Complete guide to State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) requirements for Michigan teaching certificate renewal.
Michigan PD and SCECH tracking is one part of the educator experience. In EX in Education, the hours you log here connect to coaching, evaluations, goals, and recognition, so PD compliance and educator growth run through the same system.
A printable 2-page reference: the 150-SCECH requirement, what counts, the 5-year cycle, and how to renew without a scramble.
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Michigan requires educators to complete 150 Education-Related Professional Learning hours for renewal or progression of MDE-issued certificates. This applies to Standard, Professional, and Advanced Professional Teaching Certificates.
150
SCECHs
OR 6
Semester Credits
OR
Combination
Professional learning must be appropriate to the content and grade level of your existing certificate.
Districts usually track SCECH compliance on its own, separate from coaching notes, goals, and evaluation evidence. In EX in Education, PD and license tracking sit next to those other pieces so a district can see, for every educator, both "are they compliant" and "are they growing" in one place.
A Michigan teaching certificate expires five years after June 30 of the year it was issued, and you can apply for the next renewal on or after January 1 of the expiration year (R 390.1117, R 390.1129b).
Missing June 30 is not the end of the road. R 390.1135 lets the department renew a professional teaching certificate that "has expired or will expire within the calendar year of application", and a holder of a valid or expired standard certificate may progress to the professional certificate at any time. What you lose while a certificate sits expired is the ability to teach on it, so treat June 30 as the date to be finished by, not the date the door locks.
Michigan uses the following conversion:
R 390.1129b allows the department to issue a one-time five-year renewal of a standard teaching certificate on either of these grounds. Each is available once, so they buy a cycle rather than replacing the requirement.
Earned at any time, not necessarily during this cycle.
R 390.1135(3) gives the same one-time renewal for a valid or expired Michigan professional certificate.
"Additional hours beyond the 150 hours required under subrule (1) of this rule that a certificate holder earns during the time period of a certificate do not apply toward subsequent renewals." Banking 200 hours this cycle still leaves you starting the next one at zero, so the tracking that matters is per cycle.
Professional development from SCECH sponsors approved by MDE. Hours are automatically uploaded to MOECS.
Undergraduate or graduate courses from accredited institutions. 1 semester credit = 25 SCECHs.
Professional development provided by your school district. Since July 2020, districts must enter DPPD into MOECS as SCECHs.
CEU programs from International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) providers are automatically approved. Contact your local SCECH sponsor with your certificate.
Online professional development courses through Michigan Virtual that are approved for SCECH credit.
Whichever route an educator uses, the evidence doesn't have to end at compliance. Connected to coaching cycles and goals inside EX in Education, the same PD hours that satisfy MDE can also feed a teacher's growth plan and give principals a fuller picture at evaluation time.
150 education-related professional learning hours every 5 years - SCECHs, district PD, college credit at 25 hours per semester credit, or National Board certification, in any combination. Must be appropriate to content and grade level.
150 education-related professional learning hours since the issue date of the most recent certificate (R 390.1135). Same hour count and same sources as the Standard Certificate.
150 education-related professional learning hours every 5 years (R 390.1138). Reaching this certificate in the first place takes more: National Board certification, an approved teacher leader or specialist program, or a term as Michigan Teacher of the Year.
The Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) is your official portal for tracking SCECHs and managing your teaching certificate. Through MOECS, you can:
You must have a personal MOECS account and a certificate/license issued by MDE's Office of Educator Excellence to access the system.
MOECS remains the official record for your certificate. EX in Education runs alongside it as the district-side system, mirroring SCECH progress next to the same educator's coaching, evaluations, and goals, so nothing has to be re-entered or reconciled by hand.
In EX in Education, what you track for Michigan renewal sits beside new-hire onboarding, walkthroughs, coaching cycles, goals, evaluations, staff surveys and recognition. Leaders see how every educator is doing from their first week onward, not only whether they are current, and the renewal record builds out of the growth work already happening.
Start a conversation about MichiganEarn your required hours through approved activities before your renewal window opens.
Check your SCECH transcript to ensure all hours are properly recorded.
Renewals open January 1st and close June 30th of the expiration year.
Complete and submit your renewal application online during the window.
Pay the required fee to complete the renewal process.
SCECH sponsors are organizations approved by MDE to provide professional development that counts toward certificate renewal. Common sponsors include:
Michigan teachers need 150 State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs), 6 semester credit hours, or a combination of both every 5 years. One semester credit equals 25 SCECHs. All professional learning must be appropriate to the content and grade level of your certificate.
MOECS (Michigan Online Educator Certification System) is the state's official portal for tracking SCECHs and managing your teaching certificate. You can view your SCECH transcript, check renewal eligibility, and submit applications. Access it at mdoe.state.mi.us/moecs with your educator credentials.
DPPD (District Provided Professional Development) is professional learning provided by your school district. Since July 1, 2020, when districts allow DPPD for recertification, they must enter it into MOECS as SCECHs. This means your district PD can count toward your 150-hour requirement.
A Michigan teaching certificate expires five years after June 30 of the year it was issued, and you can apply for the next renewal on or after January 1 of the expiration year. An expired certificate is not a dead end: R 390.1135 lets the department renew a professional teaching certificate that has expired or will expire within the calendar year of application, and a holder of a valid or expired standard certificate may progress to the professional certificate at any time. You cannot teach on an expired certificate, which is the real reason to finish by June 30.
Yes! When you select Michigan as your state, our system automatically configures the 150 SCECH requirement, 5-year cycle, credit conversions, and renewal window dates. You'll see real-time progress and get alerts as your renewal deadline approaches.
Not in Michigan? Find requirements for your state.
Evaluated in Michigan? See how Michigan teacher evaluation works, and how the evidence connects to the record you keep for renewal.
Part of EX in Education
Michigan PD and SCECH tracking are one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.