Harper College
Health/Physical Education

Health Education Teaching Endorsement Certificate

High school teacher in front of classroom

Boost your Professional Educator License (PEL) or Educator License

If you're interested in teaching in the field of health education, this certificate makes you a stronger candidate and expands your teaching opportunities.

If you already have your PEL, this coursework can be applied to your current license as an add on endorsement in the field of health education. If you're currently working on your AA or AS degree, you can take the Health Education endorsement courses at Harper College and earn the state endorsement after you complete an undergraduate degree and earn a teaching license.

  • Prepare for ISBE Health Education (142/211) test and earn a Harper College certificate credential
  • Online, on-campus and blended formats
  • Accredited by Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
  • Meets Illinois State Board of Education requirements
  • Led by highly qualified faculty holding master's and doctoral degrees
  • Applicable to any grade level, even if underlying teaching endorsement on the PEL is different grade range
  • Tuition is a fraction of the cost of other colleges
  • This program offers an entirely 8-Week Course format option. Learn more.

The coursework proposed satisfies the requirements of the Illinois State Board of Education for an endorsement in health education. After completing the required coursework, students must submit an application and take an exam with the state to receive the health education teaching endorsement.

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

NumberCourse TitleCredits
Required
HED 200Health3
HED 201Drugs in Our Culture3
HED 202Human Sexuality3
HED 204Women's Health3
HED 206Introduction to Community and Public Health3
HED 207Stress and Stress Management3
Total Hours18

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

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.

Last Updated: 9/30/26