The B.A. in Health and Physical Education
The program prepares teachers for health and physical education in grades K-12. It is rooted in the liberal arts and is rigorous, field-centered and personalized, with fieldwork in local schools all four years.
The degree totals 128 credits, with 65 in the major and 11 more in licensure coursework.
Physical Education Courses
- Social Dance (PEC 1331). The history and fundamentals of social dance in America.
- Motor Development and Motor Learning Across the Lifespan (PEC 2100). Theories of motor development, motor control and skill acquisition.
- Team Sports: Skill Development and Analysis (PEC 2101). Skills and analysis in tag football, softball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball and volleyball.
- Individual Sports: Skill Development and Analysis (PEC 2201). Golf, racquetball, dance, tennis, badminton, tumbling and fitness, with pre- and post-testing.
- Trends and Issues of Teaching Elementary Physical Education (PEC 3100). Classroom management, safety, legal liability and community relationships in elementary PE.
- The Application of Physical Education in the Elementary Setting (PEC 3101). K-6 curriculum standards, programs such as SPARK, assessment and biomechanics.
- Human Anatomy with Lab (ANA 2070/2071). Anatomical terminology and the structures and systems of the human body.
- Human Physiology with Lab (PHS 2060/2061). How human body systems function, with lab-based experiments.
Health Education Courses
- Nutrition and Healthy Living (HED 1200). Current nutrition guidelines and a personal fitness and nutrition improvement plan.
- Prevention and Substance Abuse (HED 2100). Disease causes, prevention and treatment, and the signs of substance abuse.
- Human Sexuality and Relationships (HED 2200). The physiological, psychological and social aspects of sexuality and relationships.
- Contemporary Health Issues (HED 3100). Current health trends, emotional health and consumer health.
Teaching Courses
- Methods of Teaching Health and Physical Education K-12 (EDU 4173). Classroom management, standards, curriculum and best practices for K-12 health and PE.
- Literacy in the Content Areas (EDU 3280). Helping students read and interpret content-area material, with a 15-hour practicum.
- Discipline and Classroom Management Issues for Middle Grade and Secondary Teachers (EDU 4280). Positive classroom management for the social, physical and emotional needs of adolescents.
- Analyzing and Evaluating K-12 Assessment Data (EDU 4166). Rubric design, data literacy and value-added tools such as EVAAS.
- Diverse Learners and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (EDU 4200). Strategies for English language learners and culturally relevant teaching through SIOP.
- Technology Integration for Middle and Secondary Level Classrooms (EDU 4008). Technology that engages students and strengthens formative assessment.
- Introduction to Student Teaching (EDU 4174). The first half of the supervised 16-week student teaching internship. Degree-only students take Internship in Education (EDU 4811).
- Student Teaching Continuation (EDU 4270). Completion of the 16-week internship under a cooperating teacher and university supervisor.
Licensure candidates also complete first aid and CPR certification.
The Stout School of Education Building
The 31,000-square-foot, LEED-certified building includes a Teacher Resource Center, a children’s resource library, methods labs that simulate elementary classrooms for literacy and STEM, and the Sheehy Specialized Curriculum Learning Lab.
Licensure and Degree-Only Tracks
Students can finish on the licensure track, with 16 weeks of student teaching, the required licensure tests and the edTPA portfolio, or on a degree-only track that replaces student teaching with a four-credit internship and electives. Both total 128 credits. Students can also continue straight into an M.Ed. through HPU’s B.A. to M.Ed. program.
Faculty With School Experience
Faculty include former superintendents, principals, classroom teachers, school psychologists and curriculum specialists. They rely on clinical experiences, simulations and problem-based learning. The Princeton Review gives High Point University a 95 out of 99 rating for professor accessibility, based on its student surveys.
Related Minors
Students can add a minor in athletic coaching or health education, or a special education minor.
EDU-Fellows
Qualified education majors can join EDU-Fellows, a four-year cohort program with special activities, trips and scholarship opportunities.
Field Experience in Practice
Health and physical education coursework pairs content with teaching from the start, and graduates carry that preparation into schools and beyond. Haley Ruehle teaches K-5 health and P.E. at Central Academy at Lake Park. C. David Smith, who earned a physical education degree at then High Point College, helped coach the Ledford High School football team during student teaching and was named HPU’s 2021 Alumnus of the Year. Elizabeth Ring, who minored in health education, joined the Kappa Delta national headquarters as a leader development consultant.
The sequence meets the standards of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and every course is described in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Students can add the Athletic Coaching Minor, and the Stout School of Education connects every major to its district partners and annual education career fair.
“Dr. Martie Bell constantly pushed me deeper into our major and exposed me to professional development before I even attended HPU as a freshman by presenting at state, regional and national conferences.”
Haley Ruehle, K-5 health and P.E. teacher, Central Academy at Lake Park
Health and Physical Education in the News
HPU Students Host Holiday Food Drive, Provide for Local Families
High Point University’s freshman Education Fellows recently hosted a food drive after completing a Hunger in America class. The food drive was part of their semester-long initiative to address food insecurity in the Piedmont Triad.
Explore Health and Physical Education at High Point University
See how HPU health and physical education ranks and where its graduates teach.
Accreditation & Awards Careers & Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Dr. Amy Holcombe at [email protected].