Maryland School Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Review current Maryland school psychologist license renewal requirements, Professional Development Points, Individualized Professional Development Plans, qualifying professional learning, NASP-approved continuing education, and online professional development.
Maryland School Psychologist Renewal at a Glance
Professional Development Points
Maryland professional educator license holders generally need 90 Professional Development Points for renewal.
Year License Cycle
Initial Professional, Professional, and Advanced Professional specialist licenses are renewable on a five-year cycle.
Clock Hours to PDPs
Maryland generally awards 1 Professional Development Point for each clock hour of qualifying professional learning.
Maryland accepts several types of professional development for educator license renewal, but a stand-alone vendor course is not automatically accepted simply because the provider is NASP-approved. The activity must fit one of Maryland's recognized PDP categories or be approved by an appropriate Maryland education entity.
Maryland School Psychologist Renewal Overview
How Are Maryland School Psychologists Credentialed?
Maryland school psychologists are licensed through the Maryland State Department of Education as education specialists.
Maryland defines a school psychologist as an individual licensed to provide psychological services to children in a public or State-approved nonpublic school setting and to supervise interns and psychometrists.
School psychologists may hold an Initial Professional, Professional, or Advanced Professional License, depending on experience and other qualification requirements.
Maryland Credential
Maryland Recognizes the NCSP for Initial School Psychologist Licensure
Maryland provides several pathways to School Psychologist licensure. One pathway allows an applicant to present a valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential issued by the National School Psychology Certification Board.
Maryland's 90-PDP Renewal Requirement
Educators renewing an Initial Professional, Professional, or Advanced Professional License must complete a minimum of 90 Professional Development Points.
Professional development is documented through an Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) that remains in place during the five-year validity period of the professional license.
Educators employed by a Maryland local education agency, State-operated school, or approved nonpublic school generally obtain supervisor approval for their IPDP.
PDP Conversions
What Must Be Included in the 90 PDPs?
Maryland requires professional-license holders to include professional learning in specific areas within the 90-PDP renewal requirement. Current MSDE guidance requires at least some professional learning in each of the following four areas.
What Can Count Toward Maryland PDPs?
Maryland recognizes multiple forms of professional development. Qualifying activities can include accredited higher-education coursework, MSDE-approved Continuing Professional Development courses, qualifying CEUs, micro-credentials, and other professional learning approved by designated education agencies.
Professional development activities generally must be at least one clock hour to receive PDP credit.
For educators employed by a Maryland school system, the local licensure or professional learning office is an important resource for determining whether an outside activity will qualify.
Examples
Do NASP-Approved Courses Automatically Count for Maryland PDPs?
Maryland's educator-license rules identify specific categories of activities that qualify for Professional Development Points. A stand-alone online vendor course must fit one of those categories to be accepted for renewal.
MSDE specifically states that an online vendor course may count if, for example, it carries MSDE-approved CPD credit, results in semester credit from an accredited university, is offered through MSDE or the educator's school district, or otherwise meets an approved PDP pathway.
A stand-alone vendor course that does not fall into one of Maryland's recognized categories should not be represented as automatically eligible for educator-license PDPs.
NASP Approved Provider #1152
Maryland Requires an IPDP
Professional license holders must maintain an Individualized Professional Development Plan during the five-year validity cycle of their license.
The IPDP includes the educator's professional learning goals and a Professional Development Points Activity Log used to document activities completed during the renewal period.
The completed IPDP is submitted as part of the renewal process through Maryland's educator licensure system.
Keep Documentation of Maryland Professional Development
Maryland educators should maintain documentation supporting the professional development activities listed in their Individualized Professional Development Plan and PDP Activity Log.
Can Maryland School Psychologists Take Online CE Courses?
Yes, but online delivery alone does not determine whether an activity qualifies for Maryland educator-license PDPs.
MSDE recognizes eligible online learning when it falls within one of Maryland's approved professional development categories. This may include MSDE-approved CPD courses, accredited university coursework, district-sponsored learning, or other activities approved for professional development purposes.
Child & School Psychology CE provides structured, asynchronous professional development designed specifically for school psychologists. Maryland educators should verify PDP eligibility with their district or MSDE before relying on a course for educator-license renewal.
Online CE for School Psychologists
Explore self-paced professional development in assessment, behavior, mental health, ethics, legal issues, data-based decision making, and school psychology practice.
Browse CE CoursesMaryland Psychologist Licensure Has Separate CE Requirements
Maryland School Psychologist educator licensure through MSDE is separate from psychologist licensure issued by the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
Maryland licensed psychologists must generally complete 40 CE hours during each two-year reporting period.
At least 3 hours must address laws, ethics, professional conduct, or risk management, and at least 3 hours must enhance competence in providing psychological services to culturally diverse populations.
No more than 20 of the 40 hours may be completed through independent study.
NASP-Approved CE: Authorized for Maryland Psychologists
The Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists identifies the National Association of School Psychologists among the authorized sponsors whose approved continuing education programs are acceptable to the Board.
This rule applies to the separate Maryland licensed psychologist continuing education system, not to MSDE educator-license PDP requirements.
A qualifying course offered through a NASP Approved Provider may therefore be relevant to Maryland psychologist CE when the course satisfies the Board's requirements, including applicable rules for independent study, content, testing, and documentation.
NASP Approved Provider #1152
NCSP Renewal Requirements Are Separate
Nationally Certified School Psychologists have separate NASP continuing professional development requirements in addition to Maryland educator-license renewal requirements. Maryland also recognizes a valid NCSP as one pathway to initial School Psychologist licensure.
Official Maryland Licensing Information
Maryland school psychologist licensure and professional development requirements are administered by the Maryland State Department of Education. Requirements can change, so school psychologists should review current MSDE guidance and their individual license record before submitting a renewal application.
View Maryland Educator License Renewal Information ↗