MSBO Certification Program

Maintain Your Certification

MSBO certification is valid for five years. To renew your certification, you must continue approved professional development hours within this five-year period.

Hours for renewal can be earned through college or university credit, MSBO certification classes, or through job-related education. Any job-related education must be approved for Continuing Education Units (CEU), State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECHs) or Continuing Professional Education (CPE). If the program does not meet these standards, prior approval will need to be obtained and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Please send these requests to Debbie Kopkau at dkopkau@msbo.org to gain approval.

Renewal requirements:

CFO: 150 hours, 150 SCECHs or 6 semester hours from a college or university

All other tracks: 90 hours, 90 SCECHs or 3 semester credit hours

For holders of Chief Financial Officer and Business Office Manager Certificates you must attend one Group Solutions Seminar and one Financial Statement Preparation Workshop during your five-calendar-year renewal period. (The MSBO Leadership Institute and the Business Manager Academy can be used in place of the Group Solutions requirement.)

Must maintain Active MSBO membership, as well as employment in a Michigan public school system.

How to Submit Renewal Hours

Classes you take from MSBO will automatically be added to your transcript and will go towards renewal hours. Simply complete post-event evaluations after your classes to verify your attendance and credit hours will then be issued.

For classes you take from other associations or organizations, you must log into your My MSBO account page and click the PD Upload tab in the blue navigation bar. From there, you can upload supporting documentation (such as certificates of completion). If the classes fit the requirement, MSBO certification staff will review and approve the upload which will add hours to your transcript.

Once your five-year renewal period approaches, fill out and submit the Renewal Application to maintain your certification.

Download Renewal Application

More Information

For more information about the MSBO Voluntary Certification program, check the FAQs, or contact:

Courtney Byam at 517.327.5937 or by e-mail at cbyam@msbo.org; or
Debbie Kopkau at 517.327.2587 or by e-mail at dkopkau@msbo.org.

Credit Transfer

Davenport University Credit Transfer

MSBO and Davenport University have entered into a partnership that allows curriculum from MSBO certifications to be accepted as transfer credit at any Davenport University campus location. Read more.

Wilkes University

MSBO’s partnership with Wilkes University provides another option for members to obtain a college degree that focuses specifically on school business administration.

School Business Leadership

Wilkes University offers an online master’s degree in school business leadership. The 30-credit program was developed to address the key issues school business leaders face in today’s education environment. It addresses topics that include public relations, facility management, financial operations, human resources, transportation, informational technology and food service. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu/sbl. To learn more about the Wilkes program, or if you have questions, or wish to discuss your education goals, please contact Anthony Roma at anthony.roma@wilkes.edu or (570) 574-4886.

The following certification classes will waived (a total of 36 hours) for the MSBO Chief Financial Officer (CFO) certification track if you are enrolled and have completed the Wilkes University Master of Science in Education with a major in School Business Leadership (SBL):

Effective Communications (3 hours)
Food Service for the Business Manager (3 hours)
Human Resources for the Business Manager (3 hours)
Facilities for the Business Manager (3 hours)
Purchasing Overview (3 hours)
Preparing Your Financial Picture (12 hours)
Team Leadership (3 hours)
Technology for the Business Manager (3 hours)
Transportation for the Business Manager (3 hours)

If you would like to learn how this program works with MSBO certification, please contact MSBO director of certification Debbie Kopkau at dkopkau@msbo.org or (517) 327-2587.