VirtualSC PD provides official documentation in the form of a certificate of completion for all renewal credit courses. If you took a course prior to April 1, 2013, you would have received your official document via an email attachment to the email address on your account when you registered for the course (or you may have accessed the information through our previous system).
If you took a course between April 1, 2013 and August 14, 2020, all official documentation was connected to your OpenSIS account.
For all renewal credits earned after August 31, 2020:
- Sign in to Genius using the Dashboard Login button.
- Look for the course title in the Completed Courses block.
- Download your certificate of completion from your Genius Dashboard when you click on the course title.
Please see the following for full directions: How a Participant Can Access Renewal Course Credit Documentation.
Please see the following directions for submitting your credits: Submitting Your Certificate for Renewal Credit.
The Office of Educator Services will only accept the official documentation sent to you by VirtualSC PD to add the renewal credits to your license.
VirtualSC PD offers graduate credit courses in conjunction with The College of Charleston. These courses are for professional development credit only. VirtualSC PD courses do not count towards any type of degree. If you have taken a graduate level course through VirtualSC PD after June 1, 2009, and need proof of completion, you will need to request your official transcript from The College of Charleston.
To Request your official transcripts, follow the steps found on the Student Login and Transcript Instructions pdf.
Do you need a replacement of the official completion documentation for a renewal course? Complete the Lost Documentation form to request a replacement certificate of completion. Please allow up to three (3) business days for us to retrieve your official documents, and send them to you via email.
VirtualSC PD does not not mail hard copies of official documents, so please make sure you provide us with your email address. We also do not resend your official transcripts for graduate courses. For replacement transcripts, please re-order them from The College of Charleston.
Educators are responsible for ensuring that all renewal options and activities meet the following guidelines:
An individual who is employed in a position that requires South Carolina educator certificate and is employed in a South Carolina public school district must earn renewal credits through professional development activities that:
- Directly relate to the educator’s professional growth and development plan.
- Support the goals of the employing public school district.
- Promote student achievement, as required by State Board of Education Regulation 43-205.1, Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT), and Regulation 43-165.1, Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (ADEPP).
An educator who is employed in a South Carolina public school district or State Department of Education-approved Renewal Credit Plan agency and holds a position that requires South Carolina educator certification must:
- Earn a minimum of 120 renewal credits that meet the appropriate eligibility criteria for each certificate renewal option/activity, as specified in the renewal credit matrix.
- Maintain all required verification, as described in the renewal credit matrix.
- Adhere to all district/educational agency policies related to pre-approval and processing of renewal credit.
- Submit necessary verification to the designated district/agency administrator for review, approval, and signature.
An educator who is not currently employed in a South Carolina school district or an approved entity (such as the State Department of Education or a college or university) may also wish to maintain his or her educator certification. The coursework must relate to one of the following:
- The educator’s current area(s) of certification.
- Coursework leading to another area of certification.
- Coursework in special education and or technology.
An educator who is not currently employed in a South Carolina school district or an approved educational entity who has earned renewal credits for a state educator certificate must submit both official college or university transcripts or appropriate documentation on the completion of a State Department of Education recertification course and a Change/Action Request through the Educator Portal to the Office of Educator Services for processing.
Educator Services is the agency that deals with certification. For questions about your teaching certificate and its maintenance, go to the Educator Services website.
- Call Center: (803) 896-0325
- For inquiries regarding educator certification, please email certification@ed.sc.gov.
- For inquiries regarding alternative certification programs, please email altcertification@ed.sc.gov.
- Please see the Educator Services website for the most up to date hours of operation.
Any changes or updates to an individual’s certificate file require a Change/Action Request through the Educator Portal to the Office of Educator Services, located at 428 Wholesale Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172-3171.
Graduate courses taken with VirtualSC PD may be used toward your Bachelor’s Plus 18 Graduate Semester Hours (BA+18) or Master’s Plus 30 Graduate Semester Hours (MA+30). In order to qualify for the BA+18 or MA+30 class levels on a course-by-course basis, all applicable coursework must be earned within a seven year time frame.
For more information on changing the class level on your certificate, go to Certificate Class Levels webpage.