Renewing a Teaching Certificate

Michigan Teaching Certificates are five-year certificates with unlimited renewals. Each renewal adds five years to the certificate’s validity. A renewal can be requested any time after January 1 of the expiration year. You can find the current renewal requirements on the Michigan Department of Education Teacher Recertification Guidance page.

To renew your teaching certificate (or a lapsed certificate) by completing 6 credits earned as part of an education-related planned course of study, consult Oakland’s education-related professional learning options to review the master's degree, endorsement and education credit choices. Reach out to the adviser listed with questions about the program.

To renew your certificate by completing 6 credits related to your current certificate and endorsements, use the Class Schedule Search to find courses. The filters allow you search by subject area, credits, and at times that work with your schedule. Click on each course name for more information, including any prerequisites. You can complete post-bachelor courses (numbered 4999 and below) or graduate courses (numbered 5000 and above) towards your renewal. You can find more detailed information on the Post-Bachelor Renewal and Graduate Renewal tabs.

To complete education-related renewal credits by completing undergraduate-level courses, follow these steps to create an account and apply for admittance as a post-bachelor student adding a teaching endorsement. This is the correct status for those completing renewal credits as a post-bachelor student and for those completing endorsement programs at the post-bachelor level:

• Visit the Post-Undergraduate Admissions page.
• Click on “Apply Now”.
• Log in or set up an Admissions account Login ID and PIN.
• Click on "Start New Application" and select the term you are applying for.
• Complete your account profile and previous college information.
• In the Academic Plans section, under Student Type, please select “Teacher Certification – Additional Endorsement - I wish to obtain an additional endorsement to teacher certificate”.
• Complete all applicable sections of the application. The system will notify you of any required documentation.
• Once final, you will sign the form electronically and submit.

Log into the online application system or contact Undergraduate Admissions to check the status of your application. Once admitted, you will receive instructions regarding how to activate your NetID and register for classes using SAIL.

Once your courses are complete and final grades have been awarded, enter your professional learning credit information into MOECS. You will apply in MOECS to renew your teaching certificate after January 1st of the year that your certificate expires.

If you are not a current Oakland Graduate student, follow these steps to apply for admittance as a graduate professional development student and complete graduate-level credits towards your renewal:

1. Go to the non-degree seeking graduate student application.
2. Read through the instructions and click on “Online application for admission”.
3. Log in or set up an Admissions account Login ID and PIN.
4. Click on "Start New Application".
5. Under application type, select “Non-Degree (Prof Dev-ASAP) Application”.
6. Click on "Open Application".
7. Under Academic Plans, select “Professional Development”. Then select your Anticipated Entry Term and select "Education" for Program Area of Interest.
8. The system will let you know if you must provide official or unofficial transcripts, or any other documentation.
9. Complete all sections and submit your application.

You can find information regarding your application and admission status by logging into the online application system. Helpful facts and FAQs can be found at the Graduate School webpage.

Once admitted, you will receive instructions on how to activate your ID and register for classes using SAIL.

Once your courses are complete and final grades have been awarded, enter your professional learning credit information into MOECS. You will apply in MOECS to renew your teaching certificate after January 1st of the year that your certificate expires.

Looking for suggestions? Review the List of Graduate Professional Development Courses for Educators.

NOTE: Credentialed School Counselors should be aware that specific professional development is required for renewals - see the School Counselor License (SCL) renewal guidance on the Michigan Department of Education School Counselor Renewal page.