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What is The Heritage Institute?
The Heritage Institute is a professional-development provider for K–12 educators, offering courses for teachers through workshops, field studies, and online and continuing-education classes. Its catalog is built around practical classroom topics rather than academic degrees: featured titles include Creating Inclusive Classrooms, Unplugging & Disconnecting for Our Health, Self Awareness & Discipline, Science of Reading, Overcoming Adversity, Mindsets in the Classroom, and Helping Students Motivate Themselves. It also lists an Antioch University partnership, group-collaboration options, and credit-for-school-inservice routes.
The main appeal is flexibility for working teachers. Courses appear to be offered in different formats and lengths, and the site advertises more than 100 courses with credit options described as quarter credits, clock hours, PDUs, or CEUs. That variety suits teachers who need to satisfy district requirements, renew a license, or earn salary-schedule credit without committing to a full graduate program. It is less suited to someone seeking a traditional degree, a research-heavy program, or a cohort-based certification with a fixed schedule.
What to check before choosing a course
- Confirm the credit type your district accepts. Clock hours, PDUs, CEUs, and quarter credits are not interchangeable everywhere.
- Match the topic to a real classroom need. A book study such as Science of Reading works well for a department initiative; Self Awareness & Discipline may fit an individual classroom-management goal.
- Check the workload against the credit value. The featured listings pair different hour totals with different credit amounts, so compare the time commitment before registering.
- Ask about the Antioch University partnership if you need graduate credit rather than continuing-education units.
A useful next step is to open the course list and filter by the credit type your school or state requires, then read the instructor videos and course descriptions for the two or three titles closest to your goals. If you are weighing alternatives, Education Week and ASCD publish professional-learning guidance that can help you judge whether a course fits your development plan.
How do I register for a course at The Heritage Institute?
Registration happens through the account system on the site: you create an online account or sign in, add the course you want to your cart or wishlist, and then complete checkout. The homepage navigation also lists a Mail in Registration Form, which is the alternative path if you prefer not to register online.
A practical sequence:
- Create an account or log in. New users register with an email address and a password.
- Browse to the course page. Courses are organized under All, New, Featured, Live Workshops, and Create Your Own.
- Add the course to your cart (or save it to your wishlist first).
- Choose your credit option. Many courses appear in two versions, such as ED481o and ED581o, with one priced for clock hours/PDUs/CEUs and the other for quarter credits.
- Check out, or mail in the registration form if you are paying by district purchase order or another offline method.
Choosing between the two registration routes
| Route | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Online account and cart | Individual teachers paying by card who want immediate enrollment | Requires creating a login and managing a password |
| Mail-in registration form | District-funded registrations, purchase orders, or anyone who prefers paper | Slower turnaround and more paperwork |
A concrete example
A middle school teacher in another state needs 60 clock hours for license renewal and wants to start this weekend. She creates an account, opens a featured course such as "Creating Inclusive Classrooms," selects the clock-hour version rather than the quarter-credit version, and checks out. If her district is paying, she skips the cart and submits the mail-in form instead, since the district needs an invoice rather than a personal card charge.
Before you register
Decide which credential your state or district accepts — clock hours, PDUs, CEUs, or quarter credits — because that choice determines which course number you select. Then confirm whether your district requires pre-approval, since that is the most common reason a reimbursement is denied. If you are unsure which version fits your renewal requirements, the site's FAQ and credit policies pages are the place to check before you pay.
For Antioch University credit questions specifically, the site notes an Antioch University Partnership, which is worth reviewing if you need graduate credit rather than clock hours. The broader organization is The Heritage Institute.
What types of professional development courses does The Heritage Institute offer for teachers?
The Heritage Institute offers online professional development courses for K–12 educators, with a catalog of more than 100 titles. The courses shown on its site are self-paced, instructor-supported classes that combine clock hours, PDUs, CEUs, or quarter credits, and they cover both classroom practice and teacher well-being.
Course topics you can expect
- Inclusive teaching: Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Setting Yourself Up for Success focuses on building a classroom where all students can participate.
- Teacher well-being and sustainable habits: Unplugging & Disconnecting for Our Health addresses burnout and screen fatigue; Self Awareness & Discipline looks at personal regulation and focus.
- Literacy instruction: Science of Reading – Shifting the Balance Book Study supports reading instruction grounded in research.
- Student motivation and mindset: Mindsets in the Classroom, Helping Students Motivate Themselves, and Overcoming Adversity: Lessons in Life & Teaching deal with engagement, resilience, and achievement.
- Specific student populations and grade levels: 10 Students You'll Meet in Your Classroom: Tips for Secondary Teachers targets secondary educators.
Formats and structure
The catalog includes online courses, live workshops, field studies, and a "Create Your Own" option for group collaboration. Credit-bearing courses appear in paired numbers (for example, ED481o and ED581o), which typically indicates a 400-level and 500-level version of the same content. Course length ranges from 30 to 60 hours, and the site lists quarter-credit equivalents alongside clock-hour, PDU, CEU, and ACT 48 options.
Who it suits
These courses fit K–12 teachers who need continuing education credit, salary advancement, or recertification, and who want to choose topics by their own classroom challenges rather than follow a fixed program. The mix of short 30-hour courses and longer 60-hour courses lets you match the workload to your available time and credit requirement.
A practical next step
Start with your district or state requirement: confirm whether you need clock hours, PDUs, CEUs, or quarter credits, then filter the catalog by that credit type and the number of hours you need. If you are choosing between two similar titles, compare the course descriptions for the specific grade band and student population each one addresses. For credit transfer questions, check the Antioch University partnership information and the policies/credits FAQ before registering.
How much do The Heritage Institute's courses cost and what are the credit options?
The Heritage Institute lists its professional development courses at two main price points: $195 for 30-hour courses and $380 for 50- to 60-hour courses, with optional graduate credit costing more ($280 for 3 quarter credits; $415–$495 for 5–6 quarter credits). These are list prices shown on the site's featured courses, not quotes for every course or cohort.
Credit and hour options shown
| Option | Typical hours | Listed price | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock/PDU/CEU/ACT 48 | 30 hours | $195 | Non-credit |
| Clock/PDU/CEU/ACT 48 | 50–60 hours | $315–$380 | Non-credit |
| Graduate quarter credit | 3 credits | $280 | Credit |
| Graduate quarter credit | 5–6 credits | $415–$495 | Credit |
Examples from the featured list:
- Self Awareness & Discipline (ED477d/ED577d): 30 hours, $195; 3 quarter credits, $280.
- Creating Inclusive Classrooms (ED481o/ED581o): 60 hours, $380; 6 quarter credits, $495.
- Mindsets in the Classroom (ED459q/ED559q): 50 hours, $315; 5 quarter credits, $415.
How to choose
- If you need salary-schedule or license renewal hours and your district accepts clock hours/PDUs/CEUs, the non-credit option is the lower-cost route.
- If you need graduate credit for a degree, lane change, or tuition reimbursement, expect to pay roughly $100–$115 more than the non-credit price for the same course.
- If you are unsure which credit type your state or district accepts, check the course page first, then confirm with your licensure office before registering.
The site also mentions an Antioch University partnership, which is relevant if you specifically need university-issued graduate credit rather than in-house CEUs. For current course-by-course pricing and credit details, start at The Heritage Institute.
Can I earn graduate credit or clock hours through The Heritage Institute?
Yes. The Heritage Institute's professional development courses for educators are structured around both options: clock hours (listed alongside PDUs, CEUs, and ACT 48) and graduate quarter credits through its Antioch University partnership. Each featured course shows a dual structure, with one course number for the clock-hour/PDU version and another for the credit-bearing version — for example, ED481o/ED581o for "Creating Inclusive Classrooms" and ED477v/ED577v for "Unplugging & Disconnecting for Our Health."
How the two tracks differ
| Clock hours / PDUs / CEUs / ACT 48 | Graduate quarter credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical listing | 30–60 hours per course | 3–6 quarter credits |
| Course number pattern | Lower number (e.g., ED481o) | Higher number (e.g., ED581o) |
| Best for | Salary-schedule movement, state recertification requirements, district PD documentation | Degree programs, lane changes that require graduate-level credit, credential renewals that specify graduate work |
The hour-to-credit ratio is consistent across the featured courses: 60-hour courses carry 6 quarter credits, while a 30-hour course carries 3. That consistency makes it easy to compare courses at a glance.
A practical scenario
Suppose you teach secondary English and need 60 clock hours before your license renewal, but you are also three credits short of a master's-plus lane on your district's salary schedule. A single 60-hour course such as "Science of Reading — Shifting the Balance Book Study" or "Mindsets in the Classroom" can be taken on the credit track, satisfying the graduate credit need while the seat time still counts toward your hours. If your state or district only accepts non-credit PD hours, take the clock-hour version instead and keep the transcript documentation.
Before you choose
- Confirm with your district or state licensing office which designation it accepts — the two are not always interchangeable for recertification.
- Check the Antioch University partnership page on the site for registration steps and transcript requests, since credit enrollment may follow a different process than clock-hour registration.
- If you are weighing other providers, compare transcript and accreditation terms directly: Antioch University issues the credit, while The Heritage Institute handles the courses and registration.
The clearest next step is to open a specific course page, note both course numbers, and ask your licensure office which one it will accept before registering.
Does The Heritage Institute offer group collaboration options for schools or districts?
Yes. The Heritage Institute lists group collaboration as a distinct option, alongside individual online courses, live workshops, and a "create your own" course route. Its navigation includes a Group Collaboration entry and a Credit for School Inservices page, which points to arrangements made for a school or district rather than one teacher enrolling alone.
What that likely means in practice
- A cohort from one building or district can work through the same course together, with one administrator coordinating enrollment.
- Inservice credit is handled through the school or district, so a professional development day can connect to continuing education credit rather than sitting separate from it.
- Custom topics are possible via the "Create Your Own" option, useful when a district has a specific initiative (for example, inclusive classrooms or reading instruction) and wants a course built around it.
How to choose between the routes
| Route | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Individual online course | One teacher needing clock hours or graduate credit on their own schedule | No shared planning with colleagues |
| Group collaboration | A grade-level team, department, or district cohort | Needs a coordinator and a common timeline |
| Create your own | A district with a specific goal not covered by the catalog | More upfront design work |
| Live workshop | Staff who want synchronous, scheduled sessions | Fixed dates |
Practical next step
If you are a curriculum director or PD coordinator, start by gathering three things before contacting the institute: the number of participants, the credit type your staff need (clock hours, PDUs, CEUs, or graduate quarter credits), and your target completion window. Then ask whether your chosen course can be run as a closed group and how inservice credit would be documented for your records. The institute's own FAQ and policies pages are the place to confirm transcript and credit details, since those rules vary by state and district.
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