The short version

When people say "graduate credit" they usually mean credit that applies toward a graduate degree: you were admitted to a master's or doctoral program, and the course counts in it. "Graduate-level credit" describes the level of the coursework, not your admission status. A graduate-level course is taught and graded at the graduate standard, but it may be offered as non-degree, extension or professional-development coursework that does not apply to any program unless a program later accepts it.

Both appear on an official university transcript. Whether a salary schedule treats them the same is a district decision, and some districts do not.

Six terms, one at a time

Degree-applicable graduate credit
Coursework taken as an admitted, matriculated graduate student, counted toward a degree. This is the narrowest and most widely accepted category.
Graduate-level credit
Coursework at the graduate level, with academic credit issued by an accredited institution, that may or may not apply to a degree. Non-degree professional-development units often fall here.
Post-baccalaureate credit
Any credit earned after your bachelor's degree was conferred. It is a timing term, not a level: it can include graduate-level and undergraduate units.
Professional development units
A label institutions and districts use differently. Sometimes it means academic semester units issued for professional coursework; sometimes it means district or agency hours that are not academic credit at all. Read the transcript, not the label.
CEU (continuing education unit)
A non-credit measure. Several states define 1 CEU as 10 contact hours, including Georgia (Rule 505-2-.36) and Colorado's renewal checklist. Ohio's LPDC chart treats 3 CEUs as equal to 1 semester hour.
Clock hours
Time-based hours used for licence renewal in many states. Washington, for example, sets 15 clock hours per semester credit in WAC 181-85-030. See the conversions states publish.

Why districts care which one

Salary schedules are written in contracts and statutes, and the wording is specific. A few examples from published sources:

  • Kentucky. Rank I under 16 KAR 8:010 is reached in part through "Thirty (30) semester hours of approved graduate level credit or approved equivalent" beyond Rank II.
  • West Virginia. The state schedule in W. Va. Code §18A-4-2 defines "M.A. plus 15" in terms of graduate work earned in an institution approved to do graduate work.
  • Montgomery County, Maryland. MCPS sets its MA/MEQ lane at a minimum of 30 post-baccalaureate credits, at least 15 of which must be at the graduate level. The rest can come from other eligible credit.
  • Delaware. The archived text of Regulation 728 ties the BA+15 and BA+30 levels to matriculated graduate credits toward a master's, while the post-master's levels accept graduate-level work "clearly related to the educator's professional responsibilities". The mirror's currency is unconfirmed, so check the live regulation.
  • Hawaii. HIDOE's reclassification guidelines exclude "academic credits earned as CEUs", even though both can sit on a record of learning.

The pattern: some columns accept any post-baccalaureate academic credit, some require graduate-level work, and a few require degree-program enrollment. One schedule can use all three rules at different columns.

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Same units, different columns. A transcript that qualifies for a post-master's column under one contract can fail a pre-master's column under the next district's contract. Check the rule for the specific column you are aiming at.

How to read a transcript line

HR staff look at the same handful of fields. Check each one on any course you plan to submit:

  • Institution. The name of the accredited college or university issuing the credit, not the organisation that marketed the course.
  • Course number. Many universities number graduate-level courses in a higher range than undergraduate ones. The transcript key, usually on the back or the last page, explains the institution's scheme.
  • Level or career. Some transcripts state "graduate", "undergraduate", "professional development" or "non-degree" in a column or header. That word is often what HR reads first.
  • Units and unit type. Semester or quarter. A quarter unit is usually counted as two thirds of a semester unit.
  • Grade. Some contracts set a minimum. Delaware's archived Regulation 728 requires a B or better.
  • Term dates and posting date. The dates determine which pay year the units fall into. See why the transcript date matters.

Questions to ask HR before you enroll

  • For the column I am aiming at, do you require degree-applicable graduate credit, graduate-level credit or any post-baccalaureate academic credit?
  • Do you accept non-degree graduate-level units from an accredited university?
  • Do you accept upper-division undergraduate units for any column?
  • Do CEUs or district hours count toward salary, or only toward licence renewal?
  • Does the course need to relate to my assignment or credential area?
  • Do you require a pre-approval form? See the pre-approval form.

Get the answer in writing. A short email reply from HR is worth more than a provider's promise or a colleague's recollection. For how the columns themselves work, see lane change, explained and the California guide.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-11-03.