The Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate is designed to help educators increase their knowledge of health content and skills and enhance their pedagogical practice. Coursework is based on the National Health Education Standards and the CASEL Social Emotional Competencies.
Modality
Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate Program Overview
The Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate enables educators to develop skills in health and social and emotional learning, which focus on helping students integrate skills, attitudes and behaviors that contribute to overall personal well-being. This includes self-awareness, self-management (such as goal setting and impulse control), social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
Curricula based on National Health Education Standards and aligned with social and emotional learning competencies greatly benefit children’s success in school, career and life. For example, kindergarteners with stronger social and emotional skills are more likely to graduate from high school and college and have stable, full-time employment. They are also less likely to commit crimes or have drug, alcohol and mental health problems.*
All classes for this program are delivered online.
*Committee for Children, Why Social and Emotional Learning and Employability Skills Should Be Prioritized in Education at https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-employability-brief.pdf (visited November 23, 2023).
Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate Program Highlights
Learning outcomes for this post-baccalaureate certificate program include:
- Increased competency in teaching skills-based health and the social and emotional learning competencies
- Utilize backwards design planning to develop engaging, age-appropriate, culturally relevant units and lesson plans
Advantages of Cambridge College's Certificate Program
- Fully online curriculum: All classes for this program are taught online, giving you ultimate flexibility. You can attend classes whenever and wherever you want each week.
- Experienced faculty: Online classes at Cambridge College are highly collaborative, interactive learning experiences led by scholar-practitioners who bring extensive research and real-world health education experience to the coursework.
- Exceptional value: As one of the most affordable private nonprofit colleges in the United States, Cambridge College enables you to save on tuition and get greater value out of your education.
Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate Tuition Information
*See curriculum sheet for a breakdown of credits and credit ranges.
Course List
This online program gives you the opportunity to choose from a selection of courses to tailor a course of study specific to your interests and professional goals. Course options include:
- Health-Social Emotional Education for the Language-Diverse Classroom
- Assessing Health-Social Emotional Literacy
- Cultural Proficiency in Health-Social Emotional Education Classroom
Prospective graduate degree students for programs in the School of Education & Counseling must satisfy the following requirements plus any program-specific requirements your program may have.
- Complete and sign the online application.
- Pay the application fee. Pay your $50 ($100 for international students) application fee by the term start date.
- Send official transcripts. Maildirectly to Cambridge College in a sealed, unopened envelope. Learn How to Send Transcripts. Required degrees must be from accredited colleges or universities.
- Master's and most graduate certificate programs require an earned bachelor's degree.
- Post-master's certificates and CAGS require an earned master's degree.
- International transcripts must be translated and evaluated by an approved agency. See all international student requirements
- Send your résumé and work experience. Send your resume that details your education and work experience, including how they pertain to your career goals. If your SEC program has a work experience requirement, it will be listed in the Program-Specific Requirements section below.
- Submit your personal statement. Write a 500-word, typed, double-spaced essay describing your professional experience, goals and objectives for graduate study. How do you expect your graduate studies to enhance your future career?
- Include two professional recommendations (not required for fully online programs). These should address your professional character and ability to perform graduate work. Download Applicant Recommendation Form
- Interview (required for some programs). If your program requires an interview, it will be listed in the Program-Specific Requirements section below.
- Satisfy Health Insurance & Immunization requirements. (Massachusetts only). These are required only for graduate students taking six or more credits per term in Massachusetts through on-campus or hybrid classes. Health insurance may be waived.
Teacher Licensure Program Requirements
In addition to the requirements listed above, our Teacher Licensure Programs have these additional requirements:
- Earned bachelor's degree with 3.0 or higher GPA.
- MA Educator Documentation from the Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website. Keep copies of all documents submitted and, upon admission, post in your electronic portfolio:
- Massachusetts Educator Personnel ID (MEPID number)
- MTEL Communication & Literacy Test, successfully completed.
Required if completed:
- Massachusetts preliminary license, if held
- Sheltered English Instruction requirement
- Fingerprinting and Criminal Offender Record Information
Applicants who do not initially meet all requirements (e.g. GPA of 3.0 or MTEL) for admission into their chosen licensure program must enroll in the corresponding non-licensure degree option. Students who achieve a 3.0 GPA upon completion of the first three SEC courses, pass the MTELs, and now meet all requirements, may request a change of program.
Disclosures: For all Licensure Programs
- Licensure requirements are subject to change per Massachusetts regulations. All Cambridge College licensure programs are based on current regulations.
- All candidates admitted for licensure programs must successfully complete the program in its entirety.
- All requirements at the time of program completion must be finalized prior to seeking Massachusetts endorsement for licensure purposes.
- If you have any licensure questions, please speak to your program chair.
Program-Specific Requirements
A bachelor's degree is required.
License Application or Renewal
Note: Students with a Massachusetts initial Health/Family and Consumer Science license may submit the credits earned in the Cambridge College program when applying for or renewing their Massachusetts professional license.
Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate Careers & Salaries
Completing the Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Certificate program prepares you for various career paths, from social work to health education.
The job outlook is optimistic: The projected percent change in employment for this career path from 2022 to 2032 is over double the nationwide average at 7 percent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers' median annual salary as of May 2022 is $55,350 .1 The median annual salary for health education specialists is $59,990.2
7%
Projected industry employment growth from 2022 to 20321
$59,990
Average annual salary for health education specialists2
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social Workers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm (visited November 23, 2023).
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Health Educators, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm (visited November 23, 2023).
Health Education and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Jobs
Possible career pathways for graduates of this program include:
- Social and emotional learning specialist
- Community health educator
- Social worker
- Student support specialist
- School health educator
- Health counselor
Faculty Spotlight
Mary C. Connolly
MEd, CAGS, CHES
Program Chair, Skills-Based Health/SEL and Senior Instructor
Mary is the Program Chair of the Skills-Based Health/Social Emotional program at Cambridge College. At the college, Mary is responsible for delivering quality programs for students seeking a Master of Education Degree, online health and physical education certificates, and a certificate for additional training in health education. She is also a health education consultant and helps many districts transform their curriculum from content-based to skills-based. She is the author of Skills-Based...