The idea of a graduate program in human sexuality education actually started in 1974 over a lunch meeting between Dr. Kenneth George, Professor and Acting Dean, Graduate School of Education at Penn and Dr. Bill Stayton, Assistant Professor, Marriage Council of Philadelphia, Dept. of Psychiatry at Penn. They actually wrote out a concept on their napkins. Ken was very interested in the possibility of a new program being through the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, and it began in 1978, under his direction. From the beginning classes were offered on the weekends so that working professionals could participate, and adjuncts with experience in the field of sexuality taught several of the courses.

Dr. Konnie McCaffree was hired in 1985 to create courses specific to sexuality education where skills and attitudes about education were the focus; as an experienced school sex educator she was able to model using the skills she was teaching. The practicum/field instruction was also instituted at that time. In the next ten years courses with focus on educational skill and impact of emotional affect on our work were created and added to the curriculum.   

Upon Dr. George’s retirement, Dr. Bill Stayton and Dr. Konnie McCaffree brought the program to Widener University. With Dr. Stayton as Director, classes were held from 1999 - 2005 at the Wayne Counseling Center in Wayne, PA. The program then moved to Widener's main campus in Chester, PA, and Dr. Don Dyson became the Acting Director, until the hiring of Dr. Betsy Crane as Director in 2007.