Welcome, Massachusetts educators! Upward courses are offered for official graduate-level semester credit hours by UMass Global, a regionally accredited university accepted by MA DESE for renewing your license, and in many cases, advancing your salary.
MA Educator License Renewal
To renew your five-year Professional License in MA, you must complete 150 Professional Development Points (PDPs).
To satisfy the full 150 PDP requirement, you will typically need three (3) Upward 3-credit courses.
- Credit Conversion: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) accepts our graduate credit based on the official conversion rate of 1 semester credit hour = 22.5 Professional Development Points (PDPs)
- Documentation: Your official university transcript from UMass Global provides the required documentation for your PDPs
- Mandatory Topics: Your course selections must strategically align with the required breakdown of the 150 PDPs, including the mandatory 15 PDPs across each of the following:
- SEI/ESL: See Upward's TESOL courses
- Students with Disabilities/Diverse Learners: See Upward's Diverse Learner courses
- Content (Subject Matter Knowledge): See Upward's Content courses
- Pedagogy: See Upward's Pedagogy courses
Remaining PDPs: The final 90 PDPs may be fulfilled through any combination of the categories listed above or other elective Upward courses that address educational issues and topics that improve student learning.
MA Educator Salary Advancement
Graduate credit from UMass Global is the foundation for advancing across your district's salary lanes (e.g., M+15, M+30, M+45), leading to a permanent base pay increase.
Your district's Collective Bargaining Agreement requires you to secure prior written approval from your HR or Superintendent before enrolling in any course used for salary lane movement, so get started today!
Get Started
Course Selection & Approval
Confirm requirements and approval with your district administrator and select your 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
We'll email you your welcome packet, and you're all set! Complete coursework between one and six months (not earlier or before) from the date of your registration.
Graduate Level Courses
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 that the university is an entirely separate organization from Upward, and any questions on your transcript or university account can be emailed to exed@umassglobal.edu
- Celebrate your achievement, and sign up for more Upward Rewards!