Training
North Dakota Teacher Professional Development Directory
North Dakota teacher professional development directory: in-state graduate courses, association workshops and leadership training, with official links.
Who it's for
North Dakota teacher professional development often flows through public universities, the six regional education associations, NDCEL and NDREA. ESPB does not publish an approved PD vendor list; confirm semester hours on a college transcript before you pay.
Last updated November 2026
| Renewal credit rule | Six semester hours on a college transcript (N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02-05) |
|---|---|
| ESPB PD list | No statewide approved-provider catalog published |
| NDREA | Supports six regional education associations |
Sections5
North Dakota teachers shop for graduate courses, leadership workshops, and statewide initiatives from a short list of universities and associations. The table below points to each organization's public site and what that office advertises for educators. Listings are not endorsements. Check whether semester hours will post on a transcript ESPB can accept before you pay.
Standard five-year renewal requires six semester hours on a college transcript. They must fall within your license dates under 67.1-02-02-05(2). See graduate credits that count for the full rule. None of the organizations below guarantee that a workshop counts until you confirm transcript credit with ESPB.
Choosing PD by goal
Start with your goal. You might need graduate credit for renewal, administrative leadership training, or content-area updates such as science-of-reading initiatives. Open the organization's site, not a third-party calendar. Look for credit type: semester hours or an attendance certificate only. Save syllabi and receipts only after you verify how the credit will post.
Match your employer contract documentation separately. Five-year renewals also need thirty contracted days during the license period per ESPB license types guidance. PD travel does not replace that teaching-time record.
Use the renewal calculator and credits that count guide before you pay tuition. If an organization is missing here, that does not mean it is unavailable: ESPB does not maintain a public approved-vendor roster for renewal PD.
Listing is not endorsement. North Dakota PD is independent and is not affiliated with any organization named below.
| Organization | What they offer (from their public site) | Official URL |
|---|---|---|
| UND Professional Development for Educators | Online graduate-level continuing education courses for PreK-12 educators; PDE markets flexible pacing and credit options for license renewal planning | und.edu/academics/development/educators |
| NDSU Distance and Continuing Education | University continuing education and distance programs, including credit-bearing options alongside degree work | ndsu.edu/dce |
| Valley City State University, Prairie Waters Center | Education research center and teacher preparation programs within the School of Education | vcsu.edu Prairie Waters |
| Minot State University | Home campus for teacher education programs and student teacher placement in northwest North Dakota | minotstateu.edu |
| Mayville State University | School of Education and human services programs for initial licensure candidates and practicing teachers in the northeast | mayvillestate.edu |
| Dickinson State University | Blue Hawk teacher education and rural placement programming advertised from the main university site | dickinsonstate.edu |
| University of Mary School of Education | Bismarck-based undergraduate and graduate education programs, including online and evening formats | umary.edu academics |
| University of Jamestown Education | Education degree paths, graduate studies and campus workshops listed under Jamestown academics | uj.edu |
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Universities (UND, NDSU, Valley City, Minot, Mayville, Dickinson, Mary, Jamestown)
University of North Dakota PDE offers Professional Development for Educators online for PreK-12 teachers. Public pages stress graduate credit and self-paced formats. Teachers comparing sellers often start here because courses show credit hours on UND's transcript system. Confirm the registrar notation before you submit to NDTeach.
NDSU Distance and Continuing Education sits in the university's non-degree channel. Their public pages list credit-bearing workshops and certificates alongside degree programs. If you need a specific endorsement area, cross-check course titles against your license code on ESPB endorsement information before enrolling.
Valley City State University routes much of its educator outreach through the Prairie Waters Education and Research Center. The center ties field research, rural practicum, and graduate study. Teachers in the southeast corridor often pair VCSU graduate work with contracted days in regional districts.
Minot State, Mayville State, Dickinson State, and University of Mary each run teacher education units from their main .edu sites.
University of Jamestown posts education programs from uj.edu, not a longer university-name domain.
Public pages change often. Use each university's education or academics menu for the current catalog. Do not rely on a deep link that may move.
Across all eight campuses, the North Dakota University System transcript process described on ESPB transcripts guidance is the usual path for in-state renewal packets.
Regional education associations
The North Dakota Regional Education Association (NDREA) states that it supports six regional education associations serving schools statewide. NDREA's public menu lists statewide topics such as ND Science of Reading, behavioral health (B-HERO), multi-tiered systems of support, and standards-based learning. Regional units deliver on-site coaching, data workshops, and superintendent networks that districts buy through membership.
NDREA does not replace college transcripts for the six-semester-hour rule unless a course posts semester credit through a partner university. Treat regional workshops as professional learning first. Confirm transcript outcomes before you claim renewal credit.
When you need the regional association that serves your district, start from NDREA's contact and about pages rather than guessing an acronym. Association boundaries follow school membership, not county lines on a map.
Statewide conferences and councils
The North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders (NDCEL) advertises professional development and conference-style gatherings for administrators and teacher leaders. Their public site lists seasonal workshops and mid-winter conferences for principals, special education directors, and central office staff. Teachers pursuing leadership endorsements sometimes attend NDCEL sessions for policy context. Credit must still come from a university transcript when renewal requires semester hours.
North Dakota United is the statewide educators association union site teachers often consult for advocacy and bargaining news.
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction publishes agency-wide guidance and accountability resources. DPI also runs occasional educator networks that complement ESPB licensure rules. DPI programming may overlap with NDREA literacy and student support initiatives. Read each agency's scope statement before you assume credit applies to renewal.
If your workshop is not listed
Use your district professional development coordinator plus the university or NDREA link closest to your contract. Ask ESPB whether a planned transcript will document semester hours under 67.1-02-02-04(2)(a)(2).
North Dakota PD is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the State of North Dakota.
Sources checked November 2026: und.edu PDE, ndsu.edu/dce, vcsu.edu Prairie Waters, ndrea.org, ndcel.org, nd.gov/dpi, nd.gov/espb renewing a license, N.D. Admin. Code 67.1-02-02 PDF.
Quick answers
Does a listing here mean ESPB approves the provider?
No. This directory names official websites only. ESPB judges renewal credit from transcripted semester hours documented on your application, not from this page.
Can I satisfy renewal with association workshops alone?
Only if the workshop appears as semester credit on a college or state-approved alternative program transcript. District clock-hour certificates without transcripted credit usually do not replace the six-hour rule.
Why are no conference dates listed?
Schedules change every year. Use each organization's site for current registration.