes.

Think of your professional development in two buckets: district-required PD (workshops, training days, conferences) and ESPB-required renewal credits (college coursework). Both are necessary, but they serve different purposes. District PD keeps you employed and effective; renewal credits keep your license valid.

The most efficient North Dakota teachers align these two buckets wherever possible. If your district is offering a graduate-credit course through a local university as part of a professional development initiative, those credits may satisfy both the district’s PD requirement and ESPB’s renewal requirement simultaneously. Ask your principal or HR department whether any district-sponsored training offers graduate credit — these opportunities are more common than many teachers realize.

Some North Dakota districts partner with universities to offer graduate-credit courses at reduced cost as part of their professional development programming. Grand Forks Public Schools and Minot Public Schools, for example, have historically offered such programs. Check with your district’s professional development coordinator to see whether any current offerings include graduate credit options.

National Board Certification as a PD and Renewal Strategy

For North Dakota teachers interested in a more substantial professional development investment, National Board Certification is worth considering. The preparation process is rigorous and takes one to three years, but it can generate graduate credits that count toward both renewal and salary lane advancement.

Many North Dakota districts also pay a salary bonus to National Board Certified teachers — Bismarck Public Schools, for example, pays an additional $1,000 per year. If you’re considering National Board Certification, check whether your district offers a bonus and whether the preparation coursework generates transcripted graduate credits that qualify for lane advancement.

The Bottom Line

North Dakota teacher license renewal requires 6 semester hours of college coursework — not PD hours, not CEUs, not workshop certificates. The most efficient way to meet that requirement is with graduate-level credits that also advance your salary lane. Plan your renewal credits strategically, choose coursework that’s genuinely useful in your classroom, and verify acceptance with your district before enrolling.

The five-year renewal cycle gives you plenty of time to complete 6 credits without rushing. Use that time wisely, and your renewal credits will do double duty — keeping your license current while permanently increasing your salary.

The most common mistake North Dakota teachers make is assuming their district PD hours will count toward ESPB renewal. They won’t. But with a clear understanding of the requirement — 6 college credits, graduate-level preferred — you can plan your renewal cycle strategically from day one. Identify the courses you want to take, verify acceptance with your district, and complete them early enough to avoid any last-minute pressure.

If you’re unsure where you stand in your current renewal cycle, log in to your ND Teach account at ndteach.nd.gov to check your license expiration date and any requirements on file. ESPB is also reachable at 701.328.9641 or [email protected] for questions about your specific situation. A five-minute call can clarify your renewal status and help you plan the next steps with confidence.