The graduate certificate program in adapted physical and/or health education prepares working teachers with the essential teacher training needed to provide quality health and physical education to students with disabilities.
Our program is designed with the working teacher in mind. The 12-credit graduate certificate can be completed in as little as one year and is delivered through summer and winter courses in a fully online format. Three summer courses (9 credits) deliver essential training topics along with the 3-credit winter course that provides individualized practicum experiences.
The program is open to health and physical education teachers nationwide, with flat-rate tuition through Summer at Southern.
Topics Covered
The graduate certificate in adapted physical an/dor health education addresses multiple topics associated with providing quality instruction to PK-12 students with disabilities. Topics include:
- History and philosophy of adapted physical education and adapted health education
- Human motor, cognitive, social, and affective learning development
- Federal and state educational mandates
- Special education process
- Transdisciplinary collaboration strategies with school personnel and related services
- Assessing students with disabilities
- Culturally-relevant pedagogy
- Differentiated instructional strategies
- Diversified curriculum development
- Assistive technology
- Creating accessible classroom environments
- Navigating student behavior and identity
- Connecting with and utilizing adapted professional communities and resources
- Building school-based adapted programs
- Advocacy strategies and techniques
Program Features
- 100% fully online coursework.
- Summer and winter courses only.
- Includes a fully online and individualized practicum experience.
- Complete the program in as little as one year.
- Flat tuition rate.
- Earn graduate coursework from an accredited university.
- Open to all health and physical education teachers nationwide.
- The Adapted Physical Education (APE) track qualifies program completers to sit for the APENS national certification exam.
- The Adapted Health Education (AHE) track is one of the only graduate programs in the country.
- Delivered by experienced faculty in APE, AHE, and online course delivery.
Tracks
Adapted Physical Education (APE)
Licensed PK-12 physical education teachers typically take 3 credits of adapted physical education coursework during their initial teacher training experience and report feeling undertrained and unprepared to teach students with disabilities. The APE track provides coursework aligned to the Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS) and qualifies students to sit for the APENS exam, a requirement for becoming a Certified Adapted Physical Educator (CAPE).
Adapted Health Education (AHE)
Licensed PK-12 health education teachers typically receive little to no coursework during their initial teacher training experience related to teaching health to students with disabilities. More and more, health teachers are tasked with teaching students with disabilities, with nowhere to turn for support. Led by pioneering faculty in the field, coursework aligns with federal mandates and addresses the essential topics needed to provide high-quality skills-based health education to students with disabilities.
School / College
College of Health & Human Services
Department
Health and Movement Sciences
Contact
Dr. Michael K. Laughlin