Continuing Education

Western Michigan University is an approved sponsor of State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) and Continuing Education Units (CEUs). We partner with WMU colleges to offer specialized continuing education events to fit your professional development needs.

State Continuing Education Clock Hours

Michigan teachers, administrators and school psychologists are required to earn State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) to retain their state certification. SCECHs are approved in-service, workshop, training or conference credits used for the renewal of some certificates issued by the Michigan Department of Education. SCECHs can be earned by taking college courses or by attending approved workshops, conferences or events.

Offering SCECHs at your event

If you are offering a workshop, conference, event, etc. and wish to offer SCECHs, you must complete an application and return it to WMU's Office of Professional Development. There is a $35 fee for each application. The application and fee must be submitted 60 days before your event to allow time for processing.

Obtaining your SCECH credits

Each SCECH participant must pay $25 to obtain their credits. SCECH credits will be processed within ten business days of receiving payment and participant information. Once your credits have been entered into the Michigan Department of Education's portal, you will receive an auto-generated email from MOECS with evaluation questions for your program.  SCECH credits will be added to your account only after you complete this evaluation.

Continuing Education Units

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) provide a way to document non-credit and non-degree learning experiences. These types of educational experiences have become more widely recognized by individuals, employers and professional associations in recent years. As such, non-credit programs are becoming more and more popular in the area of continuing education.

Western Michigan University defines one CEU as ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience. One contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of instruction. The CEU can be awarded in whole units or fractions of a unit (5 hours = .5 CEU, 10 hours = 1.0 CEU). Programs must be at least three hours to qualify and non-instructional periods (registration, breaks, meals) are not included in contact hours.

University-sponsored programs offered on or off campus may be eligible for WMU CEUs. Some examples include:

• Non-credit courses, seminars, or workshops in technical and professional areas.
• In-service training programs and demonstrations of new techniques in technical areas.
• Liberal education courses or workshops for the general public.
• Paraprofessional or sub-professional training programs.
• Vocational training programs or staff development programs.
• Conferences for professional development.

Offering WMU-CEUs at your program

If you would like to offer WMU-CEUs for your program, you must complete an application and return it to WMU's Office of Professional Development. Applications must be submitted at least 35 days before the start of your program to allow time for processing. There is a $35 application fee.

Obtaining your WMU-CEU certificate

If you completed a WMU-CEU program and your participation has been verified, you may request a digital certificate by paying $25.

Questions

If you have questions about an application or the WMU-CEU or SCECH process, please call the WMU Office of Professional Development at (269) 387-4223 or contact us today.