Earn Credits for Certification and Work Experience

Turn your professional development, work experience, and certifications into earned credits.

  • Decrease your tuition costs
  • Reduce the time to complete your degree
  • Minimize redundancy in learning
  • The Certification-to-Credit Program at Central Michigan University is the perfect way to use a professional certification you have earned and apply it to the degree you want – saving you time and money.
  • The Credit by Examination program allows you to be awarded graduate-level credit for learning you have acquired from on-the-job experiences.
  • Students may utilize these programs to earn up to a total of 6 (or 12) credits towards the MARL or 15 credits towards the MA C&I and MALDT degrees.

Earn Graduate Credits for SCECH (Michigan educators only)

A student admitted to the MA: C&I, MARL, or MALDT graduate programs who has earned 75 or 150 SCECH hours within the last five (5) years may apply to use their SCECH for up to 6 Graduate EDU credits. Students are eligible to receive three (3) EDU graduate credits for 75 SCECHs or six (6) EDU graduate credits for 150 SCECHs.  

The credit will be issued as Graduate EDU credit. The program director will apply the credits to the appropriate course within the program.

Steps to be followed: 

1. Log into your Michigan Department of Education/Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) and download your SCECH report. 

  • The report must include your name and ID number
  • The SCECHs you are using for this process, including the date they were earned (within the last five (5) years).

2. Write a paragraph for each set of 75 SCECH hours that is submitted to the program director that outlines the training completed for the SCECHs.  

3. Submit the SCECH report and paragraph(s) to the appropriate program director.  

After earning 6 credits towards your degree, the earned credits will be added to your transcript. These credits may not be used for courses in the Graduate Certificate in AI for Learning, Design, and Technology.  

Learn more about the options for these programs

Jump to:

To determine if you are eligible to use any of the approved programs below, please contact/schedule an appointment with one of the staff members listed below. Credits will be applied to your degree after you complete 6 credits (2 courses) of your program at CMU with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

MA in Reading and Literacy

MARL Certification to Credit

For students in the MARL program, credits will be applied to your degree after you complete 6 credits (2 courses) of your program at CMU with a 3.0 or higher GPA.

If you are an educator who has had extensive training in the MI Literacy Essentials, you can submit the following certificates/SCECH records demonstrating completion of the following:

Literacy Essentials Modules (for all available grade bands) AND
School-Wide/Center-Wide Early Literacy Practices (all)

OR

Literacy Essentials K-3; 6-12 Trainings/Summer Symposium (in person)
-Completed with Michigan Virtual (EduPaths)

  • Course Equivalent: EDU 635

See Literacy Essentials Website

    If you are an educator who has completed LETRS training, submit your transcripts to receive course credit for your work.

    • Course Equivalent: EDU 624

    For information on either of these options, please contact Meghan Block at block1m@cmich.edu.


     

    MA in Education: Curriculum and Instruction

    Certification to Credit

      As part of the Michigan ACE Initiative, join child development faculty who are working on raising awareness of the impact of adverse childhood experiences on health across the lifespan with a focus on strategies for promoting resilience in childhood.

      • Course Equivalent: EDU elective credit

      Michigan ACES Website

      The national Brazelton Touchpoints Center develops and applies knowledge of early childhood development to practice and policy through professional and organizational development, evaluations, advocacy, and awareness and serving as a resource for proven practices.​

      • Course Equivalent: EDU elective credit

      Brazelton Touchpoints Website

      If you are an educator who is a super user of Google tools in your classroom, demonstrate your advanced technology integration skills with the Educator Level 2 certification.

      • Course Equivalent: EDU 709

      Google Educator Website

      The ability and capacity of ALL teachers, leaders, and staff to continually transform their methods, adopt new technologies, and continue as life-long learners are critical elements of education transformation. The professional growth pathway is designed to help teachers and school leaders everywhere become proficient in Microsoft technologies and learn more innovative classroom skills with fun, guided, hands-on content that's specific to their roles and goals.

      • Course Equivalent: EDU 709

      Microsoft Certified Educator Website

      21Things4Educators is designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to learn about current research-based classroom practices, along with digital tools selected to help meaningful integration of those practices in the classroom.

      • Course Equivalent: EDU 590 and EDU 642

      21 Things4educators website

      How to submit to MA in Education: Curriculum and Instruction Certification to Credit

      Admitted students, please contact your academic advisor via the Advising tab on your Degree Progress page.

      Go to Degree Progress


      MA Learning Design and Technology

      Certification to Credit

      Please note: Dr. Mike Deschryver is the Interim Director of the MALDT program during the fall 2025 semester.

      Students may earn up to 15 credits towards their degree through the following programs.

        As part of the Michigan ACE Initiative, join child development faculty who are working on raising awareness of the impact of adverse childhood experiences on health across the lifespan with a focus on strategies for promoting resilience in childhood.

        • Course Equivalent: EDU elective credit

        Michigan ACES Website

        An Apple Distinguished Educator has completed a rigorous application process and professional development program. Your recognition as part of a global community of innovative educators who foster powerful ideas to improve teaching and learning demonstrates your understanding of design and integration of technology within the classroom.

        Apple Distinguished Educator Website

        The national Brazelton Touchpoints Center develops and applies knowledge of early childhood development to practice and policy through professional and organizational development, evaluations, advocacy, and awareness and serving as a resource for proven practices.​

        • Course Equivalent: EDU elective credit

        Brazelton Touchpoints Website

        If you are an educator who is a super user of Google tools in your classroom, demonstrate your advanced technology integration skills with the Educator Level 2 certification.

        • Course Equivalent: EDU 709

        Google Educator Website

        The ability and capacity of ALL teachers, leaders, and staff to continually transform their methods, adopt new technologies, and continue as life-long learners are critical elements of education transformation. The professional growth pathway is designed to help teachers and school leaders everywhere become proficient in Microsoft technologies and learn more innovative classroom skills with fun, guided, hands-on content that's specific to their roles and goals.

        • Course Equivalent: EDU 709

        Microsoft Certified Educator Website

        21Things4Educators is designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to learn about current research-based classroom practices, along with digital tools selected to help meaningful integration of those practices in the classroom.

        • Course Equivalent: EDU 590 and EDU 642

        21 Things4educators website

        How to submit to MA Learning Design and Technology Certification to Credit

        Admitted students please contact the Interim Program Director, Dr. Mike Deschryver, at desch2m@cmich.edu with the subject line, RE: MALDT Cert to Credit.
        Email the program director


        MA Learning Design and Technology

        Credit by Examination

        Earn up to 9 credits

        Please note: Dr. Mike Deschryver is the Interim Director of the MALDT program during the fall 2025 semester.

        If you have taught in online or blended settings for two or more years and haven't received graduate credit for it, you can take a competency exam and earn up to 9 credit hours.

        A student admitted to the M.A. in Learning, Design, and Technology (MALDT) program who has completed two or more years of teaching or training in online or blended settings may apply for a maximum of nine (9) semester hours ofCredit by Examination (CBE).In this instance, the CBE is designed for those students who did not earn graduate credit for this experience.

        CBE may be earned and applied only as follows

        1. To fulfill the three (3) hours of course credits required for EDU 653, the student will take a written exam demonstrating their competency of outcomes for the course with a score of 11/15 points on the rubric or higher.
        2. To fulfill the three (3) hours of course credits required for EDU 707, the student will take a written exam demonstrating their competency of outcomes for the course with a score of 11/15 points on the rubric or higher.
        3. To fulfill the three (3) hours of course credits required for EDU 708, the student will take a written exam demonstrating their competency of outcomes for the course with a score of 11/15 points on the rubric or higher.

          Steps to be followed

          The application should be completed by the student. Access the application by clicking Credit by Exam (DocuSign).

          1. Your name and Cmich email
          2. Examination Instructor: Jennifer Weible - j.weible@cmich.edu
          3. Department Chair: Chad Waldron - chad.waldron@cmich.edu

          1. Your 6 digit ID number
          2. Degree Program: MALDT
          3. Course #: EDU 653 Higher Order Web-Mediated Learning 3 Credits
          4. Course #: EDU 707 Issues in Educational Technology 3 Credits
          5. Course #: EDU 708 Designing & Implementing Online Learning Experiences 3 Credits
          6. Experience and Background: Brief statement about teaching/training online/blended/hybrid learning for 2 years.
          7. Submit. This will be signed and you will receive a digital approval to your Cmich email.

          The CBE fee is $50 per credit hour or a total of $150/course or $300 for both courses/6 credit hours. Checks are payable to Central Michigan University, or applicants may provide credit card information by calling Student Account Services/OneCentral at 989-774-3618. 

          By Mail or on-campus delivery:
          Student Account Services/OneCentral
          Bovee UC 119
          Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

          An email will be sent to the director, who will send you your exam questions.

          You will have two weeks to complete the test(s). 

            Upon receiving approval to take the examination(s), the student will receive an email to their CMICH account with information on how to access the online examination(s). Students are expected to take the exam(s) within two weeks of receiving the approval email. The exam(s) must be completed within the semester they are requested/approved.

            A total of up to 9 credit hours can be earned by successfully completing these exams. 

            Each examination will consist of 5 essay questions. Screenshots or screencasts may be required for some questions. A score of 73% (11/15 correct answers) or better is required to pass each exam. Please allow two weeks for grading. 

            In the event a score of 73% is not earned on the first attempt, the student will be allowed to take the exam again. If a score of 73% is not obtained on the second attempt, the student will be required to earn the credits through the completion of coursework available through the MALDT program. 

            Credits earned through completion of the CBE process will be posted to the student's record within approximately three weeks. CR or NC will be posted on the transcript. A letter grade will not be awarded.

            Students will NOT be eligible for the NP endorsement after earning credits by exam for the MALDT program.