University Credits & PDUs vs CEUs
General Information
The University of the Pacific is one of the oldest private institutions of higher learning in the state of California. The credit provided by the University of the Pacific for these courses is graduate-level professional development semester units/credits. Our courses have been accepted by school districts across the United States.
The University of the Pacific is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The graduate-level professional development semester unit/credit is designed for salary advancement and to renew credentials. It is not designed to be used towards the attainment of an advanced degree. Participants are advised to verify with their school district or state licensing bureau regarding the acceptance of such credit prior to registering.
There are no refunds.
Semester Hours/Credits/Units:
In a few states, some districts ask for semester hours of graduate-level credit rather than using the term “professional development semester units.” This is a semantics issue. The credit we award is graduate-level professional development semester units/credits (which are also called “hours” in some states). These self-designed courses are for academic and professional growth and will be listed on a university transcript.
PDUs vs. CEUs:
What California refers to as PDUs (Professional Development Units) is often called CEUs (Continuing Education Units) in school districts on the east coast.
For more information regarding the difference between PDUs and CEUs, please read the information below.
Different states use different terms for the type of credit teachers must receive for salary advancement and/or renew credentials. Regardless of the terminology, the credits we offer are exactly the type of credits teachers in the United States need for salary advancement and to renew credentials.
What California refers to as PDUs (professional development credits) are often labeled as CEUs (continuing education units) or “semester hours” in school districts on the east coast. Regardless of the label, we are speaking of the same graded, graduate-level courses that require 15 hours per semester unit/credit, and that are required for salary advancement.
Further explanation re: PDUs vs. CEUs:
In California and many other states, PDUs are accepted for salary advancement because they are known to be graded, graduate-level, and require 15 hours per semester unit of credit. In California, CEUs may not have the same strict requirements as PDUs. Therefore, many school districts, especially in California, do not accept CEUs for salary advancement. This is why Courses4Teachers, Inc. does not offer, promote, or advertise CEU credit.
Should you need CEUs, your school district will have a formula to convert our PDUs into CEU credit, although it’s rare that teachers in any state need these types of CEUs for salary advancement. With CEUs, 45 hours of professional work will earn you 4.5 CEUs.
Note: Educators in the behavioral sciences, i.e., Psychologists may prefer ungraded CEUs (their requirements are different than those for teachers).
If you have questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact our Courses4Teachers, Inc. office.