Proposing a Professional Development Course
SPU Center for Professional Education (CPE) instructors can propose professional development courses for graduate-level Seattle Pacific University credit or CEUs (clock hours) by submitting a CPE Course Form and syllabus.
A course must meet for 10 instructional contact hours for each Quarter credit. To assess understanding of course content, out-of-class assignments appropriate to the number of credits are required.
For information about becoming a CPE instructor in the Center for Professional Education at SPU, visit Requirements for CPE Instructors.
Basic Standards
- Maximum of 3 credits in a seven-day week
- Maximum 8 contact hours per day
Approved Minimum Standard
- 1 credit: two days' instruction
- 2 credits: three days' instruction
- 3 credits: five consecutive days' instruction
- 3 credits: four non-consecutive days' instruction
- 4 credits: five days of non-consecutive instruction, not within a seven-day week
- 5 credits: seven days of non-consecutive instruction, not within a seven-day week
When you consider the above parameters, note that five minutes of break time are included in each instructional hour. Breaks may be taken hourly or accrued up to four hours and taken all at once, but it is not to be included as lunchtime.
Federal laws require 30 minutes be provided for lunch if there are six or more instructional hours in a single day, and that lunchtime must be provided in addition to instructional time. Schedule lunchtime separately from your students' break time.
Course Costs
If you are not being paid through SPU, then the base cost per credit of your course will be $55, or $20 per each 10 CEUs (clock hours).
If you are contracted and paid through SPU, then the base cost per credit of your course is $85, or $45 per each 10 CEUs (clock hours).
Proposed Course Processing Time
CPE requires a minimum of three weeks' processing time for all courses. Remember, the earlier you submit a course proposal, the sooner you will receive confirmation of course approval and registration processes.
Submit all your course proposals, CPE instructor application, and official transcripts to CPEinfo@spu.edu.
Course Approval Process
When CPE receives your course proposal, we review it for completeness and compliance with accreditation policies. Following course approval, your course will be assigned a course number, and you will receive confirmation indicating approval and course-numbering information.
Course Registration
Registration is online and requires full payment via debit or credit card at the time of registration. If the course is public and available for open registration, participants can search for the course and register on the CPE website. If the course requires preregistration or is for a specific group of participants only, you will receive an email from Student Academic Services with registration links.