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Earn regionally accredited graduate semester hours to easily fulfill your 270 PDP requirement and move up your division's salary scale.
100% online, self-paced, and portfolio-free.
Only $240 per course | 1 course = 90 PDPs
$240 per 3-credit course. Period.
Courses designed for the busy teacher. No portfolios - just practical implementation.
Graduate-level credits provided through UMass Global.
Specifically curated to meet Virginia PDP license 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 division.
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.
Navigating Virginia Teacher License Renewal & Salary Jumps
Virginia requires educators holding a 10-year Postgraduate Professional License or Collegiate Professional License to accumulate 270 Professional Development Points (PDPs) to renew (or 180 points for a 5-year license).
The Upward Advantage: The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) mandates that 1 semester hour of graduate credit equals 30 PDPs.
Note: VDOE statutory training requirements (such as Emergency First Aid, CPR/AED with hands-on practice, and Dyslexia Awareness) must be completed independently alongside your professional development activities. Please visit the VDOE website or check with your school division for specific compliance instructions.
Most Virginia school divisions reward advanced preparation by moving teachers into higher pay tiers, such as Bachelor's+15, Master's+15, or Master's+30.
Permanent Base Pay Increases: Completing a cluster of graduate semester hours can permanently increase your base salary year over year, significantly compounding your lifetime retirement earnings.
Pro-Tip for Virginia Educators: Because salary reclassification policies are determined locally by each individual school division, we always recommend downloading our course syllabi to submit to your district administration or HR department for quick pre-approval before diving in.
Yes. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) allows educators to use graduate-level college coursework from regionally accredited institutions for license renewal (Option 1 under the Virginia licensure renewal manual).
Because Upward partners with UMass Global—a top-tier, regionally accredited university—our courses seamlessly satisfy these requirements.
In Virginia, 1 graduate semester hour equals 30 Professional Development Points (PDPs). Since every Upward course is worth 3 graduate semester credits, you earn 90 PDPs per course.
Most Virginia school divisions utilize a lane-based salary schedule that rewards teachers for graduate credits earned beyond their degree (e.g., BA+15, MA+15, MA+30).
Salary reclassification and pre-approval policies are managed locally by each individual school division HR department, so we always recommend confirming with your administration before enrolling (syllabi available upon request).
Upon finishing your self-paced modules, your coursework is graded by Upward within one week. Your official grade is then processed by our university partner, UMass Global.
You will be able to order an official, university-stamped graduate transcript to submit directly to your school division or the VDOE portal.
Yes, 100%. Our courses are built entirely for busy, working Virginia educators. There are no mandatory meeting times, no log-in schedules, no group projects, and absolutely no portfolios.
You have anywhere from 1 to 6 months from your registration date to complete the modules entirely on your own schedule.
