Accelerate Your Connecticut Teaching Career & Maximize Your Salary
Fully Accredited, 100% Online Graduate-Level Credits for Connecticut Educators
- Regionally Accredited
- Unbeatable Value
- Maximum Flexibility
Only $240 per 3-Credit Graduate Level Course
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.
Get Started
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.
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.
Graduate Level Courses
Accelerate Your Move Toward MA+15, MA+30, or Sixth-Year Salary Lanes
Many Connecticut school districts offer substantial salary increases for teachers who complete graduate-level credits beyond their Master’s degree—often referred to as the MA+15, MA+30, or Sixth-Year equivalent lanes.
Because salary advancement rules are governed at the local level by individual collective bargaining agreements, how these credits are applied varies by district. With Upward’s fully accredited, graduate-level courses, you have an affordable, self-paced pathway to earn the semester hours needed to meet your local district’s requirements.
How We Help Connecticut Teachers Advance
- For Mid-Lane Progression (e.g., MA+15): Complete 5 Upward courses to earn 15 fully transferable, graduate-level semester credits. This is a common milestone in many Connecticut district pay scales to secure a salary bump.
- Toward MA+30 / Sixth-Year Equivalents: Complete 10 Upward courses to secure 30 graduate-level credits. If your district’s contract allows a "Master's plus 30 credits" pathway to the Sixth-Year salary tier, this is the most cost-effective and flexible way to achieve it.
Advance Your Connecticut License
Advance Your Provisional Certificate: Accumulate the 30 graduate-level credits required to move from a Provisional Certificate to a Connecticut Professional Educator Certificate.
Earning Credit
- Email your completed coursework to support@upwardteachers.com between one and six months from the date of your registration (not sooner or later)
- 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!
Connecticut Teacher FAQs
Are Upward Teachers courses accepted by Connecticut school districts?
Often, yes! Our courses are offered for official, graduate-level semester credit in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global). UMass Global is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Regional accreditation is the highest academic standard and is widely recognized and accepted by school districts across Connecticut.
Because salary lane policies are governed entirely by local collective bargaining agreements, we always highly recommend obtaining quick pre-approval from your district’s HR department or superintendent before enrolling. We provide course syllabi upon request to make your approval process seamless.
Do I need graduate credits to renew my Connecticut Professional Educator Certificate?
No, graduate credits are not required to simply renew or maintain an active Professional Educator Certificate.
However, graduate-level credits are highly valuable for advancing your certificate level:
- Provisional to Professional: To advance to the highest tier—the Professional Educator Certificate—Connecticut regulations require completing 30 semester hours of credit beyond your bachelor's degree (or a Master's degree in a related field if your certificate was issued on or after July 1, 2018). Taking Upward courses is a flexible, affordable way to earn these post-baccalaureate credits.
How does the cost of Upward courses compare to taking graduate credits at a local Connecticut university?
Traditional state and private universities in Connecticut often charge between $600 to over $1,000 per credit hour, meaning a single 3-credit graduate course can cost you $1,800 to $3,000+—not including mandatory student fees, registration costs, and expensive textbooks.
Upward Teachers offers a completely transparent, flat rate of $240 per course. Each course is worth 3 graduate-level semester credits issued by UMass Global. There are:
- No textbook fees (all reading and course materials are built right into the online modules).
- No hidden university or registrar fees.
- No recurring tuition bills.
By choosing Upward, you can complete all 30 credits needed for your MA+30 or 6th-Year equivalent salary lane for just $2,400—allowing you to fully recoup your educational investment in your very first year of salary advancement.
How long do I have to complete a course?
Our program is 100% asynchronous, specifically built to fit the hectic schedules of busy Connecticut teachers.
There are no mandatory login times, no group projects, and no exhaustive portfolios—just practical, classroom-applicable implementation.
You can dive in immediately upon enrollment and have anywhere from one to six months to complete your coursework at your own pace.
How do I get course syllabi to submit to my Connecticut district for pre-approval?
We make the pre-approval process incredibly easy. Because Connecticut school districts hold the ultimate authority on salary lane movement and credit acceptance, we strongly encourage getting written sign-off from your HR department or district administration before starting.
You can download the syllabi directly by clicking on any course from our Graduate-Credit Collection, or if you prefer, you can request one via our Contact Us Page.