On November 23, 1999, Governor Tom Ridge signed into law House Bill 8, now known as Act 48, which changes the requirements for maintaining an active Pennsylvania professional educator's certificate. Thomas Jefferson University is an approved provider for both credit and non-credit courses. Our diverse offerings and locations will help Pennsylvania educators meet Act 48 requirements.

Every five years, educators must complete one of the following:

• Six credits of undergraduate or graduate courses
• Six credits of continuing professional education courses
• 180 hours of continuing professional education programs, activities, or learning experiences (i.e., non-credit programs)
• Any combination of credits or activity hours that equal 180 hours (each credit equals 30 hours)

You can view your Act 48 continuing education progress and obtain more detailed information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.

Follow the instructions below to process your completed coursework:

• Download, print, and complete the Act 48 Reporting Request Form (PDF) to authorize the Registrar’s Office to release your student record information to your employer or third party.
• Submit the completed Act 48 Reporting Request Form to the Registrar’s Office via email, mail, or fax.
• If you are not currently employed, indicate so on the line marked, "Employer."
• In order to be sure that your coursework will be processed in a timely manner, complete the instructions above before the final week of your course. All coursework must be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) within 60 days of completing a course.

The Registrar’s Office will process your form and send your student record to your employer. Student record privacy law prohibits the release of most information including courses and grades to any third party without prior permission of the student. To authorize the release of information to PDE, please fill out the Request for Submission of Act 48 Credits Form (PDF), and submit to the Registrar’s Office.

In addition to reporting your credits to PDE, employers may require that you provide a grade report or official transcript to signify successful course completion. The Registrar’s Office will send an official transcript to your employer, so be sure to complete the appropriate section of the form.