Health and Physical Education (B.A.) with K-12 Teaching

Health and Physical Education Teaching Certification

School of Science, Engineering and Health

Department of Health and Human Performance

With childhood obesity becoming a major health care concern across the U.S., there has never been a more important time to consider a major in health and physical education. Messiah’s program will prepare you to positively impact young people not only by becoming certified to teach health and physical education for grades K-12, but also through gaining in-depth knowledge of Messiah's successful, Christ-centered coaching practices. Your Pennsylvania teaching certification is transferable to many other states through reciprocity agreements, and Messiah’s graduates have a high pass rate on the required Praxis examinations. Our graduates are also well-prepared to enter graduate school.

You will learn how physical activity affects mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Participation in a variety of cooperative and/or competitive experiences will deepen your understanding about the appropriate stewardship of the physical body and the value of healthful behavior for daily living. You will participate in extensive practical experiences in local schools, with the opportunity to student-teach in rural or urban settings with diverse populations.

Training for the health and physical education major, both in and outside of the classroom, includes access to the proven faculty, coaching staff and facilities of Messiah’s championship-winning NCAA Division III athletics program.

As a health and physical education teaching major, you will be able to:

• Have access to facilities that include: a human performance lab, weight room, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, exercise science lab, and a bouldering wall and expansive Challenge course
• Experience 15 weeks of student teaching in elementary and secondary placements - 3 weeks more than the state's minimum requirement
• Take part in a practicum (45 hours) working with special needs individuals
• Benefit from advisor assistance and counseling from your first year through the process of seeking employment.

Major Requirements:

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