Inspire Healthy Habits: Educate Others to Improve Quality of Life and Enjoyment
This degree provides options for individuals looking to expand their expertise in the field, as well as the option to earn Health and Physical Education teacher certification. Formatted for the working adult, this program allows students to maintain a professional career or personal commitment while earning a graduate degree.
Classes are offered online during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Face-to-face coursework is held during the summer months for teacher certification candidates. In as little as one year, students will progress through a practicum-based curriculum that will prepare them for advanced certification and experience.
The MEd in Health and Wellness Education program offers four specializations, which are meant to allow working professionals like you to focus on the specific population that matches your career goals.
All seats for the fall 2025 entering class in the Health and Wellness MEd program are full. Prospective students should submit applications for admission for spring 2026 as soon as possible.
What You'll Learn
You'll study contemporary trends in education, including strategies for specific populations associated with one of the four specialization areas:
Imagine Your Future
Pennsylvania Teacher Certification is accepted in nearly every state. This gives you many opportunities to explore K–12 teaching positions anywhere in the US.
The K–12 Teacher Certification MEd in Health and Physical Education program leads to two separate teacher certifications:
- Health Education
- Physical Education
And you can add a safety education/driver’s education teacher certification to your teaching license. IUP is the only institution in Pennsylvania that offers this particular certification opportunity.
Curious where you can apply your master's in health and physical education outside of the classroom? Consider:
- Adapted physical activity
- Adventure tourism
- Aquatics
- Coaching
- Community outreach
- Parks and recreation
- Public Health
- Sport
- Wellness
- Women’s health
Classes and Requirements
Courses in the MEd in Health and Wellness Education program are designed and taught by education faculty, so you’ll learn from teaching professionals with years of experience. As you go through the program, you will become more student focused by engaging in problem-based coursework.
The program requires 9 credits of core program coursework that analyzes curriculum and instruction, explores current trends in the research literature, and examines contemporary health and wellness topics and issues. For the remaining 21 credits, you will study important, related areas that expand your skills specific to your chosen specialization. All of the programs require an internship experience to allow students to apply the concepts learned through coursework.
Full Academic Catalog Listing
The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.
Health and Wellness Education, MEdK-12 Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification Specialization
If kids learn healthy life habits when they're young, they're more likely to keep these habits as an adult. Health and physical education teachers are an essential part of establishing regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence to support lifelong health and well-being.
Earning K–12 Teacher Certification in Health and Physical Education will give you the tools and skills you need to teach school-age children how to be healthy and stay active.
You'll study contemporary trends in education, including strategies for using technology in the classroom to support student learning. IUP's master in teacher certification in health and physical education (HPE) is designed to qualify you to become a certified K–12 health and physical education teacher.
Our degree program is ideal if you're a:
- Current teacher in a different subject area who wants to add HPE certification.
- Anyone with a bachelor’s degree (any major) who wants to become a health and physical education teacher.
- There are two ways to work through the program:
- A hybrid option that combines two-weeks of on-campus summer classes with online classes the rest of the year.
- 100% online or remote learning for already certified teachers currently working in a school.
The K–12 teacher certification in health and physical education, combined with student teaching, can be completed in as little as 16 months so you can start teaching right away.
And you can add a safety education/driver’s education teacher certification to your teaching license. IUP is the only institution in Pennsylvania that offers this particular certification opportunity.
CDC “Physical Education and Physical Activity”
Athletic Coaching Specialization
This program is designed for students with career goals in athletic coaching at various levels. Graduates in this program will demonstrate the pedagogical knowledge and experience necessary to work as a leader in the sport coaching profession. This certification is recommended for anyone who has an interest in coaching athletes at various levels of sport, including:
- Collegiate
- Community Youth Sport Programs
- School Districts
- Adapted Sport Programs
- Private Sport Clubs
Community Health Education Specialization
This 100% online program focuses on health promotion and disease prevention through community educational services. Graduates of this program can seek employment with community or government agencies involved in the training and prevention of health-related topics. With your master's degree, you can take advantage of the nationally growing need for this expertise. Whether you’re a health educator, health education specialist, or wellness coach, you can be a leader-advocate in workplace settings such as:
- Colleges and other educational settings
- Health care facilities
- Nonprofit organizations
- Private businesses
- Public health departments
Add a Credential to Expand Your Options
After you graduate, you’ll be well-prepared to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) exam, offered through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). On average, health education specialists earn 15 percent more income than community health workers.
Additional health and wellness coaching certifications are in demand among health educators, too. These can position you well for the future you choose.
Career opportunities in Community Health Education
- Community health coach/advisor/representative
- Community health education specialist
- Community outreach coordinator
- Patient advocate
- Patient educator
- Public health educator
- Wellness coordinator
Adapted Physical Activity Specialization
You support inclusiveness in all areas of our daily lives. Whether you're working in a school, community, or recreational setting, you want to make sure adapted physical activity programs are offered.
In this specialization, you’ll learn how to develop, adapt, and implement specialized programs for individuals with impairments such as:
- Autism
- Developmental delays
- Intellectual disabilities
- Physical disabilities
- Traumatic brain injury
This master’s program can be completed 100 percent online. You'll get the background you need with the flexibility that helps you as a busy, working adult. While the program does not prepare you for teacher certification, it will significantly expand your opportunities within a school setting and beyond.
One of the most important parts of this program is the real-world, hands-on experience you’ll gain through internships in your chosen industry or workplace. For teaching situations, you'll discover new adapted physical education techniques, including how to help improve individuals’
- Gross motor skills
- Perceptual motor skills
- Physical fitness
- Sports and game achievement
You’ll also learn to evaluate the motor needs of individuals to determine their requirements for adapted physical activity services. You'll determine how to screen and identify placement, which are essential parts of this role. Your primary goal for the students you teach: Inclusiveness.
National Library of Medicine
Program Innovation, Real-World Success Elevate Each Class
The Career and Wellness Education faculty members bring decades of real-world experience to the classroom. Prior to arriving at IUP, they've coached athletic teams, operated fitness training centers, and and worked as educators in schools and community settings.
- Our professors continue to expand their scholarly achievements by presenting research at regional and national events.
- IUP professors have established innovative programs, such as the home school program and Special Needs Activity Program, which give you opportunities that enhance your résumé.
- Guidance is a key ingredient our professors bring to your graduate program, helping you make the right choices so you can excel as you complete your degree.
- Active participation in academic and professional circles allows our professors to build a network of potential internship sponsors.
Student Teaching Abroad
If you're interested in what it's like to teach outside of the 50 states, you can pursue student-teaching experiences in other territories and countries.
The K–12 teacher certification in health and physical education program's most recent partnership is with Puerto Rico, where you'll student teach at a beautiful K-12th grade school in San Juan. .
Add Teacher Certifications
The health and physical education program works with other IUP programs to give you opportunities to earn additional certifications, including:
Admission Requirements—Teacher Education
To be admitted to the department, the applicant must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies and Research for a master's degree.
Other admission requirements to be admitted to the K-12 Teacher Certification program include:
- Fulfillment of requirements set by the College of Education and Communications.
Graduate students may be eligible to finance their education through student loan programs, the Federal Work Study Program, state university employment, and/or graduate assistantships. For more information, please visit Financing Your Education.