Continuing Education Unit (CEU)
A Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a calculated measure of education based on the number of hours of instruction received over a specified period. CEUs are used in continuing education programs to provide individuals with opportunities to maintain proficiency, learn new products or technologies, and be updated on regulatory changes in a specified industry.
Awarding CEUs
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded by educational and training providers to recognize the successful completion of non-credit programs and courses designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of working professionals.
CEUs are based on actual contact hours of instruction and exclude time spent on breaks, meals without instruction, or travel.
While CEUs are similar to academic credits in that they measure participation in educational activities, they differ in two key ways:
- CEUs are awarded for non-credit study and do not represent academic credit toward a degree.
- CEUs are awarded for a variety of learning experiences, provided they are measurable, supervised educational activities with clearly defined starting and ending points.
University of Florida Standards for Awarding CEUs
When you earn CEUs through a University of Florida-sponsored program, it assures that the program has met the following standards:
Expert-Developed Content: Program content is developed and delivered by a University of Florida faculty member or an approved industry expert, and is approved by the Dean of the respective college.
Documented Need: The program is created in direct response to a documented professional or industry need.
Clear Learning Objectives: Each program is designed with clearly defined and measurable learning outcomes.
Permanent Recordkeeping: The participant’s enrollment and the number of CEUs awarded are permanently recorded and maintained by the Office of Professional and Workforce Development.
Fees
$75 set-up for each department/program per year. If a department has more than one program, the $75 will cover the set-up costs for all their programs
$10 fee per student receiving CEUs
Application Deadlines
Marketing CEUs: If you plan to market CEUs for your event, the application must be submitted and approved prior to developing marketing materials
Not Marketing CEUs: Application must be submitted for review 30 days prior to the start of the event
Calculating Contact Hours and CEUs
The University of Florida’s Office of Professional and Workforce Development uses the International Association for Continuing Education and Training’s (IACET) formula to calculate contact hours and CEUs. The calculation states:
The number of contact minutes must be totaled and divided by 60 to arrive at the number of contact hours.
Example: 450 contact minutes/60 = 7.5 contact hours
Total contact hours must then be divided by 10 to obtain the number of CEUs.
Example: 7.5 contact hours/10 = .75 CEUs
