Health Education Teaching Endorsement Certificate

Certificate program requirements

This 18-hour certificate provides students with the skills and knowledge to teach health education. Upon completion of the certificate program, students who already have a Professional Educator License (PEL) can apply for an endorsement in the field of health education.

Students pursuing a Health Education Endorsement certificate must have at minimum a bachelor’s degree and a valid Illinois teacher license. Applicants must take the Illinois Licensure Test Field 211: Health Education and complete an application to have this endorsement added to their teaching certificate.

All courses are offered online.

Program Requirements

Number	Course Title	Credits
Required
HED 200	Health	3
Description: Provides an in-depth look at the physical, psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental factors which contribute to the overall quality of a person's life. An investigation of how our lifestyle compares with other people in the world and the role and impact of the World Health Organization is emphasized. Mental health, nutrition, fitness, communicable and non-communicable diseases, killer diseases, drugs, human sexuality, family living (marriage, divorce, parenting), middle and old age issues, and death and dying are some of the topics covered. Physical and psychological assessments are included in this class. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: N/A Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
HED 201	Drugs in Our Culture	3
Description: Presents materials that examine the physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of drug use and abuse. Provides a potpourri of the facts, attitudes and opinions necessary to understand what drugs do, how they do it, who uses them and why. Discusses treatment modalities as well as legal and ethical issues in drug abuse. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
HED 202	Human Sexuality	3
Description: Introduces students to the sociological, psychological, biological and emotional implications of human sexuality. Includes sexual orientation, gender identity, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and reproductive anatomy as well as other topics related to the field of human sexuality. Emphasizes exploring attitudes regarding sexual issues, clarifications of personal beliefs and development of healthy sexual behavior. IAI S9 903 Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
HED 204	Women's Health	3
Description: Focuses on health issues as they pertain to women and the barriers unique to women in gaining a higher status. Includes physical, mental and spiritual aspects of health; women's anatomy and physiology; pregnancy, childbirth and infertility; violence against women; body image and eating disorders; and societal, historical and poliitcal influences of the global woman. Discusses the detection, treatment and illnesses in women. (formerly PED 271) Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
HED 206	Introduction to Community and Public Health	3
Description: Focuses on the functions of community health organizations and the way they relate to individual health needs. Helps students to analyze and evaluate health promotion practices at the community level. Examines the historical and contemporary public health stories to begin to understand the contexts, systems, professions, tools and skills associated with the public health enterprise. Students will learn basic public health principles and will recognize an array of factors that shape both the health of individuals and populations. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
HED 207	Stress and Stress Management	3
Description: Analyzes the impact stress has on the dimensions of wellness. This course examines the physiological and psychological responses to stress and discusses ways stress contributes to morbidity and mortality. You will learn how to better recognize your own stressors and identify ways to manage stress. Lecture Hours: 3 Lab Hours: 0 Contact Hours: 3 Class Schedule: Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | Fall 2025
Total Hours		18

Request InfoApply

Sample Plan

3 Semester Plan

Fall Semester

• HED 204 Women’s Health – W70 (first 8 weeks) 
• HED 207 Stress and Stress Management- W80 (second 8 weeks)

Spring Semester

• HED 202 Human Sexuality- W70 (first 8 weeks) 
• HED 206 Introduction to Community and Public Health- W80 (2nd 8 weeks)

Summer

• HED 200 Health- W01 
• HED 201 Drugs in our Culture- W01

2 Semester Plan

Fall Semester

• HED 200 Health-W70 (first 8 weeks) 
• HED 204 Women’s Health – W70 (first 8 weeks) 
• HED 207 Stress and Stress Management- W80 (second 8 weeks)

Spring Semester

• HED 202 Human Sexuality- W70 (first 8 weeks) 
• HED 206 Introduction to Community and Public Health- W80 (2nd 8 weeks) 
• HED 201 Drugs in our Culture- W80 (second 8 weeks)

Program outcomes

Taken from Illinois Licensure Testing System Health Education Framework:

• Understand theories, principles, models, and processes of health promotion, disease prevention, and health education
• Understand prevention, types, causes, effects, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious, noninfectious, and chronic diseases
• Understand the health consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use and strategies for reducing risks related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
• Understand principles and strategies for promoting and maintaining mental and emotional health, including managing stress
• Understand interpersonal and family relationships, social support systems, and how to foster positive interpersonal communication to promote family and social health
• Understand principles of bullying prevention, conflict resolution, and violence prevention; and strategies for reducing health risks related to bullying, conflict, and violence.
• Understand human body systems and physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and environmental health factors that affect health, growth, and human development
• Understand nutritional principles and the role of nutrition in promoting and maintaining health
• Understand the role of health-related physical fitness in promoting and maintaining health
• Understand sexual and reproductive health and well as concepts and principles for protecting sexual and reproductive health
• Understand principles, methods, and techniques for enhancing safety, preventing unintentional injuries, and providing care in medical emergency situations
• Understand how to use risk-assessment, goal-setting, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to enhance personal, family, and community health
• Understand the influence of social norms, family, culture, media, and technology on health, and strategies and skills for resisting unhealthy influences
• Understand the role of the health education teacher as a resource person and methods for obtaining, analyzing, and disseminating health-related information
• Understand health-related initiatives, agencies, issues, and trends and how to advocate effectively for personal, family, community, and environmental health
• Understand principles and procedures for planning, implementing, and evaluating a school health education program
• Understand instructional and assessment strategies that adhere to best practices as well as state, national, and professional standards, and that facilitate student skill development and application of functional health knowledge
• Understand the process of reading, and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students’ literacy development in the health education classroom
• Understand professional and ethical issues in health education, including processes and skills for communicating and collaborating effectively within the school community

Related programs

• Physical Education Teacher Endorsement Certificate
• Additional teacher endorsement programs offered by Harper College.

Next steps

• Request Information
• Apply

For more information about starting your college education at Harper, please contact Admissions Outreach at 847.925.6700 or fill out our request information form.