Renew your South Carolina teacher certificate with accredited online courses
SCDE requires 120 renewal credits every 5 years for a Professional Certificate. One graduate semester credit is worth 20 renewal credits, so 6 credits covers a full renewal. Self-paced, 100% online, with an official transcript.
Are you renewing your certificate or advancing your salary?
Renew my SC certificate
Earn the 120 renewal credits your SC recertification requires, through graduate courses worth 20 renewal credits each.
See what SCDE requiresAdvance my salary
Earn graduate credits that count toward your renewal and toward a master’s degree or the master’s plus 30 lane.
Explore salary advancementSouth Carolina teacher certificate renewal requirements from SCDE
South Carolina educator certification runs through the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). A Professional Certificate is valid for 5 school years and requires 120 renewal credits during that period. Certificates expire on 30 June of the expiration year. Graduate-level semester credits are the most direct way to earn them: 1 semester hour is worth 20 renewal credits, so 6 graduate credits produces the full 120.
How many renewal credits do I need?
Every Professional Certificate takes the same 120 renewal credits. What changes is which ways of earning them are open to you, and that depends on where you work.
What you can use
All 11 options on the SCDE Renewal Credit Matrix, including district trainings, mentoring and instructional coaching. Graduate-level semester credits are still the fastest: 6 credits produces the full 120.
Options 1 to 3 only: College Coursework, SCDE-approved renewal courses and SCDE-approved CEUs. Graduate-level semester credits are the route with no approval step, and 6 credits produces the full 120.
Our 6-credit bundle produces 120 renewal credits, and a 3-credit bundle produces 60 if your district professional development covers the rest.
See the bundleOur 6-credit bundle carries graduate-level semester credits, which count under Option 1, and produces exactly the 120 renewal credits a renewal requires.
See the bundleSCDE publishes a Renewal Credit Matrix with 11 options. Options 1 to 3 are open to every South Carolina educator: College Coursework, which is where graduate-level semester credits count, plus certificate renewal courses approved by SCDE and CEUs approved by SCDE. Options 4 to 11 add things like district trainings, mentoring and professional development activities, and they are only available to educators employed by a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity. If you are not currently employed by one, plan on graduate-level semester credits.
Under Option 1, College Coursework, a course qualifies when it comes from a regionally accredited college or university, a CAEP-accredited institution, or a college with educator preparation programs approved by the State Board of Education, and when you earn a grade of C or better. You do not need to get the course approved by SCDE first.
Educators working in a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity submit their documentation to their employer and request renewal through the employer. Everyone else requests renewal through their own account in the My SC Educator Portal and submits documentation to the SCDE Office of Educator Services.
You can renew an expired Professional Certificate for up to 10 school years past the expiration date. The renewal credits have to have been earned within the 5 years before you request the renewal.
Some educators have additional expectations attached to their renewal depending on the degree they hold and who employs them. Confirm your own situation with your district certification contact or with SCDE before you plan a renewal cycle.
Source: SCDE, Renewing a Professional Certificate and SCDE, Renewal Credit Options.
What counts toward your renewal credits
South Carolina converts college credit into renewal credits by the semester hour.
- Graduate-level semester credits. 1 semester hour equals 20 renewal credits. These count under Option 1, College Coursework, which is open to every South Carolina educator regardless of employer, with no SCDE approval step. It produces an official transcript you can also use toward a master’s degree. (Recommended, and the route we offer.)
- Quarter credits. 1 quarter hour equals 13 renewal credits, for coursework from institutions on a quarter system.
- SCDE-approved renewal courses and CEUs. Options 2 and 3 cover non-credit professional development from providers SCDE has approved, and CEUs issued by a regionally accredited college or university. Model Teaching is not an SCDE-approved renewal course provider. Our graduate-level semester credits count under Option 1 instead.
- District professional development. If you are employed by a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity, Options 4 to 11 let you earn renewal credits for district trainings, mentoring, instructional coaching, professional publications and similar activities. Your employer verifies these.
What you will need to show: for semester credits, an official transcript showing the course and a grade of C or better. Download a syllabus from any Model Teaching course page if you want to check a course with your district certification contact before you enroll.
Source: SCDE, Renewal Credit Options.
How Model Teaching courses meet South Carolina renewal credit requirements
Our university-partnered courses carry graduate-level semester credits from regionally accredited university partners, which is what SCDE counts under Option 1, College Coursework, of the Renewal Credit Matrix. That option is open to every South Carolina educator whether or not you are employed by a district, and it requires no SCDE approval step. At 20 renewal credits per semester hour, 6 graduate credits produces exactly the 120 renewal credits a Professional Certificate renewal requires, and 3 credits produces 60. Every course produces an official transcript and letter grade, which is what your district or the SCDE Office of Educator Services needs to see, and the same credits count toward a master’s degree or the master’s plus 30 lane on the salary schedule. Courses are self-paced and 100% online with 1 year of access. We do not provide Read to Succeed coursework or Jason Flatt Act training, so plan those separately.
Read more about SC teacher certificate renewal and renewal credits
South Carolina educator certification runs through the South Carolina Department of Education. The credential most working teachers hold is the Professional Certificate, which is valid for 5 school years and expires on 30 June of the expiration year. Renewing it takes 120 renewal credits earned during that 5-year period.
The unit is the renewal credit, and the conversion from college credit is the most useful number on this page. One semester hour of eligible college credit is worth 20 renewal credits. One quarter hour is worth 13. One CEU is worth 10. At that rate, 6 graduate semester credits produces exactly 120 renewal credits and covers a full renewal, and 3 credits produces 60.
SCDE publishes a Renewal Credit Matrix listing 11 ways to earn renewal credits, and which ones you can use depends on where you work. Options 1 to 3, College Coursework, SCDE-approved certificate renewal courses and SCDE-approved CEUs, are open to every South Carolina educator. Options 4 to 11 cover professional publications, instructional activities, professional trainings, assessment and evaluation work, mentorship and instructional coaching, educational projects and grants, professional development activities, and professional development CEU credits. Those eight are available only to educators employed by a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity. A teacher who is not currently in one of those roles renews on graduate-level semester credits.
Option 1 is the route with no approval step. Coursework qualifies when it comes from a regionally accredited college or university, a CAEP-accredited institution, or a college whose educator preparation programs are approved by the State Board of Education, and when the educator earns a grade of C or better. Model Teaching’s university-partnered courses carry graduate-level semester credits of exactly this kind. Model Teaching is not an SCDE-approved renewal course provider under Option 2, and does not claim to be.
Two further requirements can apply. Educators holding a Professional Certificate are required to earn the appropriate Read to Succeed endorsement, using coursework SCDE has approved for that purpose, and each such course also counts for 60 renewal credits. Educators working in a South Carolina public middle or high school must complete Jason Flatt Act suicide awareness training before renewal if they have not already done so, and SCDE lists free ways to meet it. Model Teaching does not provide either one.
Submission depends on employment. Educators working in a public school district or a participating renewal entity submit documentation to their employer and request renewal through the employer, and renewal requests sent directly to the Office of Educator Services from district employees are not accepted. Everyone else uses the My SC Educator Portal. An expired Professional Certificate can be renewed for up to 10 school years past expiration, provided the renewal credits were earned in the 5 years before the request.
South Carolina teachers also search for SC teacher recertification and certificate renewal courses. SCDE issues certificates rather than licenses, the unit is the renewal credit, and 1 semester hour is worth 20 of them. The official requirements are published on the SCDE renewal page and in the SCDE renewal credit options.
Two South Carolina requirements we do not provide
Renewal credits are not the only thing a South Carolina renewal can require. Two requirements sit alongside them, and Model Teaching does not offer either one. Both are available elsewhere, and one is free.
Educators holding a Professional Certificate are required to earn the appropriate Read to Succeed literacy endorsement. The coursework has to be specifically approved by SCDE for R2S, and each approved course also counts for 60 renewal credits. SCDE recommends completing R2S coursework as part of your 120 renewal credits rather than on top of them. Model Teaching courses are not R2S-approved. Check the SCDE Read to Succeed pages for approved coursework.
Educators working in a South Carolina public middle or high school must complete suicide awareness training before their Professional Certificate can be renewed, if they have not already done it. Model Teaching does not offer this training, and you should not pay for it. SCDE lists free options, including district-approved trainings, the South Carolina Department of Mental Health "Signs Matter: Early Detection" program, and the Jason Foundation’s module on mental health issues surrounding suicidal ideation.
Graduate-level semester credits, which SCDE counts under Option 1 of the Renewal Credit Matrix, at 20 renewal credits per semester hour, with an official transcript from a regionally accredited university partner.
Plan your R2S coursework and, if it applies to you, your suicide awareness training separately. Both are documented through SCDE and your district.
Build your own South Carolina renewal credit bundle
Buy your credits once, then choose any courses until you have the renewal credits your certificate requires.
6 semester credits at 20 renewal credits each. $199 up front, then $70 per credit as you finish.
- Exactly the 120 renewal credits a Professional Certificate renewal requires
- Official transcript and letter grade from a regionally accredited university partner
- Counts under Option 1, College Coursework, with no SCDE approval step
- Self-paced, 100% online, with 1 year of access
9 credits can be applied toward the Augustana M.Ed.
3 semester credits at 20 renewal credits each. $149 up front, then $70 per credit as you finish.
- Half a renewal, for teachers who already hold renewal credits
- Official transcript and letter grade for every credit you earn
- Choose any courses from the full course menu
- Some credits also apply toward a master’s degree
Need a different size? See all credit bundles
Graduate credits and official transcripts are issued directly by our university partners
Move up the South Carolina salary schedule with graduate credits
South Carolina publishes a statewide minimum teacher salary schedule, and districts pay at or above it. Its lanes are bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, master’s plus 30 hours, and doctorate. Because the lanes are set by degree, individual graduate credits move you between lanes once they add up to a master’s degree, or once you have a master’s and reach 30 hours beyond it. Districts can and do offer more than the state minimum, so check your district’s schedule and your collective bargaining terms. The same graduate credits count toward your 120 renewal credits at 20 each, so the coursework serves both.
Accredited transcripts
Every university-partnered course produces an official transcript and letter grade from a regionally accredited university partner, which is the documentation a district asks for.
Rolling credit processing
Credits are processed on a rolling basis. Request your transcript when you finish a course rather than waiting for a term to close.
Credits count twice
One graduate credit equals 20 South Carolina renewal credits and also counts toward a master’s degree or the master’s plus 30 lane.
Choose how you earn your renewal credits
Graduate credit bundles charge a one-time bundle fee plus 70 dollars per credit when you finish a course and request your transcript.
Due now to access and take your courses.
Then $70 per credit as you go
$619 total for 6 credits.
- 120 renewal credits, exactly what a Professional Certificate renewal requires
- Official transcript and letter grade from a regionally accredited university partner
- Credits also apply toward a master’s degree
Due now to access and take your courses.
Then $70 per credit as you go
$359 total for 3 credits.
- 60 renewal credits, half a renewal
- Official transcript and letter grade
- A good fit if you already have renewal credits from district professional development
One course, one semester credit.
20 renewal credits
Useful for topping up a cycle you have nearly finished.
- 20 renewal credits from 1 semester credit
- Official transcript and letter grade
- Self-paced, 100% online, 1 year of access
Larger bundles are on the credit bundle page, and 9 credits can be applied toward the Augustana M.Ed.
View bundled optionsFrequently asked questions
Common questions about South Carolina teacher certificate renewal, renewal credits and how to submit.
Requirements How many renewal credits do South Carolina teachers need?
120 renewal credits during the 5-year validity period of a Professional Certificate. Certificates expire on 30 June of the expiration year.
Credits How do semester hours convert to South Carolina renewal credits?
1 semester hour of eligible college credit is worth 20 renewal credits. 1 quarter hour is worth 13. 1 CEU is worth 10. Six graduate semester credits produces exactly the 120 renewal credits a renewal requires.
Process Do my courses need SCDE approval before I take them?
Not for semester credits. Under Option 1 of the Renewal Credit Matrix, College Coursework, a course qualifies when it comes from a regionally accredited college or university, a CAEP-accredited institution, or a college with State Board approved educator preparation programs, and you earn a grade of C or better. Options 2 and 3 cover non-credit courses and CEUs that SCDE has approved, which is a separate route.
Credits Can I use professional development that is not college credit?
It depends on where you work. Educators employed by a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity can earn renewal credits through district trainings and other activities under Options 4 to 11. Educators who are not employed by one use graduate-level semester credits, or SCDE-approved courses and CEUs.
Requirements What is the Read to Succeed endorsement?
A literacy endorsement South Carolina requires of educators holding a Professional Certificate. The coursework has to be approved by SCDE for R2S, and each approved course also counts for 60 renewal credits. Model Teaching courses are not R2S-approved, so check the SCDE Read to Succeed pages.
Requirements Do I have to complete Jason Flatt Act training?
If you work in a South Carolina public middle or high school and have not already completed it, yes, before your certificate is renewed. SCDE lists free options, including district trainings and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health "Signs Matter: Early Detection" program. Model Teaching does not offer this training.
Renewal What happens if my SC certificate expires?
You can renew an expired Professional Certificate for up to 10 school years past the expiration date. The renewal credits must have been earned within the 5 years before you request the renewal. Past 10 years, you reapply and meet current requirements.
Process How do I submit my renewal?
If you work in a South Carolina public school district or a participating renewal entity, submit your documentation to your employer and request renewal through them. Requests sent directly to the Office of Educator Services by district employees are not accepted. Everyone else requests renewal through the My SC Educator Portal.
Salary Can renewal credits also raise my pay?
In many cases, yes. South Carolina’s statewide minimum salary schedule has lanes for bachelor’s, master’s, master’s plus 30 hours, and doctorate. Because lanes are set by degree, graduate credits move you once they complete a master’s or reach 30 hours beyond one. Districts may pay above the state minimum, so check your district’s schedule.
Ready to earn your South Carolina renewal credits?
Six graduate credits produce exactly the 120 renewal credits a Professional Certificate renewal requires, plus a transcript you can use toward a master’s, at your own pace and fully online.
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 certification agency and district before you enroll.
