Health Education
Prepare for a Rewarding Teaching Career Inspiring Young People to Understand Wellness and Make Healthy Choices
Why Earn a Master’s Degree in Health Education?
A master’s degree in health education will prepare you to teach pre-K to 12 health education in schools. You’ll learn how to promote and maintain healthy lifestyles through skills-based learning strategies, relevant and developmentally appropriate assessment design, and understanding individual learning styles.
Why Earn Your Master’s Degree in Health Education at Adelphi University in New York?
- Receive personalized attention in small class sizes that enable our students to work closely with their professors.
- Build community connections in our strong network of area school districts and educators in the area and gain valuable teaching experience through school placements.
- Advance your career on a timeline that works for you, with the option of evening classes and part-time enrollment.
What Can You Do With a Master’s Degree in Health Education From Adelphi University?
A master’s degree in health education will prepare you to promote well-being and healthy lifestyles in others. Learn more at Career Paths.
The MA in Health Education at Adelphi has been nothing short of the ideal education experience. I would describe it as individualized, student-centered and filled with passionate educators guiding future educators to success.
Degree Options and Certification
We offer four degree options to meet the needs of incoming students:
Master's Degree in Health Education (Professional)
Designed for students who already hold a valid New York state initial/provisional teacher certification in health education and obtain professional certification after completion.
Master's Degree in Health Education (In-Service)
Designed for students who already have initial teacher certification in an area other than health education.
Master's Degree in Health Education: Graduate Alternative Teacher Education (GATE)
Designed for students without prior teacher certification.
Advanced Certificate in School Health Education
Offers students with a master’s degree in another area an alternative route to New York state certification in health education.
Certification
Successful graduates of the health education master’s program are eligible for NYS Teacher Certification in Health Education. NYS Department of Education requires all graduates to sit for the Content Specialty Test in Health Education. Some coursework may count toward additional areas of teacher certification.
Exceptional Hands-On Learning
At Adelphi, we believe classroom teaching experience is critical for our student’s development. You will have the opportunity to work directly with other educators and young people during your fieldwork internship course. Our students have worked in many school districts, including:
Program Info
Application Requirements
Applicants should have an undergraduate background in health or health-related areas. Applicants with degrees in other areas may be required to complete additional coursework, such as human biology (anatomy and physiology), health-related courses and education courses.
Applicants should submit the following:
- Graduate application and $60 fee
- Online survey completed by two recommenders
- Personal essay
- All previous college/university transcripts with a record of bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
- Résumé (preferred)
Additional Requirements
Applicants interested in the advanced certificate program should submit the following:
- Final transcript documenting a master’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
Frequently Asked Questions About a Master’s Degree in Health Education
The time required to earn any master’s degree at Adelphi University, including an MA in Health Education, depends on your existing qualifications. If you don’t already have an initial New York state teaching license, the health education master’s degree program takes two years of full-time study. If you already hold a New York state teaching license, you can complete the program in three semesters full-time, depending on your prior credits.
The simple answer is yes! Pursuing a master’s degree in health education not only enhances your career prospects but also prepares you for a deeply rewarding career. From our highly knowledgeable professors here at Adelphi you’ll learn how to design a curriculum and structure relevant and enjoyable lessons to teach students. You’ll also gain practical experience working with children under the guidance of successful health education teachers during your fieldwork.
A master’s degree in health education will qualify you for an initial New York state teaching license, allowing you to teach health education in grades K-12 in New York. After three years of teaching experience in health education, you will be eligible to apply for a New York state professional teaching license. Pursuing additional credits beyond your health education master’s degree can increase your earning potential, as teachers often receive salary increases for completing postgraduate coursework, typically up to 30 credits beyond the master’s degree.
Graduate classes for the MA in Health Education are offered Monday through Thursday evenings throughout the year, allowing you to move through the health education program more quickly. Adelphi offers rolling admission, which means that you have the option of starting the master’s degree program at five different points throughout the year (fall semester, Januar
The health education graduate program at Adelphi is taught in person with some of the classes offered online. At Adelphi, we place a high value on creating community in classes by developing personal connections between professors and peers while offering the convenience of some online learning.
Yes, you will be able to apply for fieldwork placements in specific districts. For those who already work in schools, we will help you work with your administration on how to create your schedule to complete your fieldwork hours during your lunches and preparation times. Students who already have an initial New York stateteaching license do not need to student teach.
Yes, you can do a dual degree program in health education and physical education at Adelphi University. At the end of your dual graduate degree program, you will complete your exams to earn an initial New York state teaching license in both health education and physical education . You can even simultaneously complete advanced studies in teaching adapted physical education to increase your marketability and become more effective at including students regardless of physical ability.
Adelphi University has quality instructors who care about you and make you feel welcome. Full-time professors work hand-in-hand with adjunct professors to help you acquire the pedagogical content knowledge to effectively teach health education to children. There are also valuable networking opportunities with your peers and the professors.
Awards & Recognition
