Continuing Education & License Renewal Requirements

North Dakota School Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements

North Dakota school psychologists are licensed through the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB). School psychologists follow the state's educator-license renewal system, with the standard five-year license requiring six semester hours of qualifying college coursework during the license period.

6 Semester Hours

5 Years Standard License Cycle

ND Teach Online Renewal System

Important: North Dakota's standard five-year educator-license renewal requirement is based on college semester credit rather than ordinary continuing education clock hours. A school psychologist holding a five-year license must generally complete six semester hours of qualifying college coursework during the five-year license period.

North Dakota School Psychologist Requirements at a Glance

Licensing Authority

North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB)

Profession

School Psychologist

Standard Renewal License

Five-Year Renewal License

Renewal Requirement

6 semester hours of college coursework

When Credits Must Be Earned

During the five-year period in which the current five-year license is held

Course Content

Coursework should relate to education and/or the educator's licensed professional area

Renewal System

ND Teach

How Are School Psychologists Licensed in North Dakota?

North Dakota school psychologists are licensed through the Education Standards and Practices Board rather than through a separate school psychology continuing education board.

ESPB requires an applicant for school psychologist licensure to hold a specialist degree or higher in school psychology. Applications and renewals are completed through the state's ND Teach system.

Initial license options vary depending on whether the school psychologist completed training in North Dakota, completed training outside the state, or already holds a valid school psychologist license in another state.

Five-Year License Renewal Requirement

ESPB states that an educator who currently holds a five-year North Dakota license must complete six semester hours of college coursework to meet the re-education requirement for renewal.

All six semester hours must be completed during the five-year period covered by the current license.

ESPB asks educators to select coursework that relates to education and/or the professional area in which the educator is licensed.

Employment Requirement for a Five-Year Renewal License

North Dakota's description of the Five-Year Renewal License also requires the educator to have been under contract for at least 30 days during the five-year license period.

Individuals whose employment history or license status differs from the standard five-year renewal situation should review the specific renewal option generated through ND Teach.

What Coursework Can School Psychologists Use?

ESPB states that renewal coursework should be related to education and/or the area in which the educator is licensed. For school psychologists, relevant graduate-level coursework might address:

Psychoeducational assessment
Academic intervention
Behavior assessment and intervention
School psychology ethics
Special education law
Section 504
Data-based decision making

School mental health
Consultation and collaboration
Trauma-informed practice
Evidence-based interventions
Family-school collaboration
Equitable school psychology practice
Other education-related graduate coursework

Can Regular Continuing Education Hours Replace the 6 Semester Credits?

For the standard North Dakota five-year educator license, ESPB describes the renewal requirement specifically as six semester hours of college coursework.

This is an important distinction: ordinary professional development clock hours, conference hours, NASP CPD hours, or certificates of attendance should not be assumed to replace the six semester-credit requirement unless ESPB specifically determines that the activity qualifies for the individual's license.

Do NASP-Approved Courses Count for North Dakota License Renewal?

NASP-approved continuing professional development can count toward applicable NCSP renewal requirements, but NASP Approved Provider status does not automatically convert a continuing education course into North Dakota college semester credit.

Because North Dakota's standard five-year educator-license renewal requirement is six semester hours of college coursework, school psychologists should treat the state license requirement and NCSP continuing professional development requirement as separate unless the activity also carries qualifying college credit.

NASP-APPROVED PROVIDER

Child & School Psychology CE

Child & School Psychology CE is a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Qualifying courses may be used toward applicable NCSP continuing professional development requirements.

Our standard continuing education courses should not be represented as satisfying North Dakota's six-semester-hour college coursework requirement unless the course separately carries qualifying college or university credit accepted by ESPB.

Renewal Documentation

Renewal applications are completed through ND Teach. Once the online renewal application is submitted, the system displays the applicant's specific required items.

Complete the renewal application through ND Teach
Provide transcripts documenting the six semester hours of re-education coursework
Make sure the coursework was completed during the current five-year license period
Complete any additional items identified by ESPB in the applicant's ND Teach account

ESPB indicates that unofficial transcripts and other renewal documentation may be submitted as directed during the renewal process.

Online Continuing Education for North Dakota School Psychologists

Child & School Psychology CE provides self-paced online professional development created specifically for school psychologists and related professionals.

Courses address ethics, legal issues, assessment, behavior, intervention, student mental health, data-based decision making, and evidence-based school psychology practice.

We are a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Our courses may support NCSP continuing professional development requirements, but North Dakota's standard five-year state-license renewal requirement is based on college semester credit.

View Online CE Courses

NCSP Renewal Requirements Are Separate

School psychologists who maintain the Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential must also satisfy NASP's separate NCSP continuing professional development requirements.

A professional development activity may therefore be valuable for maintaining the NCSP even when it does not satisfy North Dakota's college-credit requirement for educator-license renewal.

View NCSP CPD Requirements

Official North Dakota Resources

Licensure requirements can change. School psychologists should verify their individual renewal requirements with the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board before completing renewal coursework.

Requirements reviewed September 2026. This page is provided for informational purposes and is not a substitute for current guidance from the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.