Health and Physical Education Major (B.S.)

The health and physical education (HPE) major provides a foundation for teaching through a four-year program (BS), or the UNH Department of Education fifth-year program leading to a master of arts in teaching (MAT). Graduates become certified to teach kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) health education and physical education in the state of New Hampshire. This licensure is transferable to all other states in the U.S. Extensive supervised practicum experiences that develop teaching skills, including adaptive physical education programming, offer an excellent foundation for preparing high-quality teachers. The combination of health education with physical education and adaptive physical education makes graduates highly marketable.

Fifth Year Program Admission
Admission to the fifth year program for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students admitted to the accelerated masters program (required GPA of 3.2 or greater and completion of 90 credits) are eligible for dual credit at the undergraduate/graduate levels for up to 12 credit hours. This enables undergraduates to begin the masters program in their junior or senior year.

Transfer Student Admission
Internal UNH undergraduate transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.67.
External UNH undergraduate transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.

For questions about the program, contact the undergraduate program coordinator, Holly Alperin at (603) 862-1211, or Holly.Alperin@unh.edu.

Degree Requirements

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

Students must receive a minimum grade of C (2.0) or better in all major-required courses.

Teaching Licensure Program Requirements
In order to ensure full admittance to the teaching licensure program, all students are required to pass Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, Math) or equivalent prior to starting Elementary Practicum (HPE 610). Additionally students must earn a minimum grade of B- or better in the following major-required courses, HPE 570, HPE 675, HPE 781, and EDUC 605.

Culminating Experience
The coursework for students choosing the four-year or five-year path to teaching certification is exactly the same until the final semester of the undergraduate program. The culminating experience for students in the four-year teaching program is student teaching (EDUC 694D /HPE 694). Students must maintain a GPA of 2.5 to be eligible to student teach. Students choosing the fifth-year program complete a year-long internship, in lieu of student teaching. Students also have the option of completing a concentration in adapted physical education through additional coursework designed to enhance teaching strategies and the programmatic needs of students with disabilities. Students must pass a required background check prior to admittance to student teaching. 

Sample Degree Plan

Students should be registered for, and taking an average of 16 credits per semester to be ‘on track’ to graduate in 4 years. In most semesters, this means a student will be taking Discovery or elective courses to meet this 16 credit ‘load’.

• Apply sound pedagogical practices that enable effective teaching of health education, physical education, and adapted physical education at all levels.
• Create a learning environment that allows each student to feel safe, challenged and valued by embracing the unique strengths each student brings into the classroom and gymnasium.
• Integrate foundational skills and knowledge from health education and physical education disciplines that enhance teaching practices in the classroom and gymnasium.
• Design unit and lesson plans within an overall curriculum for health education and physical education that supports the development of students’ intellectual, physical, social and emotional well-being.
• Design and implement authentic assessments for health education and physical education that will enhance and inform student learning. 

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However,  completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria.

UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states. Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification and requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online). The University provides guidance below but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for information about whether this program meets professional licensure requirements in your state.