Advanced Sexual Health Education Certificate

How Can a Sexual Health Education Program Advance My Career?

With an advanced certificate in sexual health education, you will gain professional skills in:

• Writing sex education curricula
• Working with vulnerable populations
• Designing sexual health interventions
• Evaluation and assessment
• Innovative approaches to sexual health education delivery
• Navigating ethical issues in sexual health education

Those who may benefit from a sexual health education certificate include*:

• K–12 instructor or administrator
• Educational consultant for corporations
• Senior living health coordinator
• Youth group facilitator
• Hospital or clinic specialist
• Peer educator
• Wellbeing coach
• HIV counselor
• Community outreach coordinator
• Victim services advocate

*American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists

Sexual Health Education Courses

Prerequisites 

Students must have completed HSEX 6001 Foundation of Human Sexuality or demonstrate appropriate external academic or professional experience before beginning the Advanced Certificate. Admitted students missing HSEX 6001 must enroll as their first course after admission.

Required Courses (12 credits)

• HSEX 6013 – Perspectives and Practices in Sexual Health Education (3 cr)
• HSEX 6017 – Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Sexuality Education (3 cr)

For their remaining 6 credits, students choose two of the following courses:

• HSEX 6016 – Compulsive Sexual Behavior
• HSEX 6213 – Sexual Trauma & Trauma-Informed Care
• HSEX 6312 – Intersectional and Decolonizing Approaches to Transgender Health
• HSEX 6313 – Gender Diversity, Sexuality, & Sexual Health
• HSEX 6950 – Study Abroad or Special Topics
• HSEX 6994 – Directed Research
• HSEX 6905 – Sexual Health Education Practicum and Supervision (students must apply and be approved)

Other HSEX electives may be approved in consultation with DGS.

Apply

Admission Requirements

We strive to be fair in the admissions process. Our program thrives when we have students from different backgrounds and cultural experiences. The admissions committee completes a holistic review of all required application materials to ensure that you will be successful in the program. We do not require standardized test scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

We welcome applications from students who have:

• a bachelor's degree from an accredited post-secondary US institution or its international equivalent
• an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00*

* If your GPA is lower than 3.00, please provide an explanation in the extenuating circumstances part of your professional statement.

Important Note

If you have finished or are currently admitted to the MPS in Sexual Health, or one or more of the sexual and gender health certificates, please contact your academic advisor. It may be possible to reuse some of your application materials.

Please be aware that certificate students are not eligible for federal financial aid. If you’re considering applying for the MPS in Sexual Health in addition to the certificate, keep in mind that only master’s degree students are eligible for federal financial aid. Please see the Financial Aid page for more information about other funding options including CCAPS scholarships.

View Admission Deadlines
and Application Instructions

Learn more about the application process in the video below. If you have questions about admission requirements or materials, please contact Steve Wicks.

Read the video transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find out more in our sexual and gender health programs General FAQs.

Will completing this certificate help me become certified (or maintain certification) in sexual health education?

This certificate fulfills the Sexuality Education Skills Training requirement for AASECT Sexuality Educator Certification. Participants who apply and are admitted to the practicum course may also receive up to 20 group supervision hours by an AASECT-Certified Sexuality Education Supervisor. However, completion of this program does not guarantee AASECT certification.

The HSEX courses in this program are approved by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) for up to 35 CE credits. These CE credits may be applied toward renewal of certification. For more information, visit the AASECT website.

What kinds of careers or roles can this certificate prepare me for?

This certificate will give you the tools to become a sexual health educator or bring sexual health education to your current role. For example, you can enhance a position in healthcare, wellness, education, community or public health, or any career where sexual health related issues are addressed.

How does this certificate stack with other credentials or degrees?

You can stack this certificate along with the Human Sexuality Certificate (plus two additional courses) to earn the Master of Professional Studies in Sexual Health. Each credential requires a separate application. Watch our video on stackable credentials to learn more.

How do most students pay for the certificate?

Certificate students are not eligible for federal financial aid but may have other options for funding. For example, SELF loans are low-interest, long-term student loans available exclusively to students taking courses online or in person at Minnesota institutions. In addition, the University recommends FASTChoice as a tool to explore private loan possibilities. You may also look into the University’s payment plan options to spread payments throughout the semester. Most domestic students are eligible to apply for need-based scholarships specific to the College. Also see the main financial aid page and select “Graduate Certificate Students” for more information.

Students pursuing AASECT certification should plan to finance AASECT requirements on their own.

Note: If you’re considering applying for the MPS in Sexual Health in addition to the certificate, keep in mind that only master’s degree students are eligible for federal financial aid. 

Letters of recommendation are listed as optional for certificates. Why would I want to use them?

Letters of recommendation are an additional way to share your story with the admission panel, but not submitting letters of recommendation will not decrease your chances of admission. If you’re concerned that some areas of your application are not particularly strong, you may want to include a letter of recommendation that supports that area of your application. For example, if you feel that your resume doesn’t show the extent of your professional experience, you might ask a supervisor of a recent volunteer position to write a letter of recommendation about the impact you’ve made in their organization.


If your grades are below the 3.0 requirement, you will need to submit an extenuating circumstances statement describing why you feel you can succeed in the program. In addition, you may want to include a letter of recommendation from someone, such as a former professor, who can speak to your writing and research abilities and potential for academic success. Read more about applying to a CCAPS sexual health program.

Can I pursue a certificate at the same time as a master's degree in another program (other than the MPS in Sexual Health)?

Yes! We have had several students at the University of Minnesota and other institutions use the sexual and gender health certificates as a supplement to their other graduate work. For example, if your home university does not offer courses in human sexuality, the certificates may be a good solution for earning an additional credential remotely. University of Minnesota students in various programs have also taken the courses as electives or as an alternative to a graduate minor, or have earned the certificate alongside their graduate program.