Continuing Education for Geology - Q&A

Licensed professional geologists work in a world of evolving technology, increased consumer expectations and other emerging issues. Practice in this changing environment requires ongoing development of knowledge and skills. It is critical that licensees remain current with changes and developments in the profession to render quality services and to ensure public protection. The Office of the Professions is committed to helping professionals stay up-to-date and informed throughout their professional lives.

When an individual successfully completes the licensure requirements they are awarded a professional license. The license is valid for life unless it is revoked or surrendered. Professional geologists in New York must register with the State Education Department every three years to practice their profession.

Every New York State licensed and registered professional geologist must complete continuing education unless you satisfy the requirements of the public sector exemption outlined in question 4 or are newly licensed as outlined in question 6 or 7. Professional geologists will be required to complete a total of 36 hours of continuing education during each three-year registration period. Dually licensed professionals are required to complete a total of 36 hours of continuing education during each three-year registration period. Each licensee must take continuing education in appropriate subject areas offered by approved sponsors.

To satisfy the continuing education requirements under the Public Sector Exemption, a licensee must be directly employed on a full-time basis by the State of New York; its agencies, public authorities, public benefit corporations or local government units on January 1, 2022, working in a position requiring licensure in geology, and either represented by a collective bargaining unit or, pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law, designated managerial or confidential. If a licensee practices geology (i.e., provides geological services) in New York State outside the government service described above, the exemption no longer applies. In these situations, the licensee must complete the regular continuing education requirement of 36 hours per registration period.
 

Beginning January 1, 2023, professional geologists will be required to complete 36 contact hours of continuing education during each three-year registration period.

If you are renewing the registration of your license on or after January 1, 2023, the number of contact hours you will be required to complete and report will vary, depending on when your current registration expires. You will be required to complete continuing education at a rate of 1 hour per month beginning January 1, 2022 to the date your registration is due to be renewed for a maximum of 36 hours. Please refer to the following chart for specific information on the number of continuing education hours required.
 

No, you are not required to complete continuing education during your initial three-year registration period.

Yes, you must complete 1 hour of continuing education for every month of your registration period. See chart above.

Yes. To reactivate your New York State registration, you are required to have completed the number of hours applicable to the period of time of your last registration period, beginning January 1, 2023, plus take 1 hour of continuing education for each month your registration is inactive, up to an additional 12 hours in the last 12 months.

Yes. To reactivate your New York State registration, you are required to have completed the number of hours applicable to the period of time of your last registration period beginning January 1, 2023 plus take 1 hour of continuing education for each month your registration is inactive, up to an additional 12 hours in the last 12 months.

No, registration periods are adjusted so that renewals occur during the licensee's month of birth. When this happens and your registration period is less than three-years, you must calculate how many hours you are required to complete. To do this, count the number of months of the registration period, beginning on January 1, 2023. You must complete 1 hour of continuing education for each month up to a maximum of 36 hours. For example, suppose your registration period extends from 01/01/23 to 06/30/25. This registration period is a 30-month period; therefore, you are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education if you are a professional geologist or if you are dually licensed.
 

An hour of continuing education is one contact hour of at least 50 minutes in duration. Most continuing education providers give credit in hours; however, you may also see credit given in continuing education units.

One continuing education unit (CEU) equals 10 contact hours. Therefore, .1 CEU equals one contact hour. To convert CEU's to contact hours, multiply by 10. To convert contact hours to CEU's divide the contact hour by ten.

Individuals completing college-level course work should note that one-semester hour of college level course work equals 15 contact hours and one-quarter hour of college-level course work equals 10 contact hours.

Continuing education hours, commonly referred to as Professional Development Hours (PDH) are based on the duration of time it takes for continuing education course content to be delivered. It includes only instructional time and does not include breaks or mealtimes. 1 PDH is equivalent to 60 minutes of instruction.

In the case of a one hour long, stand-alone educational session, 1 PDH may be awarded for 50 minutes of instruction. In all other cases, 1 PDH should be assigned for each 60 minutes of instructional time.

Example 1: Day Session at local conference from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
9:00 - 10:00 New Monitoring Requirements for Reporting Ground Water Conditions at Earthen Dams 1 PDH
10:30 - 12:30 Best Practices for Estimating and Valuing Mineral Resources 2 PDH
1:00 - 1:50 Borehole and Seismic Applications for Identifying Hydrocarbon Reservoirs 1 PDH
Total PDH credits to be awarded for attendance at all three sessions would be 4 PDH.

• If participants only attended the 9:00 am session on Monitoring Ground Water Conditions at Earthen Dams, they would receive 1 PDH for the 60 minute session.
• If participants only attended the 1 PM session on Borehole and Seismic Applications, they would receive 1 PDH for that session, even though it was only 50 minutes in duration.
• If participants attended only the 10:30 am session on Best Practices for Estimating Mineral Resources, they would receive 2 PDH credits for the 120 minutes of instruction.

Example 2: Breakfast Lecture Series
7:00 Welcome and Breakfast Service Begins
7:30 – 8:20 Speaker – "Re-Interpretating Post-Glacial Depositional Environments and Landforms"
8:30 Questions, Answers and Closing Remarks

• Participants attending this continuing education session would receive 1 PDH credit for the lecture portion of the session, which was 50 minutes in duration (from 7:30 – 8:20).

Example 3: 2-Part Presentation
10:00 – 11:00 Part 1 – In-Situ Technologies for Remediating Contaminated Ground Water- Lecture Presentation
11:00 – 12:00 Local Geology Association awards ceremony
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch on your own
1:00 – 3:00 Part 2 – Applications and Limitations of Chemical and Biological Remedial Methods – Case Study Discussions

• Participants attending Parts 1 and 2, would receive 3 PDH credits for 180 minutes of instruction.
• Participants attending only Part 1 would receive 1 PDH credit for 60 minutes of instruction.
• Participants attending only Part 2 would receive 2 PDH credits for 120 minutes of instruction.

Yes. Beginning January 1, 2022, a maximum of six continuing education hours completed during one triennial registration period may be transferred to a subsequent triennial registration period.
 

No. You can complete the hours any time during the three-year registration period as long as you have completed the required hours prior to the expiration date of your registration, unless you have had a lapse in your registration. If this is the case, the requirements outlined in question 9 would apply. However, we recommend that you complete courses each year, beginning January 1, 2023, so you are sure to have them completed before it is time to reregister.

Acceptable continuing education includes courses and educational activities.  

• 1 hour of professional ethics must be taken as either a course or educational activity every registration period.

 To be acceptable the courses/educational activities must be:

• administered by an approved New York State sponsor (provider) and
• in an approved subject area and
• in an approved format.

To be an acceptable ethics course, the live course or educational activity must increase the geologist's knowledge of ethical standards for the practice of their profession. This may include:
 

• Focusing on the New York State Education Law, Rules of the Board of Regents, and the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. See Laws, Rules & Regulations for Geology
• Ethical concerns or issues in the area of specialization/geology discipline that is inclusive of information on recent litigation with a discussion of case studies in these fields
• Foundation courses that cover such topics as:
  • Introduction to ethical concepts
  • The psychology of moral development
  • Judgment and values
  • The sociology of professions
  • Virtue and the role of ethics
  • Public expectations of geologists' responsibilities
  • Ethical dilemmas
  
  An ethics component may be incorporated into a continuing education course, but must meet the following criteria, for audit purposes:
   
  • be at least 60 minutes in duration
  • be indicated in the title of the course and course completion certificate
  • be identified in the course syllabus/topical outline

Acceptable continuing educational activities include:

• Preparing and teaching a course offered by an approved New York State sponsor (provider) and in an acceptable subject area. Continuing education hours credited for this activity can include actual instructional time plus preparation time, which may be up to 2 additional hours for each hour taught. Teaching experience will not be accepted if you have taught the course on more than one occasion without presenting substantially new or revised material.
• Authoring an article in an approved subject area published in a peer reviewed journal or a published book. You will receive 9 continuing education hours for each work published during the registration period.
• Making a technical presentation in an approved subject area at a professional conference or meeting sponsored by an organization that is an approved sponsor (provider). Continuing education hours credited for this activity can include actual instructional time plus preparation time, which may be up to 2 additional hours for each hour taught. A specific presentation may only be counted once during any given registration period.
• Obtaining a patent related to the practice of geology. You will receive 9 continuing education hours for each patent granted on an invention during the registration period.
• Completing educational activities/on-demand programs. Educational activities must be taken from an approved provider and in an acceptable subject area and be structured study that is based on audio, audio-visual, written, online, or other media, and does not meet the criteria established for live instruction described in question 15. In addition, an educational activity/on-demand course must have a testing instrument for the licensee to receive proper credit for the course. For example, answering questions throughout the course, a quiz at the end of the course, providing course codes periodically throughout the course that would need to be entered before a certificate of completion is issued, pop-up boxes throughout the course asking, "Are you still there?", in addition to an attestation at the end of the course that the licensee completed the entire course.
• Completing an educational tour in an approved subject area, meaning a structured tour of an instructional nature, provided by an approved sponsor (provider). The tour may not be promotional in nature.
• Professional service on a committee or task force that addresses technical and/or regulatory issues relating to the professional practice of geology, provided that such committee/task force has been established by a governmental entity or other entity determined by the Department to be acceptable. Such service must be certified in writing by an authorized individual within the committee or task force. You will receive 1 continuing education hour for every 2 hours of time spent in formal collaborative sessions, while engaged in activities directly related to professional practice. Licensees are permitted to earn up to 9 hours per registration period for this activity.

The following entities are authorized to approve sponsors of continuing education for New York State professional geologists. If the courses and educational activities are offered by sponsors approved by one of these entities and the subject area of the courses and educational activities meet the requirements in question 18, then the courses or educational activities would be considered approved New York State mandatory continuing education.

Please note: NOT all courses and educational activities offered by an approved sponsor are acceptable for continuing education credit in New York State. Also note: Courses and educational activities requiring the use of a self-reporting form by the sponsor will NOT be accepted for New York State continuing education credit. Use of the words "university or college" in the title of a corporate name is unacceptable unless your business is a post-secondary educational institution.

• Sponsors recognized by the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System™ (LA CES™). The Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES) list of recognized sponsors is available at Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System™ (LA CES™)
• American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACECNY). ACECNY's list of recognized sponsors is available from ACECNY, 6 Airline Dr., Albany, NY 12205, Phone 518-452-8611; Fax 518-452-1710; or www.acecny.org/conedu.html
• Registered Continuing Education Providers Program (RCEPP). RCEPP's list of registered providers is available at www.rcep.net. RCEP 1015 15th Street, NW – 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005. Phone 202-682-4338; Fax 202-789-7220
• International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). IACET's list of recognized sponsors is available from IACET, 1620 I St. NW Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006; Phone 202-463-2905; Fax 202-463-8497 or www.iacet.org
• National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA). NCSEA's list of recognized sponsors is available from NCSEA, 645 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 540, Chicago, IL 60611; Phone 312-649-4600; Fax 312-649-5840; or www.ncsea.com
• The Practicing Institute of Engineering (P.I.E). P.I.E's list of recognized sponsors and procedures is available from P.I.E., 6 Airline Dr. Albany, NY 12205; Phone 518-283-7490; Fax 518-283-7495; or www.practicinginstitute.org
• New York State Council of Professional Geologists (NYSCPG) list of recognized sponsors is available from NYSCPG, 679 Plank Road, Clifton Park, NY  12065 or NYSCPG's website at www.nyscpg.com
• AIA's Continuing Education System list of recognized sponsors is available from the Continuing Education Program, 1735 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006-5292; or AIA's Web site at www.aia.org
  Please note: Only courses designated as Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) will be accepted for continuing education credit from AIA. Learning Units (LU) hours will not be accepted.
• The Shaw Fund Continuing Education Approved Provider Program. The Shaw Fund list of recognized sponsors is available from the Shaw Fund Approved Provider Program, 146 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210; Phone 518-432-4046; Fax 518-432-4055; or www.nysapls.net
• Colleges, universities and other degree granting institutions offering degree (e.g. AAS, BS, MS), certificate or diploma programs carrying degree credit that are registered by the State Education Department or have authority to offer equivalent programs accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency (e.g., ABET). The State Education Department's "Inventory of Registered Programs" includes all degree granting institutions in the State and can be found on SED's site at www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue
• A sponsor of continuing education that is approved by a licensing authority or agency of another jurisdiction under standards substantially equivalent to those of the department
• The NYS Education Department directly approves sponsors (providers). Please see the list of currently approved sponsors. Further information and an application form are available on this site.
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) www.osha.gov
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov
• Federal Highway Administration – FHA
• National Highway Institute – NHI
• FEMA
• Office of Homeland Security
• U.S. Department of Energy

Not all courses and educational activities offered by an approved sponsor are acceptable for continuing education credit in New York State. Courses and educational activities must contribute to the professional practice of professional geology. The subject matter of the course or educational activity must be related to professional practice and contribute to the development or maintenance of professional knowledge. Subject areas that are not so related, such as, project management related to improving/maximizing profitability and professional fees; marketing and public relations; expanding a design professional's business; laws related to arbitration, mediation, liens and limiting the design professional's liability (unless they are related to safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of the public); real estate licensing; basic Auto CAD; personal, estate or financial planning; zoning as it relates to increasing a developer or engineer/land surveyor's profitability; design build and/or alternative delivery methods (unless it includes information on the laws related to design build and its limitations in New York State) are non-acceptable subjects.

Acceptable subjects may include courses of learning and educational activities in architecture, engineering, interior design, land surveying, landscape architecture and geology that may contribute to professional practice in professional engineering, land surveying and/or professional geology as such practice is defined in Sections 7201, 7203 and 7204-a of the Education Law.

No. Independent study or informal group "study clubs" and/or "book clubs" of professional geologists that are not approved sponsors cannot be accepted. Continuing education offered by an approved sponsor assures appropriate course format, effective evaluation and necessary record keeping.

Yes. Individuals teaching a college-level course; at a college, university or other degree granting institutions offering degree (e.g. AAS, BS, MS), certificate or diploma programs carrying degree credit that are registered by the State Education Department or have authority to offer equivalent programs accredited by an acceptable accrediting agency (e.g. ABET) which is taught over the course of a college semester and is in an approved subject area may receive New York State continuing education credit which may be counted once during any given registration period.

The number of contact hours accepted for teaching a college course is as follows: one semester hour equals 15 contact hours; one quarter hour 10 contact hours.

Documentation should be obtained from the college or university's department chair or registrar's office, certifying that you taught the course which should include; the title of the course and any identification number assigned; number of semester hours completed; name of the college; verification by the sponsor or department chair (registrar) that you taught the course; date and location of the course.

Sponsors must provide a Certificate of Completion to licensees who completed courses or educational activities for continuing education credit. The information on each course or educational activity should be retained in your records for six years from the date of completion. For NO reason will self-reporting forms be acceptable for New York State continuing education credit. A Certificate of Completion should include the following information:
 

• title of the course or program, the specific acceptable subject area, and any identification number assigned to it by the sponsor
• number of hours completed
• the sponsor's name and any identifying number
• verification by the sponsor of your attendance
• the date and location of the course or activity
• you taught the course or made a presentation - alternatively, a signed letter from the sponsor indicating you taught the course or made the presentation (including name of the course, when, where, how many hours taught/presented) may be accepted in place of a certificate of completion.

Send your completed registration form, on which you will attest that you completed the required continuing education hours, together with the registration fee, which is currently $242, and the continuing education fee, which is currently $45, for a total of $287.

No. On the registration renewal form you will be required to certify that you have completed the required continuing education. You should retain your continuing education records in your files for a period of 6 years after the date of completion of the continuing education. However, you are required to make your continuing education records available for inspection by the Department upon our request. We audit random samples of mandatory continuing education records to assure compliance with the continuing education requirement.