Renew Your Kansas Teaching License With Accredited Online Courses
Earn the graduate-level, university-accredited credits that convert to the professional development points you need to renew your Kansas Professional License. Affordable, self-paced, and 100% online. We also offer salary advancement options further down the page.
Are you looking to renew your license or advance your salary?
Renew my KS license
Turn accredited graduate credits into the PD points that renew your 5-year Professional License, on your own schedule.
See what Kansas requiresAdvance my salary
Bank graduate-level credits that may help you move up your district's salary schedule and can apply toward a master's program.
Explore salary advancementKansas Professional License renewal requirements
Kansas issues most experienced teachers a Professional License, valid for 5 years. You renew it by earning professional development points during the term of the license, and the number you need depends on the degree you hold. With a graduate degree, you need 120 points. Without one, you need 160 points, and at least 80 of those must come from college credit. Kansas counts 1 semester credit as 20 PD points, so 6 graduate credits cover a full 120-point renewal.
How many credits do I need?
Kansas sets your renewal total by the degree you hold. Select yours to see what you need.
What you need
Six graduate semester credits cover your full 120-point renewal (6 credits at 20 points each).
160 points total, with at least 80 from college credit. Four accredited credits cover that 80-point portion, and approved PD supplies the other 80.
Our graduate credit bundle covers your renewal, 6 credits for 120 points or 8 for 160, in one place.
See the bundleWhat counts toward Kansas license renewal
- Graduate semester credits from an accredited university. Model Teaching courses convert at 20 points per credit. Six credits meet a full 120-point renewal, and 4 credits cover the 80 college-credit points that bachelor's-degree holders must earn. (What we recommend.)
- District or school professional development, workshops, and conferences that your local Professional Development Council approves under your Individual Development Plan. Each hour counts as 1 point.
- College credit in an approved endorsement program. Eight semester credit hours in an approved program that adds a teaching, school specialist, or school leadership endorsement, such as special education, ESOL, building leadership, or school counseling, is a full renewal option on its own.
- Three years of accredited experience during the license term, for graduate-degree holders only, usable twice in a career.
Every activity has to be earned during the term of your current license, listed on your approved Individual Development Plan, and awarded by your local Professional Development Council. Add a course to your plan before you complete it so the points count.
How Model Teaching courses count toward your Kansas renewal
Model Teaching partners with regionally accredited universities to award graduate-level semester credits, and Kansas counts each credit as 20 professional development points. If you hold a graduate degree, 6 credits meet your full 120-point renewal. If you hold a bachelor's degree, Kansas requires at least 80 of your 160 points to come from college credit, and 4 accredited credits cover that portion outright. Each course sends an official transcript issued directly from the partnering university, along with a letter grade, which your local Professional Development Council needs to award the points. Add your courses to your Individual Development Plan before you start so they count, and pick topics that fit your plan's goals. To confirm a course for your district, download its syllabus from any credit course page and share it with your Professional Development Council for approval.
Read more about Kansas teacher license renewal and recertification
Kansas issues teachers one of three main licenses. New teachers start on an Initial License, valid for 2 years, while they complete a mentoring program and a year of teaching in their endorsement area. After that, teachers upgrade to the Professional License, the 5-year credential that carries the professional development point requirement. Teachers who earn National Board Certification can move to an Accomplished License. Most renewal questions Kansas teachers ask are about the Professional License, and this page covers it.
Kansas measures renewal in professional development points. One point equals one hour of professional development, and one semester credit from a regionally accredited university counts as 20 points. Graduate-degree holders renew on 120 points, which 6 graduate credits satisfy in full. Teachers whose highest degree is a bachelor's renew on 160 points and must earn at least 80 of them through college credit, which works out to at least 4 accredited semester credits, with the remaining 80 points coming from approved professional development.
Points do not count on their own. Your local Professional Development Council awards them based on your Individual Development Plan, a plan you build with your district around the Kansas professional education standards and your content-area standards. List an activity or course on your plan before you complete it, then submit your official transcripts and professional development records when you renew. You track and file everything through KLAS, the Kansas Licensure Application System, and the renewal fee is 70 dollars. You can view and print your current license through the KSDE License Look-up tool.
Kansas also gives you renewal options beyond points. Any teacher can renew by completing 8 semester credit hours in an approved program that adds a new endorsement, such as special education, ESOL, building leadership, or school counseling. Graduate-degree holders can verify 3 years of accredited experience during the license term, though this option is limited to twice in a career. Retired educators drawing a KPERS or comparable benefit renew on reduced points: 80 points with 40 from college credit for bachelor's-degree holders, or 60 points for graduate-degree holders. If your license already expired, you can work with the KSDE Licensure Review Committee as your professional development council to earn and file points for renewal.
A quick note on terms. In Kansas, your “license” is your authorization to teach, and teachers often call renewal “certification renewal” or “recertification.” Whichever word you searched, the credential you renew is the Professional License, and the requirement is the same point total based on your degree. You can review the official rules on the KSDE Renewal of Professional License page.
Build your own Kansas renewal bundle
Pick your credits once, then choose any university-partnered courses until you have the points you need for renewal or salary advancement.
- 6 credits meet a full 120-point Kansas renewal for graduate-degree holders
- 4 credits cover the 80 college-credit points bachelor's-degree holders must earn
- Regionally accredited credits with an official transcript for your PD Council
- Self-paced, 100% online, with a full year of access
Every course is delivered through a regionally accredited university partner. Your credits and official transcript come directly from that university.
Credits and official transcripts issued directly by our university partners
Move up your Kansas salary schedule with graduate credits
Kansas does not run a statewide salary-increment program. Pay advancement happens at the district level, through your district's negotiated salary schedule, where graduate credits and degrees move you into a higher pay lane. Because districts set their own steps and lanes, check your contract or your district office for how many credits shift you to the next lane and whether they need pre-approval. The graduate credits you earn for license renewal can do double duty here, since the same accredited transcript that gives your Professional Development Council its points may also count toward a district lane change.
Accredited transcripts that count
Every Model Teaching course sends an official transcript and letter grade from a regionally accredited university partner, which is what your Professional Development Council and your district need for renewal points and a lane change.
Fast rolling processing
We process credits on a rolling basis, so you can request transcripts when you finish and meet your district's salary-schedule deadlines.
Cost-effective bundling
Bundle your credits once and pay as you complete courses, which keeps your per-credit cost low whether you are renewing, moving up a lane, or working toward a master's.
Choose how you earn your credits
Bundles are pay-as-you-go: a one-time fee reserves your credits, then you pay 70 dollars per credit as you finish each course. Every option is 100% online, self-paced, and includes an official transcript.
Due now to access and take your courses.
Then $70 per credit as you go
$359 total for 3 credits.
- Worth 60 Kansas PD points, for a partial renewal or college credit
- Choose any university-partnered courses
- Official transcript, self-paced over 1 year
Due now to access and take your courses.
Then $70 per credit as you go
$619 total for 6 credits.
- Worth 120 PD points, a complete renewal for graduate-degree holders
- Choose any university-partnered courses
- Official transcript and letter grade
- Often salary-advancement eligible credits
Due now to access and take your courses.
Then $70 per credit as you go
$805 total for 8 credits.
- Worth 160 Kansas PD points, a full renewal for bachelor's-degree holders
- Choose any university-partnered courses
- Official transcripts, usable toward an M.Ed.
We offer a full range of bundles, sized to exactly how many credits you need.
View bundled optionsFrequently asked questions
Common questions about Kansas teacher license renewal, PD points, and KSDE requirements.
Requirements How many professional development points do Kansas teachers need to renew?
A Professional License requires 120 points if you hold a graduate degree, or 160 points if you do not, and at least 80 of those 160 must come from college credit. You earn them across the 5-year term of the license.
Process Where do I submit my Kansas renewal?
You file through KLAS, the Kansas Licensure Application System, and pay the 70 dollar fee. Your local Professional Development Council awards your points based on your Individual Development Plan, and your official transcripts document any college credit.
Credits How do college credits convert to Kansas PD points?
1 semester credit from a regionally accredited university equals 20 professional development points, and 1 point equals 1 hour of professional development. Six graduate credits reach a full 120 points.
Salary Can the same credits count for salary advancement?
Yes. Kansas salary advancement runs through your district's salary schedule, and the graduate credits you earn for renewal points can also move you into a higher pay lane. Check your district contract for the exact steps.
Renewal What happens if my Kansas license expired?
You can work with the KSDE Licensure Review Committee as your professional development council to file an Individual Development Plan and earn the points to renew. A new background check may be required.
Costs What is the most affordable way to renew?
For a graduate-degree holder, the 6-credit bundle covers a full 120 points for $199 up front plus $70 per credit as you finish, which is $619 total. Bundling lowers your per-credit cost compared with single courses.
Requirements What is the difference between the 120-point and 160-point requirement?
It depends on your highest degree. Graduate-degree holders renew on 120 points. Bachelor's-degree holders renew on 160 points and must earn at least 80 through college credit.
Requirements Besides points, are there other ways to renew a Kansas license?
Yes. Any teacher can renew by completing 8 semester credit hours in an approved endorsement program. Graduate-degree holders can also verify 3 years of accredited experience during the license term, usable twice in a career.
Ready to renew your Kansas teaching license?
Earn accredited credits that convert to your renewal points and move you up the salary schedule, all at your own pace.
Model Teaching strives to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on renewal and salary advancement requirements for every state. Requirements can change and vary by district, so we encourage you to do your own research and confirm exactly what you need with your state licensing agency and district before you enroll.
