Bachelor of Science (Undergraduate)
Program Coordinator: Barbara Greene, M.Ed.,
Faculty: Rachel Gurvitch, Ed.D., Mike Metzler, Ph.D., Jacalyn Lea Lund, Ph.D., Barbara Greene, M.Ed., Shannon Williams, Ph.D.
Majoring in Health and Physical Education
The Kinesiology and Health Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Education in Health and Physical Education(BSE in HPE). Students take courses in curriculum, assessment, technology, teaching methods,instructional models and scientific foundation courses such as exercise science, biomechanics and motor learning and development. The curriculum covers elementary physical education through secondary physical education; adapted physical education and health. The program culminates in a semester of student teaching with placements at an elementary school and a secondary school. This major requires a 2.5 overall GPA.
Careers in Health and Physical Education
The Health and Physical Education program prepares students for employment in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade settings. Upon successful completion of the program, the College of Education recommends the student for initial certification in Health and Physical Education in the State of Georgia. Graduates of Georgia State’s program are aggressively sought after by the different school systems for employment.Many teacher candidates sign letters of intent before they graduate.
Undergraduate Curriculum for Students Pursuing a BSE in Health and Physical Education
Georgia State University requires all students seeking a baccalaureate degree to satisfactorily complete a basic core of general education subjects. The core curriculum is drawn in conformance with the requirements of the University System of Georgia and includes 60 semester hours of course work. The core curriculum is divided into six areas of similar subjects: A. essential skills; B. institutional options; C. humanities and fine arts; D. science, math and technology; E. social science; and F. preparation for a major. Regardless of the major, all students must complete areas A-E; area F of the core curriculum is designed to prepare students for the upper-division courses in a specific major. Once a student has completed all 60 hours of the core curriculum (areas A-F) then the student may begin to take upper-division courses in the major.
Students who are planning to transfer to Georgia State University from other institutions in the University System of Georgia should note that the core curriculum at another system institution may contain different courses. Please contact the Office of Admissions at (404)413-2500 for more information about transferring credits.
For those students seeking a degree in Health and Physical Education, the following is meant to serve as a guide. The semester hours required to fulfill the requirements for areas A-E can be found in the current Undergraduate Catalog at http://www.gsu.edu/ click on GoSOLAR, then Course Catalogs.
Students who have completed the junior level classes and meet the following requirements may apply to Health and Physical Education Teacher Education August 1 to begin taking senior level courses.
Students are required to meet all university and college admission requirements. In addition, students must apply for teacher education prior to beginning Area G of the program.
To be accepted into teacher education:
Program Financial Information
B.S.E. majors must pay all tuition and fees charged by the university and the college. A lab fee of $125 will be charged at the time students register for the student teaching experience. Educator preparation students must be aware that extra cost such as fees for LiveText, tort liability, criminal background check, and transportation will be incurred at various times during the completion of various teacher education field experiences, particularly during the students' senior year.
Program Academic Regulations
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with "C" or higher grades. A grade of "C" or higher is required in Area F courses. A grade of "C+" is required for the following courses: KH 3200, KH 3250, KH 3410, KH 3420, KH 4510, KH 4520, KH 4530, KH 4540. Students who do not receive a grade of "C+" or better may repeat the course once. If a student fails to earn a "C+" the second time, then the student is administratively removed from the program. A grade of "B" in KH 4710 and KH 4720 is required for recommendation for certification. Students who do not receive a grade of "B" or better may repeat the course once. If a student fails to earn a "B" the second time, he or she will not be allowed to enroll in the course again and will not be recommended for certification.
Entry into the program does not guarantee continuation in the program, graduation from the program and/or recommendation for certification even if all requirements have been met. Students may graduate from the program with a "B-", "C+", "C", or "C-" without recommendation for certification even if the certification test has been passed.
Program candidates may be placed on a Professional Development Plan (PDP). The HPE faculty has many options to choose from for determining a PDP for individuals. These options may include but are not limited to retaking courses; taking additional courses; and taking speech or writing workshops. Continuation in the program will depend on demonstrating timely and successful completion of PDP requirements.
As the courses progressively become more field-based, program faculty, cooperating teachers, and school administrators may also recommend that program candidates be placed on a PDP, removed from a course or removed from the program. The HPE program faculty has a personal and professional responsibility to ensure that the teacher candidates that enter and graduate from the program exhibit professional behaviors. The HPE faculty is obligated to follow university policy set forth in the following excerpt from the GSU catalog:
The Professional Education Faculty believes that all students who are in field experiences must be personally and psychologically equipped as well as academically prepared. Students may be denied entry to field experiences based on departmental prerequisites or the professional judgment of faculty based on observed performance and behavior. This policy is based on the premise that educators should be part of the evaluation of the students' ability to function adequately and safely in classrooms and those educators have a right and responsibility to make such judgments prior to placing students in schools. The practicum or student teaching supervisor has the authority to withdraw students from their classroom experience if their performance constitutes a detriment to the children in the class. If such removal is necessary, students will be given an F in each corresponding course.
Tort liability insurance and criminal background check requirement: all students must show proof of tort liability insurance and consent to a criminal background investigation prior to admission to Teacher Education and then again prior to enrollment in student teaching (KH 4710 Student Teaching in Health and Physical Education, P-5, and KH 4720 Student Teaching in Health and Physical Education, 6-12). Students may obtain the appropriate forms through education.gsu.edu/oaa/field_placement.htm.
Areas A-E: Core Curriculum Recommendations
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses in Area A must be completed with "C" or higher grades.
Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.
Area F. Courses Appropriate for a Major (18)
Students must complete coursework with a grade of "C" or higher in Area F prior to admission to teacher education.
Required (18):
Area G. Major Courses (53)
Students must apply for teacher education prior to beginning courses in Area G. To be accepted into teacher education, students must:
Content:
Required (34):
* Completion of KH 3010 is required before taking KH 3200 and KH 3410.
** Completion of KH 3250 and KH 3420 with a "C+" or better along with HPE faculty permission is required before taking KH 3200 and KH 3410.
KH 3420 and KH 3700 will fulfill the Critical Thinking Through Writing (CTW) requirement.
Methods and Curriculum:
Required (19):
* Completion of KH 3200 and KH 3410 with a "C+" or higher along with permission of HPE faculty is required before taking the remainder of the courses in this section.
**Completion of KH 4510, KH 4520, KH 4530, and KH 4540 with a "C+" or higher is required along with permission from HPE faculty before taking KH 4710 and KH 4720.
Area H. Practicum and Student Teaching (12)
First Aid and CPR Proficiency: All students must have current certifications in First Aid and CPR (including infant, child, and adult) at the time of application to student teaching. Those certifications must remain current through the end of the student teaching term. Students may demonstrate this proficiency by attaining the appropriate certifications from GSU Recreation Department, American Heart Association, local fire departments or the American Red Cross at www.redcrossatlanta.org/pdf/communitycourses.pdf or by completing KH 3390 Advanced First Aid and Emergency Care (3) Please note: The skills test for first aid and CPR cannot be taken online.
Students must complete student teaching coursework in Area H with a grade of "B" or higher for recommendation for certification.
Required (12):
Total Program: minimum of 125 semester hours
