Every Pennsylvania certificate type,
with the Act 48 hours and cycle behind it.
A curated reference for K-12 educators working in Pennsylvania. Each row shows the required Act 48 professional education hours (or accepted semester credit hours), renewal cycle, and the public PDE / TIMS citation that backs the numbers — so a recertification window never opens with a guessing game.
Seeded from public PDE / Act 48 guidance — owner-maintained
The rows below are seeded from publicly available Pennsylvania Department of Education and Act 48 Professional Education guidance. The full dataset lives in one editable TypeScript module — src/lib/business/pa-license-types.ts — so anyone maintaining the CredenSync educator experience can refresh the numbers, add a new pathway, or update a citation without touching the page itself.
When a number is uncertain, this page shows — rather than guessing. Treat the rows as a starting point: the citation in each row links to the underlying public source, and the linked PDE educator-certification landing page is the authoritative reference for any individual case.
Each row tells the same five-part story
The library groups Pennsylvania educator certificate types by pathway so the renewal rules for a CTE teacher read next to the renewal rules for a principal — instead of getting lost inside a single undifferentiated list.
Pennsylvania license types, grouped by pathway
Each table covers one pathway. Rows are ordered the way PDE lists them in its educator-certification guidance.
Initial
1 license type| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Instructional I CertificateEntry-level certificate valid 6 years; must convert to Level II before expiry. The holder completes an induction program and demonstrates satisfactory performance to qualify for the permanent Instructional II certificate. Act 48 does not apply to Level I holders. | — | — | 6-year cycle | PDE Instructional I Certificate |
Standard
2 license types| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Instructional II CertificatePermanent (no expiration); Act 48 requires 180 professional education hours or 6 semester credit hours (or a combination) per 5-year active period to maintain active status. Hours are reported through the PDE TIMS (Teacher Information Management System) portal. | 180 hrs | 6 classes | 5-year cycle | PDE Act 48 Professional Education Requirements |
Educational Specialist Certificate (School Counselor / Psychologist / Social Worker)Same Act 48 cadence as Instructional II — 180 professional education hours or 6 semester credit hours per 5-year active period; content must align to the specialist area (counseling, psychology, or social work standards). | 180 hrs | 6 classes | 5-year cycle | PDE Act 48 Professional Education Requirements |
Administrator
1 license type| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Principal CertificateAct 48 applies; 180 professional education hours or 6 semester credit hours per 5-year cycle, with focus on PDE Leadership and Professional Standards. Hours are reported via TIMS. | 180 hrs | 6 classes | 5-year cycle | PDE Administrative Certification |
Career & Technical
1 license type| License | Hours | Classes | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Career & Technical Education (CTE) CertificateAct 48 applies; 180 professional education hours or 6 semester credit hours per 5-year cycle. Continuing industry experience or credentials are encouraged to maintain occupational competency alongside the PD requirement. | 180 hrs | 6 classes | 5-year cycle | PDE Career & Technical Education Certification |
Bring this reference into a living recertification record
The CredenSync educator plan keeps your Pennsylvania Act 48 professional education hours, semester credit hours, and renewal cycle visible in one place — and warns you before a window opens. Start free while you evaluate.