Noncredit & Credit Options

UWPCE offers both noncredit and credit courses and certificate programs.   

Noncredit Options

Noncredit courses do not offer college credit, but they can be an excellent way to build professional skills or explore an interest.

Noncredit courses offer continuing education units, or CEUs. A CEU is a nationally recognized standard for documenting successful completion of noncredit continuing education courses. CEUs earned in UW Professional & Continuing Education programs are accepted as clock hours for teachers. 

Noncredit courses at UWPCE are graded on a SC/USC (successful completion/unsuccessful completion) basis. Your grade, along with CEUs earned, appears on your UWPCE official record.

Credit Options

Credit courses allow you to earn academic credit that may be applied toward a college degree. Because policies vary, check with your intended degree program before registering for a credit course to make sure your credits will apply.

To earn credit that may be later applied toward a graduate degree at the University of Washington, you must apply for graduate nonmatriculated (GNM) status  with your intended degree program before you register. Not all programs offer a GNM option. 

Students taking a credit course generally receive a numerical grade, and that grade is recorded on a UW transcript and included in your grade-point average.

Time Commitment

Noncredit and credit programs involve a similar time commitment. For every CEU or credit they take, students should expect to spend one hour of class time per week and one to two hours per week on homework. Individual programs may vary; contact us if you have any questions.