CPSWQ Professional Development Requirements

Introduction

Earn PDUs through professional activities and by attending seminars, workshops, meetings, and serving on professional boards and committees. For relevant Continuing Education activities, assign 1 PDU per hour of instruction time. (Click here to download a form that you can use to record your professional development activities.)

Professional Development Requirements

Certified professionals (CPSWQs) must maintain their certification by ongoing professional development activities such as continuing education courses, information transfer to other certified professionals (CPESC/CPSWQ) and to the public, support of professional organizations and community extension that promotes the profession to the public.

Reference:	CPSWQ: See "CPSWQ Certification Procedures and Standards" in Section 5, "CPSWQ Program" for CPSWQ professional development requirements.

Category A: Continuing Education

The following table shows how to translate Continuing Education activities into PDUs.

Professional Activity	PDUs	Max
CPSWQ admission exam, passing grade, new applicant or current registrant	50	50
Presentation, seminar, conference, clinic, workshop, tour, field day, other (as rated*)	1/hr	30
Training workshop sponsored by employer, vendor, university, government extension (or as rated*)	1/hr	30
Continuing education program, CPSWQ approved	1/hr	40
Distance education program, CPSWQ approved, exam challenged	10	40
Short course, CPSWQ approved, exam challenged, 2 PDU/hour	2/hr	40
Relevant college course (8-12 wk term) (campus attendance required)	25	50
*When available and appropriate and relevant, use the PDU (or CEU) value assigned by other professional organizations. (Note, PDUs = CEUs x 10.)

Category B: Authorship of Publications, Presentations, Reports, and Courseware

The following table shows how to translate Authoring activities into PDUs.

Professional Activity	PDUs	Max
Presenter at seminar, conference, clinic, workshop, tour, field day	5	20
Report, employer, co-author	2	20
Report, employer, sole author	5	20
Paper, conference proceedings	15	30
Publication, technical journal	15	40
Publication, refereed journal	30	50
Course development, CPSWQ approved	50	50
Publication, chapter or book	50	50

Category C: Professional Organization Activities and Community Extension

The following table shows how to translate Professional and Community Extension activities into PDUs.

Professional Activity	PDUs	Max
Membership IECA and/or SWCS	5/yr	30
Membership, other relevant professional organization, national or local chapter	2/yr	6
Meeting attendance, relevant, professional	1	40
Media interview, source, release	2	10
Community presentation	2	10
Community leadership (conservation) volunteer work, stakeholder group	2	20
Committee member, professional org.	10/yr	30
Elected executive, professional org.	20/yr	50
Executive committee member, (e.g., standards, ethics, exams, discipline, certification) professional organization	20/yr	50

Category D: Other Professional Activities

The following table shows how to translate Other Professional activities into PDUs.

Editor, conference proceedings	20	20
Editor/reviewer, scientific publication, book, course, funding application	10	30
Expert witness before a court of law, regulatory board or panel	10	30
Instructor, training workshop	20	40
Instructor, technical school	40	40
Professor, university, college	40	40
Member of a regulatory board or panel	40	40
Award of professional excellence	TBA	60
Submitted and approved activity**	10	20
**Other professional activities not listed could be recognized as maintaining professional practice or public awareness of professionalism in the practice of erosion and sediment control. Submit a description of the activity for review by the CPSWQ Council Peer Review Committee.