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100% online graduate-level courses for Missouri educators. Earn the university credits you need to upgrade your DESE Initial Certificate (IPC) or maintain your Career Certificate (CCPC).
Graduate credits through the regionally accredited UMass Global.
Only $240 per 3-Credit Graduate Level Course
$240 per 3-credit graduate course. Period.
Courses designed for the busy teacher. No portfolios - just practical implementation.
Graduate-level credits provided through UMass Global.
Specifically curated to meet Missouri Certificate requirements.
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.
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!
Check your inbox for your welcome packet and dive right in. Complete your coursework 100% online anytime between one and six months from registration.
Fulfill Your IPC Upgrade in One Move: Moving from your 4-year Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) to a Career Continuous Professional Certificate (CCPC) requires 30 contact hours of professional development. A single Upward course provides 45 contact hours, completely satisfying your state PD hour requirement in one step while also earning 3-graduate level credits.
Effortless Annual CERTIFICATE Maintenance: To keep a Career Continuous Professional Certificate (CCPC) active, DESE requires 15 contact hours of professional development annually. One 1-credit or 3-credit Upward course satisfies this requirement, keeping your certificate active and compliant year after year.
Official DESE Credit Conversion: Skip the headache of logging endless micro-credentials. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education officially accepts graduate-level semester hours from our regionally accredited partner, UMass Global, at a direct rate of 1 semester credit = 15 contact hours.
Note for Missouri Educators: Because Missouri school districts operate under independent local board policies and salary schedules, coursework should be pre-approved by your district administrator or local professional development committee. Official university transcripts serve as your verified record for your local Professional Development Plan (PDP) log. Detailed course syllabi are available upon request to assist with your approval process.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), 1 semester hour of graduate-level college credit is equal to 15 professional development contact hours.
This means completing a single 3-credit course through Upward automatically awards you 45 contact hours toward your professional development log.
To upgrade your 4-year initial certificate, DESE requires you to complete 30 contact hours of professional development, complete 4 years of approved teaching experience, participate in a 2-year district mentoring program, complete a Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP), and participate in annual evaluations.
One 3-credit Upward course provides 45 hours, completely satisfying the professional development portion of your upgrade in a single class.
Once you hold a CCPC, DESE requires you to complete 15 professional development contact hours annually until you meet one of the state's exemption categories (such as accumulating 30 years of experience or earning a Master’s degree).
Taking one 1-credit or 3-credit graduate-level course per year is a seamless way to keep your annual log fully compliant, while also working toward your maximum salary in districts where applicable lanes exist.
Upward coursework awards official graduate-level semester credits from our regionally accredited partner, UMass Global, which are widely accepted by public school boards across Missouri for salary schedule movement (such as moving from BA to MA, or stacking credits for MA+15 and MA+30 columns).
Because Missouri operates under local board autonomy, individual school districts and local Professional Development Committees (PDCs) have final authority over salary advancement and local professional development plans (PDP). We always highly recommend getting pre-approval from your district administrator or PDC before registering. Comprehensive course syllabi are available upon request to make the approval process easy.
Upon course completion, you can order an official transcript directly from UMass Global.
For your local district salary advancement or annual PDP log, you will submit this official university transcript to your human resources department or district administrator.
