Health Education (Teaching) Major — B.S.

This program prepares students to educate others about personal, family, and community health concerns, including maintaining good health and preventing illness. Graduates may teach health in elementary and secondary schools or serve in public health and social service agencies. The curriculum has a broad, interdisciplinary orientation that emphasizes the biological, psychological, and sociological aspects of health. A full semester of student teaching in the senior year is required in this program. The semester is divided into two separate placements, with one of the placements in a high needs school, as required by New York State.  Students who complete this major qualify to take the national examination to be certified as health education specialists and are eligible to apply for initial teacher certification after successfully completing the appropriate examinations. New York certification requires the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations; other states may require the Praxis examination or another designated state teaching examination.

All candidates for initial teaching certification must attend workshops on child-abuse identification and prevention, school violence prevention, and Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination in Schools: Prevention and Intervention (DASA). The evening workshops are offered each semester. For more information about certification requirements, and for information about fingerprinting requirements, see the “Office of Teaching and Certification” page of the Department of Education website.

Special Academic Status Policy for Health Education Majors

Acceptance into and retention in the health education major is subject to compliance with the following academic standards:

1. GPA Requirement: All students in teacher education programs in HPPE must have a cumulative 2.50 GPA at the end of each semester of their freshmen year. Sophomores, juniors and seniors must maintain an overall 2.75 GPA at the end of each semester. If the cumulative GPA falls below the required standard, the student will be placed on program warning.  The student will be provided with one semester to attain the requisite cumulative GPA. Any student who fails to meet the standard for two consecutive semesters is subject to dismissal from the program.

2. Demonstrated Success in Core Courses: Students must receive at least a C in all required courses with an EDUC, PHED or HLTH designation and maintain a 2.50 GPA throughout freshmen year and 2.75 GPA throughout sophomore, junior and senior years. Failure to meet a C grade mandates repeating the course. Students will not be allowed to participate in student teaching (HLTH 44100 and HLTH 44800) until the student achieves a grade of C or above in EDUC, PHED or HLTH required courses.

3. Student Teaching Application: Students must file an application for student teaching during the year prior to the student teaching experience. The student is responsible for attending all department meetings and to respond to emails from the Coordinator of Student Teaching about the application, placement sites, and deadlines. The application for student teaching requires that the student possess a current American Red Cross CPR card.

4. Student Teaching Grade: Students may not complete the program with a grade lower than a B in the following courses. The degree cannot be granted if this standard is not met.

a.  HLTH 44100  Student Teaching in Health Education
b.  HLTH 44800  Seminar in Health Education

Summary

Degree Requirements