The Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with teacher certification prepares the student to teach health and physical education in a P-12 school setting. The program provides strong theoretical and applied knowledge for working with children at all stages of developmental in both health and physical education.
As a health and physical education program, we view health and physical education as the vehicle to help create a healthier society. Within our program, we equip teacher candidates with the necessary concepts and skills they will need to enable their students to make healthy choices both in school and at home. We model a positive learning environment where ALL candidates can experience success and develop feelings of competence about themselves. We empower our candidates to be health and physical education teachers that will foster predispositions in their students to engage in lifelong physical activity, whatever that may be. The program brings the union of excellent professional and academic standards, multiple opportunities for planned professional hands-on experiences, and a rigorous high quality student centered curriculum. Working with local school districts we provide our candidates with numerous opportunities to develop their skillsets in real life experiences therefore truly honing their craft.
Our health and physical education teacher candidates will use physical education as an opportunity to help their students grow and stretch boundaries making healthy, informed decisions in a safe manner. Through critical thinking and growth opportunities, our teacher candidates will promote student wellness; physically, socio-emotionally, and mentally to help create a healthier society.
Montclair State University’s Teacher Education Program is one of the most highly-regarded teacher preparation programs in the country. It has been consistently recognized both nationally and regionally for its unique features, including its structure, partnerships, and curricular emphases. The program is considered a model for other colleges and universities and has continuously been accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954.
The Teacher Education Program’s professional course sequence and field experiences emphasize teaching for critical thinking and culturally responsive teaching. The undergraduate program reflects a balance of a liberal education and professional preparation by combining rigorous general education, subject matter specialization, and professional training. The professional component for both undergraduates and graduate students addresses four broad areas:
- Student development and learning
- The classroom and the school
- The curriculum
- Effective teaching skills
Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students also are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.
120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA. Major GPA requirements differ depending on the field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 27 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3 | |
| Major Requirements | 51 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements | 39 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Theory Courses | ||
| HLTH 208 | Study of Human Diseases | 3 |
| HLTH 215 | Drug Education in the Schools | 3 |
| HLTH 222 | Mental Health in the Schools | 3 |
| HLTH 295 | Sexuality Education in the Schools | 3 |
| HPEM 199 | Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education | 1 |
| HPEM 352 | Development and Philosophy of Health and Physical Education | 3 |
| HPEM 356 | Management of Health, Physical Education, Athletics and Fitness Programs | 3 |
| PEMJ 320 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| PEMJ 321 | Kinesiology | 3 |
| PEMJ 324 | Basic Motor Learning | 3 |
| PEMJ 351 | Adapted Physical Education | 3 |
| Required Skills Courses | ||
| PEMJ 131 | Fitness Activities | 3 |
| PEMJ 152 | Introduction to Fielding and Target Games | 3 |
| PEMJ 153 | Introduction to Invasion and Net Games | 3 |
| PEMJ 235 | Movement Experiences in Physical Education | 3 |
| PEMJ 335 | Teaching of Elementary Physical Education | 3 |
| Collateral Course | ||
| BIOL 244 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| Total Credits | 51 | |
Teacher Education Program Requirements
Teacher Education Program Requirements (Teacher Certification in Subject Area P-12)
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | ||
| WRIT 105 | College Writing I | 3 |
| 2. Literature | ||
| WRIT 106 | College Writing II | 3 |
| 3. Communication | ||
| CMST 101 | Fundamentals of Speech: Communication Requirement | 3 |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| STAT 103 | The Development of Statistics | 3 |
| or MATH 104 | Fractals and Infinity | |
| or MATH 106 | Creative Thinking through Mathematics | |
| or STAT 109 | Statistics | |
| or STAT 110 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences | |
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology I (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Psychological Foundations of Education | ||
or PSYC 200 | Educational Psychology | |
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Fulfilled in the major or in the Teacher Education sequence. | ||
| Sexuality Education in the Schools | ||
or SASE 210 | Public Purposes of Education: Democracy and Schooling | |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on placement exam complete one World Language course. | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | MATH 104, 106, STAT 103, or STAT 109 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | EDFD 200 | 3 |
| World Language 1 | 3 | HLTH 295 | 3 |
| BIOL 244 | 4 | PEMJ 152 | 3 |
| PEMJ 131 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CMST 101 | 3 | CSIT 100 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | HLTH 222 | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History | 3 | HPEM 352 | 3 |
| PEMJ 153 | 3 | PEMJ 320 | 4 |
| PEMJ 235 | 3 | SASE 210 | 3 |
| Apply to Teacher Education Program* | |||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives (choose a course that also fulfills the World Cultures requirement) | 3 | HLTH 401 | 3 |
| HLTH 208 | 3 | HPEM 455 | 3 |
| HLTH 215 | 3 | HPEM 356 | 3 |
| PEMJ 321 | 3 | PEMJ 324 | 3 |
| PEMJ 335 | 3 | SASE 322 | 3 |
| PEMJ 351 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PEMJ 431 | 3 | SASE 452 | 3 |
| PEMJ 457 | 3 | SASE 453 | 9 |
| SASE 450 | 3 | ||
| SASE 451 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
* Requirements to apply to the Teacher Education program at the end of the sophomore year:
1. Successfully completed EDFD 200, EDFD 220, EDFD 221 and SASE 210.
2. Pass PRAXIS Core (Reading, Writing, Mathematics).
3. Completed nine (9) credits of major courses.
4. 3.00 GPA overall and 3.00 GPA in major courses.
5. Valid American Red Cross First Aid Card.