Health & Physical Education
If you are interested in working with students in health and physical education, the College of Education offers degree programs designed for you.
The Health and Physical Education B.S.Ed. Certification Program (HPE) is designed for those interested in teaching health and physical education at the elementary , middle and high school level. This face-to-face program is offered on the Statesboro Campus. The program consists of: Coursework in the major field of study, Methodology courses addressing academic instruction, and Core coursework in professional education.
The Teaching M.A.T. (Concentration in Health and Physical Education) Online program is for candidates who already hold a bachelor’s degree and who are interested in a career as a teacher of young children. The program of study is designed to meet all content and methods requirements for initial certification in 36 credit hours. Upon successful completion of all program requirements and passing the appropriate GACE exam, you will be eligible for Georgia T-5 Health and Physical Education Certification (P-12). The program is an NCATE accredited, Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved program that is recognized through reciprocity in many other states in the U.S.
Each of the programs is based upon the concept of developmentally appropriate practices and the value of diverse, intensive field experiences working with diverse student populations. The programs are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC).
Professional Certification Disclosure
The College of Education anticipates that graduates will seek initial certification in the following programs: BSEd-Health and Physical Education and MAT-Health and Physical Education).
All programs meet the educational requirements for a teaching certificate in Georgia. The BSEd-HEPE program and MAT-HEPE meet the requirements for certification in CT, FL, HI, ID, KY, LA, NC, ND, NH, PA, UT, VT, VA, and WA only. Unless listed above, Georgia Southern’s program does NOT meet educational requirements for certification in that state. Online students wishing to enroll in a program that does not meet requirements in their state of residence will be required to sign an attestation that indicates that they will seek GA licensure. Out-of-state students living in GA do not have to complete an attestation but may need to meet additional requirements in their home state after graduation.
Georgia Southern makes every effort to ensure information about educational requirements for licensure or certification is current; however, state requirements may change. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants to complete professional examinations, background checks, years of professional experience, residence requirements, jurisprudence exams, training, etc. For more information, as well as for a list of applicable state boards, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure Webpage.