Education Requirements
The required 18 credits of educational activity are listed below. Courses may be completed online, at the National PDCA convention, through PDCA’s approved local network of Councils, Chapters and Forums, and through other educational activities and course work.
Contractor College online courses are typically one (1) hour in length and may be accompanied by an exam which must be completed with a score of 70% or higher. Participants may retake tests up to three (3) times to achieve a passing score. Any employee of the company may complete courses toward these requirements. For assistance in creating additional employee accounts, please contact PDCA National.
8 Hours of Technical Credits
Complete 8 hours in any of the following subjects, located in the Technical category of the catalog.
- Application Tools
- Coating Technology
- Color & Decorating
- Environmental
- Paint Types
- PDCA Industry Standards
- Safety
4 Required Business Courses
Complete the following courses, located in the Management and Sales/Marketing sections of the catalog.
- Building a High Performance Organization
- Building a Powerful Business Strategy
- Managing for High Performance
- Marketing Strategy 1
6 Hours of Elective Credits
- Complete 6 additional hours of course work from the Contractor College Course Catalog or approved Contractor College programs. Up to 2 credits may be waived by industry involvement activities.
- Attendance at PDCA annual convention
- Author of an article in APC Magazine or PDCA’s electronic newsletter
- Contractor PEER group membership
- Contributor of pro bono painting and decorating services
- Other professional association membership
- PDCA Forum membership
- Presenter for a seminar or workshop on a painting and decorating industry topic
- Winner of a PDCA Picture it Painted Professionally (PIPP) award or PDCA Safety Award
Visit the Course Catalog to complete the education requirements for Accreditation.
Visit your Accreditation Dashboard to review your status.
