Short answer
How do Albuquerque teachers move to a higher column on the salary matrix?
Within each license level, APS pays columns for BA, BA+15, BA+45, MA, MA+15, MA+45 and a doctorate. Semester hours count when they are earned after the degree and taken at regionally accredited universities or colleges. Claim the increment by letter to Human Resources on or before September 15, then send the official transcript, which must arrive during that school year.
Source: APS–ATF Negotiated Agreement 2025–2027, Article 6.A.12. Checked .
TeacherPayGuide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Albuquerque Public Schools. This guide summarizes the district's published documents as read on ; those documents and the district's human resources office decide your placement. It is general information, not legal or employment advice. Disclaimer Report an error
How is the APS teacher salary matrix organized?
APS publishes one matrix for each New Mexico license level. In the 2026–2027 salary matrices posted by ATF, the Level 1 and Level 2 schedules have seven education columns: BA, BA+15, BA+45, MA, MA+15, MA+45 and Doctorate. The Level 3 schedule starts at the master's, with MA, MA+15, MA+45 and Doctorate columns. All three are based on a 190-day, 6.5-hour work schedule.
The negotiated agreement describes the matrices as "one-year documents that reflect placement only," and says they do not predict future salary levels or movement. Article 31 says salaries are reopened each year, and that if a successor agreement is not ratified by July 1, 2026, the agreement stays in effect until one is. A move up a license level is a separate path: under Article 6.A.14, a teacher advancing through New Mexico's three-tiered licensure system submits micro-credentials by October 15, and the new license must take effect during the current school year for the pay increase to apply. Our guide to reading a salary schedule explains grids like these.
Which units count toward an APS column change?
Article 6.A.12 of the agreement defines each increment:
- BA+15 and BA+45: completion of 15 or 45 semester hours of coursework after the date the bachelor's degree was awarded.
- MA: the awarding of a master's degree.
- MA+15 and MA+45: completion of 15 or 45 semester hours after the master's was awarded; for MA+45, hours after a JD or EdD also count.
- Second master's: after a transcript review, hours earned for a concurrent second master's that do not overlap with the first are accepted as MA+ hours.
- Doctorate: completion of a PhD or EdD.
The institution rule is in 6.A.12.a: "All degrees and course work must be taken in regionally accredited universities or colleges." Coursework taken before a degree was finished can be accepted only if an officer of the registrar's office verifies how many hours counted toward the degree. Hours are semester hours, so check how quarter-hour credit converts before you plan around a column. Our article on how lane changes work covers the general pattern.
Does APS require approval before you take a course?
The agreement does not require course pre-approval for a column change. The tests are applied when you claim the increment: hours earned after the relevant degree, from a regionally accredited university or college, shown on an official transcript (Article 6.A.12). Because there is no advance sign-off, it is worth keeping the course descriptions and the accreditation details for each course you take, in case Human Resources asks.
New hires get a separate window. Article 6.A.13 places a new employee at the level shown by the credentials presented at hiring, and changes it only if additional credentials are provided within three months of the hire date; the new step or level is then paid retroactively to the start of the school year. Our article on pre-approval forms covers what to keep when a district does require one.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Article 6.A.12 of the agreement says educators claim eligibility for an increment "by submitting a letter on or before September 15 followed by an official transcript as soon as possible to Human Resources," and that the transcript "must be received by Human Resources during the school year for which the increment or differential is sought." The note before the salary matrices in the same agreement is stricter: "Official transcripts are to be on file by September 15 of the current school year for initial placement on the salary matrix and for movement across the salary matrix."
Because the two passages differ, the safe plan is to have both the letter and the official transcript at Human Resources by September 15. Finish summer coursework early enough for the college to post grades and send the transcript before then. Our transcript deadlines article has tips for ordering transcripts.
Do the same units count toward New Mexico license renewal?
New Mexico renewal at the same license level does not ask for coursework; it rests on evaluations and the employer's verification of competency. For APS teachers, coursework pays off through the salary matrix or a degree, not through renewal. The New Mexico renewal section has the state rules and sources, and the New Mexico state guide compares other districts.
Where can APS teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, APS included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from APS's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
| Question | What APS says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | APS: Semester hours after the degree; regionally accredited universities or colleges | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | APS: Claim letter by September 15; transcript on file by September 15 | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | APS: Not required for a column change | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Model Teaching: self-paced, 1 year, units through a choice of six universities, including University of the Pacific; $359 for 3 credits (price notes)
- PD Courses (University of La Verne): online or pdf, semester-based, units through University of La Verne; $420 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Teaching Channel: self-paced, units through a choice of eight universities; $489 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean APS has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Albuquerque salary questions teachers ask
Does APS pay more for credits beyond a degree?
Yes. Each license-level matrix has BA+15, BA+45, MA+15 and MA+45 columns, reached with semester hours earned after the degree at regionally accredited universities or colleges.
When is the APS deadline to move columns?
Submit a claim letter to Human Resources on or before September 15. The matrix note says official transcripts should be on file by September 15 as well, so plan for both by that date.
Do I need APS approval before taking a course?
The agreement does not require course pre-approval for a column change. The hours must come after the relevant degree and from a regionally accredited university or college.
How do APS teachers move from Level 1 to Level 2 or 3?
Through New Mexico's three-tiered licensure system. Under the agreement, micro-credentials are due by October 15 and the new license must take effect during the current school year for the pay change.
Where can APS teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
APS decides which courses count, under the rules on this page, so check with human resources before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching, PD Courses (University of La Verne) and Teaching Channel. They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- APS–ATF Negotiated Agreement 2025–2027, Albuquerque Teachers Federation. Checked
- 2026–2027 Salary Matrices, Albuquerque Teachers Federation. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error