Undergraduate Catalog 2024-2025

Physical Education, Bachelor of Science (587)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/krs


Program Coordinator

Keri A. Esslinger, keri.esslinger@wku.edu, (270) 745-6038

The major in Physical Education is designed to develop positive teaching skills in physical activity and to meet the need for qualified teachers in public/private schools, business settings, or community agencies. The major requires 94 semester hours for the Physical Education Health Education concentration (PEHE), 79 hours for the Physical Education Teacher Education concentration (PETE), and 60 hours for the Physical Education Movement Studies concentration (PEMS), all of which lead to a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education.

Students who complete the professional education requirements with the PETE, and PEHE concentration, may be certified in the professional education program.

Concentrations

  • Movement Studies (PEMS)
  • Teacher Education (PETE)
  • Teacher Education/Health Education (PEHE)

Program Requirements (60-94)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

Required Core Courses:
PE 111Movement Themes and Concepts I3
PE 123Movement Themes and Concepts II3
PE 211Net / Wall and Target Sports3
PE 212Striking / Fielding and Invasion Sports3
PE 300Lifespan Leisure & Recreation Activities3
PE 310Kinesiology3
PE 311Exercise Physiology3
PE 313Motor Development3
PE 319Adapted Physical Education3
PE 320Methods in Early and Middle Childhood Physical Education3
PE 324Measurement and Evaluation in Kinesiology3
PE 390Fitness / Wellness Applications3
or PE 291 Scientific Base/Conditioning
PE 414Secondary Health and Physical Education Curriculum3
PETE 322Field Experience in Physical Education I2
PETE 415Field Experience in Physical Education II2
BIOL 131Human Anatomy and Physiology4
or BIOL 113/114 General Biology
HMD 211Human Nutrition3
SFTY 171Safety and First Aid1
Total Hours51

Students need to select one of the three concentrations:

Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE)

Students will complete the core courses as detailed above, plus the following requirements:

EDU 250Discover Teaching: Introduction to Teacher Education3
EDU 260Classroom Assessment3
EDU 350Student Diversity and Differentiation3
EDU 360Behavior and Classroom Management in Education3
PSY 310Educational Psychology: Development and Learning3
EDU 489Student Teaching Seminar3
ELED 490Student Teaching5
MGE 490Student Teaching5
or SEC 490 Student Teaching
Total Hours28

Physical Education Teacher Education Health Education (PEHE)

Students will complete the core courses as detailed above, plus the following requirements:

PH 261Foundations of Public Health Education3
PH 365Human Sexuality3
PH 381Public and Community Health3
PH 461Comprehensive School Health Program3
PH 467Drug Abuse Education3
EDU 250Discover Teaching: Introduction to Teacher Education3
EDU 260Classroom Assessment3
EDU 350Student Diversity and Differentiation3
EDU 360Behavior and Classroom Management in Education3
PSY 310Educational Psychology: Development and Learning3
EDU 489Student Teaching Seminar3
ELED 490Student Teaching5
MGE 490Student Teaching5
or SEC 490 Student Teaching
Total Hours43

Physical Education Movement Studies (PEMS) Non-Certification

Students will complete the core courses as detailed above, plus the following requirements:

PE 497Advanced Principles of Coaching3
PE 290Foundations of Coaching Principles3
PE 340Football Coaching3
or PE 341 Basketball Coaching
or PE 342 Track and Field Coaching
or PE 343 Baseball Coaching
or PE 333 Coaching of Volleyball
or PE 347 Sports Officiating
Total Hours9


Students majoring in Physical Education are required to meet with their advisor before enrolling for the next semester. 

Students must maintain a “C” or better in all coursework for this major. Students in the PETE AND PEHE concentrations must meet all requirements for admission into the teacher education program and be admitted into teacher education prior to registering for PETE 415 . All PEHE majors also need to declare the Health Education minor for certification purposes. Additionally, all PEMS concentration students are encouraged to declare the Athletic Coaching Certificate.

Finish in Four Plans

Movement Studies Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
COMM 1453BIOL 131 or BIOL 113/1144
HIST 101 or HIST 1023ENG 1003
PE 1003EDU 2503
PE 1113MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 1153
Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3PE 1233
General Elective3 
 18 16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ENG 2003ENG 3003
PE 2113PE 2123
PSY 1003PE 3133
SFTY 1711General Elective or World Language (if needed)3
General Elective3General Elective3
General Elective3 
 16 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
PE 1011PE 3113
HMD 2113PE 3203
PE 291 or PE 3903PETE 3222
PE 3103PE 3243
General Elective3Connections - Local to Global 3
 13 14
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
PE 3003PE 3193
PE 4143PE 333, PE 340, PE 341, PE 342, or PE 3433
PETE 4152PEMS 4262
PH 3653PE 4973
General Elective3General Elective3
 14 14
Total Hours 120

Teacher Education Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
COMM 1453BIOL 131 or BIOL 113/1144
HIST 101 or HIST 1023ENG 1003
PE 1003EDU 2503
PE 1113MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 1153
Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3PE 1233
 15 16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
EDU 2603EDU 3503
ENG 2003EDU 3603
PE 2113ENG 3003
PSY 1003PE 1011
SFTY 1711PE 2123
General Elective3PE 3133
 16 16
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
HMD 2113PE 3113
PSY 3103PE 3193
PE 1011PE 3203
PE 291 or PE 3903PETE 3222
PE 3103PE 3243
3 
 16 14
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
PE 3003EDU 4893
PE 4143ELED 4905
PETE 4152SEC 490 or MGE 4905
PH 3653 
Connections - Local to Global3 
 14 13
Total Hours 120

Teacher Education Health Education Concentration

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
COMM 1453BIOL 131 or BIOL 113/1144
HIST 101 or HIST 1023ENG 1003
PH 1003EDU 2503
PE 1011MATH 109, MATH 116, or MATH 1153
PE 1113PE 1233
Colonnade - Arts & Humanities3 
 16 16
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
EDU 2603EDU 3503
ENG 2003EDU 3603
PE 1011ENG 3003
PE 2113PE 2123
PH 2613PE 3133
SFTY 1711 
 14 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
HMD 2113PE 3113
PSY 3103PE 3193
PE 3103PE 3203
PE 390 or PE 2913PETE 3222
PH 3813PE 3243
 PH 4673
 15 17
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
PE 3003EDU 4893
PE 4143ELED 4905
PETE 4152SEC 490 or MGE 4905
PH 3653 
PH 4613 
 14 13
Total Hours 120