Alabama Teacher Recertification

No Hidden Fees

$240 per 3-credit graduate course. Period.

100% Asynchronous

Courses designed for the busy teacher. No portfolios - just practical implementation.

Accredited

Graduate-level credits provided through UMass Global.

ALSDE Aligned

Specifically curated to meet Alabama certificate requirements.

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Select Courses

Browse our catalog of graduate-level courses and select the ones that fit your goals. Syllabi available Upon Request if required by your school district.

Graduate-Level Courses

Checkout & Earn Rewards

Complete the checkout process on this website and you will immediately be enrolled in our loyalty program. Refer friends and take multiple courses to earn Upward Rewards!

Complete Coursework

Check your inbox for your welcome packet and dive right in. Complete your coursework 100% online anytime between one and six months from registration.

Alabama Professional Educator Certificate Renewal

Alabama Professional Educator Certificates must be renewed every five years. The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) allows educators to use graduate-level coursework from a regionally accredited senior institution to fulfill their renewal requirements under Option 2: Allowable Coursework.

Upward’s online graduate courses are designed to fit seamlessly into this official track, offering an efficient route to completion based on your needs:

The Coursework-Only Track: If you are renewing your certificate entirely through coursework, completing two Upward courses (6 semester hours) satisfies 100% of your ALSDE Option 2 requirements.
The Partial Credit Track: If you only need to pick up a portion of your required coursework to combine with other professional development hours, a single 3-credit Upward course fulfills that primary coursework block.
Regionally Accredited Credits: All courses are completed online and issued for official graduate-level semester credit through UMass Global, a regionally accredited university recognized by the ALSDE for senior institution credit.

Alabama Teacher Salary Advancement and Matrix Reclassification

In Alabama, your earning potential is anchored by your state certification level—Class B, Class A, or Class AA—on the state minimum salary matrix. Because Alabama requires an advanced degree to move horizontally across certification classes, keeping your current certificate active is the single most important step to protecting your hard-earned pay bracket and continuing your vertical step increases.

Upward’s graduate-level courses provide a clean, cost-effective framework to safeguard your career earnings:

Protect Your Salary Status: Prevent your Professional Educator Certificate from lapsing. Fulfilling your continuing education requirements ensures your placement on the Alabama salary matrix remains entirely secure.
The Senior Institution Gold Standard: Because our courses are issued for official graduate-level semester credit through UMass Global, they meet the rigorous "regionally accredited senior institution" standard required by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE).
Unmatched ROI at $240: At a flat $240 per 3-credit course, maintaining your professional credentials is an incredibly efficient way to protect your annual base pay, maximize your lifetime earnings, and secure your long-term retirement foundation.

Note on Local District Verification: While the state sets the baseline certification standards, individual Alabama school districts manage local salary placement, steps, and renewal documentation. We highly recommend verifying your course selections with your district administration or HR department. Contact us anytime to request detailed course syllabi to assist with your local documentation.

Earning Credit

Email your completed coursework to support@upwardteachers.com
Upward evaluates your coursework within one week of your submission, and submits your grade to UMass Global (our accredited university partner)
UMass Global posts your grade within five business days of receiving Upward's assessment
You login to your UMass Global account to order your transcripts.
Note: Transcripts are securely managed and issued directly by UMass Global. For official transcript support, you can contact the university at exed@umassglobal.edu
Celebrate your achievement, and sign up for more Upward Rewards!

Alabama Teacher FAQs

Every Upward course carries 3 graduate credits.

If you are fulfilling your renewal requirements entirely through coursework under ALSDE Option 2, completing two Upward courses gives you the exact 6 semester hours required to satisfy 100% of your renewal track.

Yes. All of Upward’s courses are offered in partnership with UMass Global, a senior institution regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Under the ALSDE Administrative Code for certificate renewal (Option 2: Allowable Coursework), graduate-level credits from a regionally accredited senior institution are fully accepted.

If you are renewing your certificate entirely through coursework, you will need two Upward courses (6 semester hours) to meet the 100% renewal requirement.

No. To move horizontally across the Alabama state salary matrix (such as moving from Class B to Class A, or Class A to Class AA), the ALSDE requires the completion of a full, approved advanced degree program (a Master's or Ed.S.) resulting in a new certification action.

Stacking individual graduate credits outside of a degree program will not trigger a local salary reclassification.

However, keeping your certificate active with Upward courses is vital to protecting your current salary bracket and ensuring you continue to receive your vertical step increases.