Credit Validation

Credit Validation for Your Courses and Training

Connect with the to Add Value to Your Educational Programs

If your organization offers courses or trainings — and wants to make these offerings as valuable as possible to your participants — consider the benefits of partnering with the for credit validation.

What is Credit Validation?

One common denominator among the most successful organizations is that they prioritize educational and professional development opportunities for their members, and one way to accomplish this is to support training programs and courses that will help them excel in their jobs and careers.

Such professional growth opportunities can occur through established third-party programs or, in some cases, organizations will create their own customized, in-house training programs to boost specific knowledge and skill sets. Many organizations also find it beneficial to partner with an academic institution or an industry advocacy organization to be able to offer official credit to successful participants.

Credit Validation with USD

The ’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education (PCE) works with several organizations to help them add value to their courses and trainings by establishing a structure to offer graduate level extension credit for work completed in trainings, conferences, workshops and other professional development programs. Courses can be classroom-based, online, or blended.

Organizations that partner with USD in these offerings include private companies, nonprofits, public agencies such as school districts or county education offices, and professional organizations. Some of the organizations that partner with USD for credit validation services include:

Benefits of Partnering with USD for Course Credit Validation

Sponsoring businesses and organizations that partner with USD for credit validation receive:

How to Partner with USD for Course Credit Validation

USD has been partnering with organizations to offer credit validation for over 25 years and the process is relatively simple.

  1. Contact PCE at [email protected]
  2. Submit information about your course or training for review.
  3. Receive a website link that provides participants with an easy way to enroll for credit.

Note: Graduate level extension credits are not part of a degree program but instead are primarily used for professional development, and may in some cases be used toward salary advancement and recertification.

Our Credit Validation Process

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Credit Validation vs. Course Accreditation

Some organizations may use the term “course accreditation” to mean providing accreditation (or “credit validation”) services for the types of training programs described above. Additionally, organizations seeking such services may use one or both terms interchangeably (“credit validation” and/or “course accreditation”) to search for an education partner/provider.

This can cause confusion because the term “accreditation” more commonly refers to the system of third-party quality control long used to ensure that institutions of higher education satisfy certain standards (for example, the is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges).


Credit Validation Policies

Zero Enrollment Fee Official Policy for Credit Validation Program Policy as of November 8, 2024

  1. Cost of Credit Validation Services
    • Free of Charge: Credit Validation services are provided free of cost to partnering
      organizations, provided there are at least as many enrollments as sections
      created.
  2. Enrollment and Fee Policy
    • Zero Enrollment Fee: If a section is created and receives zero enrollments once
      the enrollment period closes, a fee of $79 will be billed to the requesting
      organization. This fee covers a portion of the administrative cost associated with
      managing the section(s) for your organization in our systems.
      • Payment Terms: The fee must be paid within 30 days of receipt.
      • Service Suspension: No further courses or sections will be created for
        the organization until payment is received.
  3. Multiple Sections Policy
    • Fee Calculation: If a single course has multiple sections created, a fee is
      incurred only if the total enrollments are fewer than the sections created.
    • Example:
      • If 3 sections are created and 4 people enroll in only one section, no
        fee is incurred.
      • If 3 sections are created and only 2 people enroll across those
        sections, a $79 fee will be incurred for the unfilled third section.
      • If 3 sections are created and only 1 person enrolls, a $79 fee will be
        incurred for each unfilled section ($158 total) etc.
  4. Contact Information
    • Questions and Concerns: For any questions or concerns regarding how this
      policy impacts your organization, please reach out to the Credit Validation
      team at [email protected]. We are more than happy to discuss your
      options. This policy ensures that our Credit Validation services are utilized efficiently and fairly. Thank you for your cooperation.

Official Policy for Grading in the Credit Validation Program

  1. No Grade (NG)
    • Definition: NG (No Grade) is treated as an F. Participants receive zero credit for
      the course they registered for.
    • Transcript: An official transcript will be issued reflecting the “NG”
    • Finality: Once submitted, the “NG”cannot be changed.
    • Retake Policy: Students wishing to retake the course for credit must re-enroll
      and pay for the course again with the university.
  2. Incomplete (INC)
    • Definition: INC (Incomplete) is issued when an instructor grants an extension to a student.
    • Grade Recording: No official grade will be recorded other than INC, and no transcript will be issued. *If a student orders a copy of their transcript, the INC will be reported. 
    • Extension Details:
      • The length and number of extensions are at the instructor’s discretion.
      • The extension deadline must be communicated to the Credit Validation (CV) team.
      • Any adjustments to the deadline must be reported to the CV team.
    • Final Grade Submission: The final grade must be reported to the CV team within 7 days of the extension deadline.
    • This policy ensures clarity and consistency in the grading process for the credit validation program. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact the Credit Validation team at [email protected].

Credit Validation FAQs

How many hours are required per 1.0 unit?

12.5 hours are required per 1.0 unit.

Does the course have to be classroom or online?

Credit validation units can be classroom, online, or a combination of both. Assignments and readings can count towards the time requirement. Credit can also be earned for attending a conference.

How much does each unit cost?

$79 per 1 unit.

What kind of credits are Dodea Credit Validation participants earning?

Graduate Level Extension Credit.

How do I set up credit as an affiliation or instructor?

Email [email protected]. Fill out the Course Approval Request form and the Instructor Approval Request form and return to your person of contact at USD.

Will USD Professional and Continuing Education graduate level extension units be accepted by every school district/organization?

It is the responsibility of the participant to confirm with their school district/organization if our units will be accepted before registering for credit.


DoDEA Credit Validation FAQs

How many hours are required per 1.0 unit?

15.0 hours are required per 1.0 unit.

Does the course have to be classroom or online?

Credit validation units can be classroom, online, or a combination of both. Assignments and readings can count towards the time requirement. Credit can also be earned for attending a conference.

How much does each unit cost?

$79 per 1 unit.

What kind of credits are Dodea Credit Validation participants earning?

Graduate Level Extension Credit.

How do I set up credit?

DoDEA POC’s usually have their own template for their course requests which include all the information that is needed. If they do not, there is a template they can use.

The course must be approved by the school principal, Area Supervisor, Subject specialist (ISS), or area superintendent before being sent to USD for approval.

USD primarily checks that the time requirement is being met since the DoDEA representative should have checked the content to ensure its relevance and quality.

If the course approval meets the time requirement, USD assigns a course number.

When approved, send the course link to the DoDEA POC

Remind the POC that they, or the instructor, will need to reach out to USD to request the roster any time after the registration period has closed/course has concluded.

Encrypt the roster and send to POC/instructor. They will send the roster back and we enter the grades in Destiny.

Let the POC/instructor know that grades have been posted.

Will USD Professional and Continuing Education graduate level extension units be accepted by every school district/organization?

It is the responsibility of the participant to confirm with their school district/organization if our units will be accepted before registering for credit.

How long do participants have to register for their course(s)?

Participants typically have 10 days from the start date of the course to register unless otherwise specified by the DoDEA POC. Registration can open any time before the course actually begins but registration typically closes 10 days after the start date (DoDEA policy).

Are DoDEA participants eligible for extensions?

Participants requesting an INC have 60 days from the end date of the course to complete it. If they do not complete the course within that time frame, they will be issued an NG. If the DoDEA POC would like more time for the student, this is acceptable.

Are DoDEA instructors compensated for their role as instructor?

No, they are not. They are instructors on a volunteer basis and are not USD PCE staff.

Do DoDEA courses use Canvas?

No, they do not. They usually use their own learning system such as Schoology. Since DoDEA courses are not USD developed courses, they do not have the option of using Canvas.