Academic Catalog

Health and Physical Education Teaching (M.S.)

Degree Options

There are four concentrations for Master's of Science with a major in Health and Physical Education Teaching. Concentrations are selected on the basis of prior degrees and career focus.

  1.  Continuing Education seeking K - 12 Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification (for candidates who already have a Michigan teaching certificate to teach in other content areas, but wish to Health and Physical Education to their teaching certificate)
  2. Continuing Education (for candidates who are already certified in Health and Physical Education Teaching, and would like to continue their studies in these areas by adding a Masters-level credential) 
  3. Initial K-12 Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification (for candidates who have a Bachelors degree in a field outside of Education and are now interested in obtaining an initial teacher certification in Health and Physical Education Teaching)
  4. Adapted Physical Education Endorsement (for candidates seeking the Special Education Endorsement - Physical Education for Students with Disabilities

Overview

The program emphasis is on obtaining teaching knowledge and skills Health and Physical Education Teaching. The curriculum includes classes in; curriculum development for school health and physical education programs, implementing developmentally appropriate instruction for all learners, assessing health and physical education content knowledge and skill proficiency, using instructional technology effectively, and demonstrating the qualities of a professional Health and Physical Educator. Each concentration is comprised of tailored coursework and professional experiences according the student's prior background and professional aspirations to prepare them to meeting multiple levels of disciplinary standards including:

  • The Michigan Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (MI InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards, adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) in 2013, define the theoretical and practical knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all entry-level teachers should possess upon completion of an approved teacher preparation program.
  • Michigan-specific content standards define the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the specific discipline(s) in which teacher candidates seek endorsements, as well as pedagogical applications of that disciplinary knowledge.” “Standards for the preparation of Health and Physical Education Teachers in Michigan.”

Admission Requirements

Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School and the Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies. Additionally, in order to be eligible for admission, applicants must submit the following: Scores from a nationally normed test (i.e., ACT, SAT), a negative Tuberculosis (TB) test completed within the last three years,  and a Criminal History Background check completed through Castle Branch, and official undergraduate transcripts. 

Testing in the Health and Physical Education content areas are required for State Certification and completed near the end of the professional coursework. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) examination scores must be sent directly to Wayne State University by Evaluation Systems Group of Pearson, the MTTC testing agency. When registering for the MTTC, students should select "Wayne State University" as a "College or University to Receive Scores."

Continuing Education  

This is the concentration that it is the most flexible. Students who enroll in this program already have teacher certification and are coming back to school to obtain their master’s and gain professional knowledge. Given this focus, it is important for students to have flexibility with their options. There are two required courses for this concentration (6 credit hours) and 24 credit hours that are electives. The electives must be taken in KIN, KHS, HPE, HE, or SAM and must be approved by the advisor. This is a total of 30 credit hours to obtain the degree.  

Required Courses

HPE 6220Technology in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6230Socio-cultural Issues in Physical Activity3
Total Credits6

Continuing Education seeking K-12: Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification 

This concentration is for students who are already certified in another subject area and are looking to add Health and Physical Education Teaching as an endorsement to their teacher licensure. This concentration has a minimum of 30 credit hours but could take up to 51 credits to complete (depending on the courses that they might have already taken). The courses that are required for certification are approved by the State of Michigan. The total number of courses/credit hours that need to be taken at WSU to be certified in Health and Physical Education K-12 is 51 credit hours or 17 courses. As these students are already certified in another area (or in a single area such as Health or Physical Education), they might be able to have equivalent courses counted toward their state certification. Given these unknowns, this degree is a minimum of 30 credit hours, but requires 51 credit hours if the student does not have any courses at previous institutions.  

Required Courses

KIN 5100Anatomical and Physiological Bases of Physical Activity3
KIN 6110Motor Learning and Development3
HPE 6120Sports I3
HPE 6140Fitness and Dance3
HPE 6200Management and Instruction in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6210Curriculum and Instruction in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6220Technology in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6230Socio-cultural Issues in Physical Activity3
HE 6310Reproductive Health Education3
HE 6320Mental Health and Substance Abuse3
HE 6330Health Behavior Change3
HE 6340Advanced Concepts in Health3
HE 6360Performance Based Assessment 3
HPE 6400Physical Activity in Pediatric Disabilities3
HE 6500Secondary Health Methods3
HPE 6510Elementary Health and Physical Education Methods3
HPE 6520Secondary Physical Education Methods3
Total Credits51

Initial K-12 Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification 

This concentration is for those students who already have a bachelors degree in any subject area, but would like to go back to school to become a teacher. These students will earn initial teacher certification through this master’s degree. The required courses are approved and required by the State of Michigan for Health and Physical Education Teacher initial certification. There is a total of 64 credit hours/19 courses that must be taken. As with all other concentrations, the student can take a minimum of 30 credit hours for this degree if they have taken equivalent courses at other institutions. However, a total of 64 credits/19 courses with equivalent content must be accounted for to obtain recommendation for certification.  

Required Courses

KIN 5100Anatomical and Physiological Bases of Physical Activity3
KIN 6110Motor Learning and Development3
HPE 6120Sports I3
HPE 6140Fitness and Dance3
HPE 6200Management and Instruction in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6210Curriculum and Instruction in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6220Technology in Health and Physical Education3
HPE 6230Socio-cultural Issues in Physical Activity3
HE 6310Reproductive Health Education3
HE 6320Mental Health and Substance Abuse3
HE 6330Health Behavior Change3
HE 6340Advanced Concepts in Health3
HE 6360Performance Based Assessment 3
HPE 6400Physical Activity in Pediatric Disabilities3
HE 6500Secondary Health Methods3
HPE 6510Elementary Health and Physical Education Methods3
HPE 6520Secondary Physical Education Methods3
RLL 6121Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: Grades 6-123
HPE 6600Student Teaching and Seminar10
Total Credits64

Adapted Physical Education K-12 with Certification

This is for those who already have teacher certification in Health and Physical Education or Special Education and would like to add Adapted Physical Education K-12 to their State of Michigan teaching license. There is a total of 30 credit hours needed to obtain the degree with this concentration. Twenty-one of those credit hours are required courses as stipulated by the State of Michigan for certification, and nine credit hours are electives for the student. The electives must be courses in KIN, KHS, HPE, HE, SED, and SAM and must be approved by the advisor.  

Required Courses 

HPE 6400Physical Activity in Pediatric Disabilities3
HPE 6410Teaching Adapted Physical Activity and Sport3
HPE 6420Teaching Aquatics to Special Populations3
HPE 6430Physical Activity Assessment in Special Populations3
HPE 6440Leadership Training and Practicum in Adapted Physical Education3
SED 5000History, Philosophy, and Ethics of Teaching Students with Disabilities2
SED 5080Supportive Environments, Engaged Learning2
TED 6220Foundations III: Foundations of Inclusive Schooling 2
Electives in KIN, KHS, HPE, HE, SED, and SAM and must be approved by the advisor. 9
Total Credits30
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