Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
Physical Education and Kinesiology (PEK) program prepares students to teach, motivate, and shape the lives of Pre-K through adult learners in physical education, movement, wellness, and sport-based environments. The primary goal is to ensure our students understand the importance of and have the pedagogical skills to teach individuals to be physically literate or develop the ability to move with competence and confidence in a variety of different environments. Students can focus on physical education teaching certification where they will teach school physical education to individuals from preK-12th grades or students can focus on sport pedagogy and provide physical activity instruction to individuals across the developmental spectrum in commercial settings (i.e., YMCA, indoor and outdoor recreation centers/camps/resorts, fitness centers, campus recreation centers, aquatic centers, etc.). Students graduating in PEK are well prepared to deliver physical education and physical activity to individuals in school and community settings.
Program graduates are physical activity and wellness leaders in their school, communities, and states who promote healthy, active lifestyles for children and adults alike. The undergraduate PEK program is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Admissions for 2026-2027
First-Time Freshmen who meet the university requirements are directly admitted into the Physical Education and Kinesiology major.
Across the first 4 semesters, students must complete a series of tasks to meet Benchmark 1. Specifically, students must:
- Earn a grade of C- or higher in PET 101, ACE 149, PET 175, PET 215, PET 244;
- Achieve an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher;
- Earn ratings of "Acceptable" or better on the program's professionalism assessment;
- Satisfy all other requirements related to school access and safety (e.g., background checks, minors on campus training).
Students must meet the requirements in Benchmark 2 by October 15th preceding the start of Residency 2 in January. Students who meet the Benchmark 2 requirements will be in the Physical Education Teaching Licensure Area of Emphasis. Students not meeting the Benchmark 2 requirements will be in the Sport Pedagogy Area of Emphasis.
Benchmark 2 requirements must be met by October 15th of Residency 1 coursework in order to be eligible for the Physical Education Teaching Licensure Area of Emphasis. Benchmark 2 requirements are:
- Meet the WVDE Pre-Professional Skills Requirement.
- Pass the Physical Education (5091) PRAXIS II exam and submit scores.
- Meet WVDE requirements for the Residency 1 and 2 clinical experience permit.
Students in the Physical Education Teaching Licensure AoE are required to complete, submit, and pass the edTPA assessment to complete their degree and to be recommended to the state of West Virginia for licensure. To earn the Physical Education Teaching Licensure AoE students must:
- Earn a grade of C- or higher in all PET courses.
- Achieve an overall GPA of a 2.5 or higher.
- Earn ratings of "Acceptable" or better on the program professionalism assessment across all PET courses.
- Meet WVDE requirements for Residency 2 clinical experiences permit.
Accelerated B.S./M.S. Physical Education Teacher Education
Students must complete an internal application for admission to the accelerated B.S./M.S. (ABM) program. Students may apply for regular admission to the ABM in PETE in the fall semester following the completion of 60 credits. Only enrolled WVU PEK majors may be considered for regular admission to the program. Transfer students must complete at least 24 credit hours as degree-seeking students at WVU before applying. The minimum GPA requirement for regular admission is GPA of 3.0, with no provisional admissions allowed. Additional criteria include acceptable performance on the program's Professionalism Assessment used to monitor undergraduate student dispositions each semester. Regular admission will not be offered to students with less than 2 semesters to complete the bachelor’s degree. The ABM in PETE is not available to students seeking a second (or subsequent) bachelor’s degree. Internal application is due by October 1 with program admissions decisions communicated by December 15. Applications will be reviewed by a three member work group (2 PETE faculty and 1 academic adviser) and presented to the program faculty for a final admissions decision.
Major Code: 5508
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 50 | |
| Physical Education and Kinesiology Major Requirements | 70 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 | 28 | |
| CAHS 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Electives | 20 | |
| Total Hours | 50 | |
Physical Education and Kinesiology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all Foundations coursework. | ||
| PET 101 | Games in American Culture (Foundations) | 3 |
| ACE 149 | Introduction to Applied Anatomy | 3 |
| PET 175 | Motor Development | 2 |
| PET 215 | Adapted Sports and Physical Activity for All Learners (GEF 7) | 3 |
| PET 244 | Motor Learning and Performance | 2 |
| ACE 307 | Applied Sport Physiology | 3 |
| PEK BLOCK OF COURSES * | ||
| All students must earn a minimum grade of C- in all required PET courses. | ||
| And all students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher each semester. | ||
| PET 228 | Instructional Models and Curriculum in Physical Education (Fulfills Writing and Communication Skills Requirement) | 3 |
| PET 233 | Pedagogy Theory and Application | 3 |
| PET 233L | Pre-Residency Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| PET 346 | Teaching of Invasion Games | 3 |
| PET 347 | Teaching of Net and Wall Games | 3 |
| PET 369 | Residency 1 Teaching Elementary Physical Education | 3 |
| PET 369L | Residency 1 Teaching Elementary Physical Education Laboratory | 1 |
| PET 441 | Technology in Physical Education | 3 |
| PET 441L | Pre-Residency Lab 2 | 1 |
| PET 445 | Standards-Based Assessment in Physical Education | 3 |
| PET 449 | Teaching of Lifetime, Fitness, and Rhythmic Activities | 3 |
| PET 477 | Adapted Sports and Physical Activity Practicum | 3 |
| RDNG 422 | Reading in the Content Areas | 3 |
| PET 401 | Foundations of Health Education | 3 |
| PET 402 | Core Concepts in Health Education | 3 |
| PET 403 | Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation for Health Educators | 3 |
| Areas of Emphasis | 12 | |
| Students complete one of the following required Areas of Emphasis: | ||
Physical Education Teaching Licensure ** | ||
Sport Pedagogy | ||
| Total Hours | 70 | |
- *
Must meet Benchmark 1 to take PEK Block of Courses:
- Earn a grade of C- or higher in the required PET courses.
- Achieve an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Earn ratings of "Acceptable" or better on the program professionalism assessment in PET 215.
- Satisfy all other requirements related to school access and safety (e.g., background checks, minors on campus training).
- **
Must meet Benchmark 2 by October 15th of Residency 1 coursework in order to be eligible for the Physical Education Teaching Licensure Area of Emphasis:
- Meet the WVDE Pre-Professional Skills Requirement.
- Pass the Praxis II (5091) exam and submit passing scores.
- Meet WVDE requirements for the Residency 1 and 2 clinical experience permit.
Students in the Physical Education Teaching Licensure AoE are required to complete, submit, and pass the edTPA assessment to complete their degree and to be recommended to the state of West Virginia for licensure.
- ***
Must meet Benchmark 3 prior to enrolling in the Physical Education Teaching Licensure Area of Emphasis, students must:
- Earn a grade of C- or higher in all PET courses.
- Achieve an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Earn ratings of "Acceptable" or better on the program professionalism assessment across all PET courses.
- Satisfy all other requirements related to school access and safety (e.g., background checks, minors on campus training).
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| CAHS 191 | 2 | ACE 149 | 3 |
| PET 101 (GEF 5) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| PET 175 | 2 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| General Elective | 5 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| General Elective | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PET 244 | 2 | ACE 307 | 3 |
| PET 401 | 3 | RDNG 422 | 3 |
| PET 215 (GEF 7) | 3 | PET 402 | 3 |
| GEF 2B | 4 | GEF 4 | 3 |
| GEF 6 | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PET 228 | 3 | PET 347 | 3 |
| PET 233 | 3 | PET 441 | 3 |
| PET 233L | 1 | PET 441L | 1 |
| PET 403 | 3 | PET 477 | 3 |
| PET 449 | 3 | General Elective | 6 |
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PET 346 | 3 | Area of Emphasis | 12 |
| PET 369 | 3 | ||
| PET 369L | 1 | ||
| PET 445 | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 6 | ||
| 16 | 12 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Recommendation for Teacher Certification
Students in the Physical Education Teaching Licensure area of emphasis must satisfy the following WV certification requirements for Physical Education, preK-adult.
1. Students must meet the Pre-Professional Skills requirement and pass PRAXIS II (5091 exam) in physical education prior to Residency 2 - Student Teaching in Physical Education.
2. Students are required to complete, submit, and pass the edTPA assessment to complete their teacher education program, and to be recommended to the state of West Virginia for certification.
Note. Students interested in teaching in another state will need to meet the certification requirements of that state. The inclusion of School Health is designed to prepare students for certification in Health following receipt of their initial certification in Physical Education.
Areas of Emphasis
Physical Education Teaching Licensure Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PET 488 | Residency 2 in Physical Education | 10 |
| PET 489 | Residency 2 Seminar | 2 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Sport Pedagogy Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACE 256 | Foundations of Coaching | 3 |
| ACE 310 | Coaching Pedagogy | 3 |
| CAHS 300 | Career Exploration in Applied Human Sciences | 3 |
| CAHS 489 | Capstone Experience in AHS | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Accelerated Program
Accelerated B.S./M.S. Physical Education Teacher Education Program
Students in this accelerated bachelor's to masters (ABM) program have the opportunity to concurrently complete their undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Kinesiology and their master's degree in Physical Education Teacher Education via an accelerated pathway. Students may apply for admission to this ABM in the fall semester following completion of a minimum 60 credits and/or at least three semesters of full-time coursework. Only enrolled WVU Physical Education and Kinesiology majors may be considered for admission to the program. Transfer students must complete at least 24 credit hours as degree-seeking students at WVU before applying. The minimum standard for admission is a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0, with no provisional admissions allowed. Additional criteria include acceptable performance on the program's Professionalism Assessment used to monitor undergraduate student dispositions each semester and passing scores on the PRAXIS Core Exam. Regular admission will not be offered to students with less than two semesters to complete the bachelor's degree. Students may apply using a Qualtrics application form that requires a resume and personal statement. Applications are due by October 15th with program admission decisions communicated by the end of the fall semester. Applications will be reviewed by an established ABM admissions work group.
Students in this ABM program must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 throughout their enrollment in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Students in this ABM will complete all 30 credits of master's degree courses, 12 credits of which will count toward elective credit at the undergraduate level. Grades from selected courses (i.e., 12 credits) will be counted toward the students' GPA at both the bachelor's and master's degree levels for the purposes of determining satisfactory performance. Unless given specific permission by the Dean's Office, students admitted to this ABM program must maintain full-time continuous enrollment during fall and spring terms. Enrollment requirements in the summer term include the completion of 6 credits at the graduate level across consecutive years. Students' eligibility to remain in this ABM program will be evaluated at the end of each semester. Students failing to meet program or University standards will be placed on program probation for no more than one semester, after which they will be terminated from the ABM program. Terminated students as well as students who choose not to continue the ABM program will be eligible to receive their bachelor's degree after completing the traditional bachelor's degree requirements.
Accelerated B.S./M.S. Degree Requirements
Students must fulfill all degree requirements for the B.S. in Physical Education and Kinesiology, including earning a minimum grade of C- in all PET CORE Block courses and maintaining a 2.5 GPA. In addition to all the requirements of the M.S. in Physical Education Teacher Education degree requirements, students must also meet all the requirements of the ABM.
ABM Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Education and Kinesiology Major Requirements | 108 | |
| Shared Bachelor's/Master's Curriculum Requirements | 12 | |
| M.S. Physical Education Teacher Education Degree Requirements | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 138 | |
Shared Bachelor's/Master's Coursework Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following courses: | 12 | |
| Instructional Technology in Physical Education | ||
| Principles of Effective Teaching in Physical Education-Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Adapted Physical Education-Advanced Laboratory | ||
| School Physical Activity Programs-Advanced Laboratory | ||
| School Physical Activity Programs | ||
| Adapted Physical Education | ||
| Principles of Effective Teaching in Physical Education | ||
| Physical Education Supervision and Advocacy-Advanced Laboratory | ||
Choose ONE Area of Emphasis | ||
Curriculum and Instruction | ||
| Curriculum and Teaching Principles | ||
| Classroom Organization and Management | ||
| OR | ||
Interscholastic Sport Administration | ||
| Interscholastic Sport Organization and Administration | ||
| Leadership in Interscholastic Athletic Administration | ||
| OR | ||
Models-based Physical Education | ||
| Models-based Physical Education | ||
| Models-based Physical Education-Advanced Laboratory | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| CAHS 191 | 2 | ACE 149 | 3 | ||
| PET 101 (GEF 5) | 3 | ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| PET 175 | 2 | GEF 3 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 | ||
| General Electives | 5 | GEF 8 | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 1 | ||||
| 15 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| PET 244 | 2 | ACE 307 | 3 | ||
| PET 215 (GEF 7) | 3 | RDNG 422 | 3 | ||
| PET 401 | 3 | PET 402 | 3 | ||
| GEF 2B | 4 | GEF 4 | 3 | ||
| GEF 6 | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| PET 228 | 3 | PET 347 | 3 | ABM | 3 |
| PET 233 | 3 | PET 441 | 3 | ABM | 3 |
| PET 233L | 1 | PET 441L | 1 | ||
| PET 403 | 3 | PET 477 (ABM) | 3 | ||
| PET 449 | 3 | ABM | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 2 | ABM | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| PET 346 | 3 | Area of Emphasis | 12 | ABM | 3 |
| PET 369 | 3 | ABM | 3 | ABM | 3 |
| PET 369L | 1 | ABM | 3 | ||
| PET 445 (ABM) | 3 | ||||
| ABM | 3 | ||||
| ABM | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 18 | 6 | |||
| Total credit hours: 138 | |||||
Major Learning Outcomes
Physical Education and Kinesiology
The goal of the program is for students to possess the skills to teach, motivate, and shape the lives of preK to adult learners in physical education, movement, wellness, and sport-based environments.
Standard 1: Content and Foundational Knowledge Physical education candidates demonstrate an understanding of common and specialized content, and scientific and theoretical foundations for the delivery of an effective preK-12 physical education program.
Standard 2: Skillfulness and Health-Related Fitness Physical education candidates are physically literate individuals who can demonstrate skillful performance in physical education content areas and health-enhancing levels of fitness.
Standard 3: Planning and Implementation Physical education candidates apply content and foundational knowledge to plan and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with local, state and/or SHAPE America’s National Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education through the effective use of resources, accommodations and/or modifications, technology and metacognitive strategies to address the diverse needs of all students.
Standard 4: Instructional Delivery and Management Physical education candidates engage students in meaningful learning experiences through effective use of pedagogical skills. They use communication, feedback, technology, and instructional and managerial skills to enhance student learning.
Standard 5: Assessment of Student Learning Physical education candidates select and implement appropriate assessments to monitor students’ progress and guide decision making related to instruction and learning.
Standard 6: Professional Responsibility Physical education candidates demonstrate behaviors essential to becoming effective professionals. They exhibit professional ethics and culturally competent practices; seek opportunities for continued professional development; and demonstrate knowledge of promotion/advocacy strategies for physical education and expanded physical activity opportunities that support the development of physically literate individuals.