Health and Physical Education Graduate Certificate Details
The Health and Physical Education (HPE) Certificate is designed for educators seeking to enhance their teaching credentials with a focus on health and physical education. Whether you are looking to add an endorsement to your teaching license or pursue initial certification through an approved education program, our 15-credit hour program offers specialized courses to support your professional growth.
The HPE certificate consists of the following five courses (15 credits) that cover essential topics in health and physical education:
- HPE 605: Motor Behavior and Adaptive Physical Education.
- HPE 625: Principles and Methods in Fitness Education and Lifetime Physical Activity.
- HPE 645: Curriculum Content in Health and Wellness Education.
- HPE 665: Methods in Teaching Health and Physical Education.
- HPE 685: Programming and Assessment in Health and Physical Education.
The HPE Certificate offers flexible learning. You can complete all your coursework online in three semesters, spanning from one summer to the following spring. Here is an example of how to complete the certificate in three semesters:
| Semester | Courses |
|---|---|
| Summer | HPE 605 HPE 625 |
| Fall | HPE 645 |
| Spring | HPE 665 HPE 685 Clinical hours |
Certification-to-credit option for HPE graduate certificate students
If you already hold a Health Education Certificate or Physical Education Certificate, you may be eligible to satisfy one course requirement in the HPE Graduate Certificate program through our certification-to-credit process, saving you time and coursework while maintaining the program’s high standards.
How the certification-to-credit process works
If you have a Health Education Certificate, you will complete four courses. The fifth course (HPE 645: Curriculum Content in Health and Wellness Education) will be satisfied with three HPE credits through the certification-to-credit process.
If you have a Physical Education Certificate, you will complete four courses. The fifth course (HPE 605: Motor Behavior and Adaptive Physical Education) will be satisfied with three HPE credits through the certification-to-credit process.
| Health Education Certificate Holders | Physical Education Certificate Holders |
|---|---|
| HPE 605: Motor Behavior and Adaptive Physical Education | **HPE 605: Motor Behavior and Adaptive Physical Education |
| HPE 625: Principles and Methods in Fitness Education and Lifetime Physical Activity | HPE 625: Principles and Methods in Fitness Education and Lifetime Physical Activity |
| *HPE 645: Curriculum Content in Health and Wellness Education | HPE 645: Curriculum Content in Health and Wellness Education |
| HPE 665: Methods in Teaching Health and Physical Education | HPE 665: Methods in Teaching Health and Physical Education |
| HPE 685: Programming and Assessment in Health and Physical Education | HPE 685: Programming and Assessment in Health and Physical Education |
*This course can be satisfied with the certification-to-credit program for holding a Health Education Certificate.
**This course can be satisfied with the certification-to-credit program for holding a Physical Education Certificate.
Eligibility for the certification-to-credit program
To be eligible for the certification-to-credit program you will need to meet the following criteria:
- Current certification (Physical Education or Health Education) that is valid for at least one year after the date of application for credit. You will need to submit proof of certification (Physical Education or Health Education) from an approved agency.
- 3.0 GPA at completion of the two initial courses.
The three HPE certification-to-credit program credits will be added to your academic history upon completion of two courses in the HPE certificate program.
Contact us about the HPE graduate certificate
If you have questions about the certificate-to-credit program, email or call Dr. Rick Ferkel at 989-774-6616.
If you have questions about processing the certificate-to-credit program, email or call Kathleen Schmittler at 989-774-7126