Online learning for your lifesm A Guide to Obtaining Professional Development Credit for NEA Academy Courses neaacademy.org VER. 1 143
NEA Academy courses and degree programs provide excellent opportunities for earning a master s degree or continuing education units (CEUs). Each NEA Academy continuing education course is carefully reviewed against a set of quality standards established by NEA members in consultation with the National Staff Development Council. Only the best courses of the highest quality make it through the screening process. Similarly, the institutions providing the master s degree programs have undergone an extensive NEA stakeholders content and quality review that included 17 institutions and over 100 degree programs. This guide describes the typical credit approval processes for obtaining professional development credit, CEUs, and graduate credit. Be sure to check with your local or state education agency to confirm the appropriate process in your state.
Obtaining Professional Development Credit or Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The NEA Academy offers courses from a variety of providers, and many of them provide helpful information and/or materials on their website related to obtaining course approval. If you want to take an Academy continuing education course and obtain graduate credit for it, check with the course provider s affiliated college/university to verify the process before taking the course. In most cases, these institutions will require that you register for graduate credit when you register for the course. Some providers charge an additional fee if you want to take the course for graduate credit. Because pre-approval by your local agency is often required for courses, we suggest you take the following steps before enrolling in a course: 1. From neaacademy.org, click on the course you wish to take and then select the link for the provider s website. 2. Locate and print the course description, syllabus, and/or approval form. 3. Provide your state/local agency with the required information. 4. Ask your local education association or union about the availability of tuition assistance. After finishing the course, print the completion form available from the provider and present it to your state/ local agency. Graduate Credit NEA Academy s nationally known university partners for graduate degree programs Walden University, Western Governors University, and UMassOnline (University of Massachusetts) offer special tuition discounts and fee waivers to NEA members. You ll find information on these at neaacademy.org. When taking graduate credit courses, be sure to obtain prior approval from the appropriate governing agency. The appropriate agency and approval process vary according to your purpose in obtaining graduate credit, as outlined below. Also, if you plan to apply the credits toward a program at another university, be sure to check with that university before you take the course to confirm that the credits will be accepted as part of your coursework. Required professional development See the preceding section on Professional Development Credit or Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Transfer credit Check with your university to determine whether the course will be accepted for credit. Salary advancement Consult with your local education association or union office for information about the process. License renewal or additional certification Contact your state department of education for information. The chart below provides a snapshot of the appropriate agency to contact in each circumstance. Quick Guide to Obtaining Graduate Credit through the NEA Academy Educator s objective Educator wants to apply for license renewal or add a certification or license (such as adding special education or administration). Educator wants to apply for salary advancement. Educator is required by law or contract to take courses for professional development and will move up on pay scale with a master s or additional credit hours. Educator wants to transfer graduate credit to another higher education institution. contact for information STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Check with your state department of education to verify compliance with the certification and licensure requirements. LOCAL CONTRACTING ENTITY This is usually negotiated or managed locally. Check with your local education association or district staff development office (Human Resources) for information about the compliance process. HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION Check with the higher education institution where you plan to transfer the credits to confirm that they will be accepted as part of your coursework.
Masters Programs CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION CREDIT HOURS CREDIT HOURS CREDIT HOURS Master s Degree in Reading and Language, M.Ed. K-8 30 M.S.Ed. Elementary Reading and Literacy Pre-K-6 30 M.S.Ed. Elementary Reading and Mathematics K-6 30 M.S.Ed. Literacy and Learning in the Content Areas 6-12 30 M.S.Ed. Adolescent Literacy and Technology 6-12 30 M.S.Ed. or M.A. Mathematics K-5 or K-6 30 (K-5) 33 (K-6) M.S.Ed. or M.A. Mathematics 6-8 or 5-9 30 (6-8) 35 (5-9) M.A. Mathematics 5-12 39 M.A. Teaching Mathematics 5-9 or 5-12 M.A. Science Education: Biological Science 5-12 38 M.A. Science Education: Chemistry 5-12 39 M.A. Science Education: Geosciences 5-12 38 M.A. Science Education: Physics 5-12 38 M.A. Science Education 5-9 38 M.A. Teaching: Science 5-9 or 5-12 M.S.Ed. Science K-8 30 Master s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education Option, M.Ed. M. Ed. / CAGS Science Teachers Online 33/30 M.Ed. Special Education: Visual Impairments 37 M.Ed. Vision Rehabilitation Therapy 37 M.Ed. Special Education: Orientation and Mobility 37 M.S.Ed. Special Education K-12 41 M.S.Ed. Special Education (Non-Licensure) K-12 30 M.A. English Language Learners Pre-K-12 48 Endorsement Preparation Program ELL/ESL Pre-K-12 26 M.S.Ed. Integrating Technology in the Classroom K-12 30 M.Ed. Learning and Technology 31 M.Ed. Instructional Design 31 M.Ed. Instructional Design (Non-Licensure) 36 M.S. Instructional Design and Technology 30-36 M.S.Ed. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment K-12 30 Master s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. 30 Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study Degree in Curriculum and 30 Instruction: Education of Diverse Populations Option, C.A.G.S. M.A. Teaching K-8 46 license M.S.Ed. Middle Level Education 5-8 33 GENERAL Master s in Public Policy, Education Policy Track 39 M.S.Ed. Teacher Leadership K-12 30 M.S.Ed. Professional Development Pre-K-12 30 M.S.Ed. Educational Leadership (Non-Licensure) K-12 36 COUNSELING M.Ed. School Counseling some face to face (F2F) 60 M.S. Family Therapy some F2F 60 M.S. Mental Health Counseling some F2F 60 M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling some F2F 60 ADMINISTRATION M.S./M.Ed. Educational Administration/Leadership Master s Degree in Educational Administration, M.Ed. 30 Endorsement Preparation Program Educational Leadership 37 30 Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Check with each university for current program and course information.
NEA Academy Course Providers The NEA Academy course catalog is continually growing as we seek out new continuing education opportunities to offer members at the lowest possible price. Browse the catalog by such categories as curriculum areas, topics of interest, grade level, and more. The Academy works with a number of continuing education providers, some of which also offer graduate credit through affiliated universities. A few examples of NEA Academy course providers and their accredited affiliated universities for providing graduate credit are shown in the table below. For information on obtaining graduate credit from a course provider, go to the NEA Academy course catalog and click on the specific course you re interested in. Then select the link to the provider s website and find the information you need. Course Providers CE Credits Online Educational Impact Virtual High School Affiliated Universities Adams State College (CO) Humboldt State University (CA) Seattle Pacific University (WA) Western Oregon University Ashland University (OR) Dayton University (OH) Northwest Nazarene College (ID) Framingham State College (MA) Northwest Nazarene College (ID) Plymouth State University (NH) NEA Academy Master s Degree Program Partners Walden University Western Governors University UMassOnline (University of Massachusetts) Nearly 50 master s degree programs with NEA member-only scholarships are available through these three institutional partners, as well as tuition discounts on individual courses and certain fee waivers. The chart on the following page shows the programs offered by each university. Visit neaacademy.org today to browse the course catalog, register for a course, or find out more about professional development opportunities and resources. 2010 National Education Association. All rights reserved.