Welcome, Tennessee educators! Upward courses are offered for official graduate-level semester credit hours through UMass Global, a regionally accredited university.
Our courses provide a direct, pre-approved path to satisfy the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) requirements for license advancement and renewal. Because we provide official academic credit—not just clock hours—your effort goes twice as far toward your next salary "lane" increase when applicable.
TN Practitioner and Professional License
Tennessee uses a Professional Development Point (PDP) system where the source of your learning determines its value. By choosing graduate credit over standard "in-service" hours, you maximize your time.
- Practitioner to Professional Advancement: To move to your 10-year Professional License, you need 30 PDPs. A single 3-credit Upward course fully satisfies this requirement in one step.
- Professional License Renewal: Keep your 10-year license active with 60 PDPs. Just two 3-credit courses over a decade ensure you remain compliant without the stress of tracking dozens of small workshops.
- The 10x Value Rule: Per SBE Policy 5.502, "College/University Coursework" earns 10 PDPs per semester hour. Compare this to standard professional learning, which often only earns 1 point per hour.
- Direct Documentation: No "provider codes" or district approval forms are required for the state. You simply upload your official UMass Global transcript directly to TNCompass.
TN Educator Salary Advancement
Many Tennessee districts determine your salary via "Lanes" (e.g., MA, MA+15, MA+30). Upward courses are designed to help you climb these lanes to permanently increase your salary.
Confirm your course selections with your district administrator, and 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!