2020-2021 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Health and Physical Education
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to your College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section in this catalog.
Website: gvsu.edu/physicaleducation
The Department of Movement Science offers students the opportunity to obtain a B.S. in health and physical education with an emphasis in professional instruction. The health and physical education program is designed to prepare physical education teaching professionals to promote quality physical education, lifelong skills, and developmentally appropriate activities. Students will incorporate physical literacy, defined as the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities that benefit the health development of the whole person, into the broader goal of physical education. As such, the faculty prepare future physical educators in a course of study that reflects a commitment to the national standards from SHAPE America. These standards include competencies in scientific and theoretical knowledge; abilities in movement performance and health enhancing fitness; skills in planning and implementing developmentally appropriate activities; effective communication and pedagogical skills; and the ability to assess student learning. Students will also engage and demonstrate the characteristics to become effective professionals. Students will have experience teaching at both the elementary and secondary levels in physical education as well as opportunities in working with students who have movement differences. With a degree in physical education professional instruction, our students are prepared to teach in the K-12 environment.
Students majoring in physical education K-12 professional instruction may obtain Michigan certification to teach physical education K-12. In addition, those seeking teacher certification must complete a teachable minor and a 39 credit hours professional education program from the College of Education (see the GVSU College of Education website for more information). Secondary admission to the College of Education requires at least a 2.7 GPA overall and in the major.
Program Requirements
The following programs are available: