Continuing Education Units

Elevate your career with GSA’s dynamic continuing education opportunities. Keep your certifications up-to-date and fuel your passion for lifelong learning!

Learn more about our opportunities

Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) with GSA. Our instructional experiences are widely recognized units of measure for your ongoing professional growth.

  • 1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
  • 1 PDH = 1 contact hour (minimum 50 minutes) of instruction or presentation.

How to Earn CEUs/PDHs with GSA

Conferences & Meetings

Attend or help organize events such as GSA Connects, Section Meetings, Penrose Conferences, Thompson Field Forums, and more.

Short Courses

Learn or teach a new topic and earn CEUs/PDHs at one of our conferences or meetings.

Field Trips

Lead or join one of our trips and earn CEUs/PDHs at our various conferences and meetings.

Webinars

Participate in or lead online sessions.

Publications

Publish, review, or edit articles and earn credits.

Mentoring & Committees

Guide others through mentorship and serve on committees.

Getting Your Certificate

Obtaining your CEU or PDH certificate is straightforward and hassle-free with GSA. Follow the guidelines below to download or request your certification for various activities:

Credits Breakdown

Meetings/Events ½ Day 1 Day 1.5 Days 2 Days 3 Days 4 Days
GSA Connects — 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 — 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 2.4 CEUs
24 PDHs		 3.2 CEUs
32 PDHs
Section Meetings — 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 1.2 CEUs
12 PDHs		 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 2.4 CEUs
24 PDHs		 —
Field Trips
(participating)		 0.4 CEUs
4 PDHs		 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 1.2 CEUs
12 PDHs		 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 2.4 CEUs
24 PDHs		 3.2 CEUs
32 PDHs
Short Courses
(attending)		 0.4 CEUs
4 PDHs		 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 1.2 CEUs
12 PDHs		 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 — —
Field Trips*
(leading)		 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 2 CEUs
20 PDHs		 2.4 CEUs
24 PDHs		 3.2 CEUs
32 PDHs		 4 CEUs
40 PDHs
Short Courses*
(teaching)		 0.8 CEUs
8 PDHs		 1.6 CEUs
16 PDHs		 2 CEUs
20 PDHs		 2.4 CEUs
24 PDHs		 — —

*Leading or teaching a short course/field trip provides CEUs/PDHs at twice the rate due to the increased time and effort.

 
Other Opportunities 1 Hour
Webinars
(attending)		 0.1 CEU
1 PDH
Webinars
(leading)		 0.2 CEUs
2 PDHs
Peer-Review a Publication**
(journal article, paper, geological map, book, textbook, etc.)		 16 PDHs per publication
Peer-Review a Blog Post or Article on GSA’s website** 5 PDHs per post
Committee Service 10 PDHs per year

**Work must be published before PDHs can be issued.

Keep Track

Each individual is responsible for keeping their own continuing education records and submitting them to their certification or licensure board. GSA will keep participation records for seven years to help verify activities when requested.

Know the Limits

Please note that while GSA provides CEU and PDH documentation, we cannot guarantee all certification/licensure boards will accept them or determine how they will be counted. It is up to each individual to check with their board. Some boards may have limits on CEUs/PDHs from committee service or may not accept repeated activities. For example, states like New York may only accept CEUs/PDHs from specific, approved organizations.

GSA does not offer CEUs/PDHs for self-study or activities not sponsored by GSA. We also do not offer college credit. If you want to use GSA activities for college credit, please make arrangements with your institution.