Completing this degree fulfills requirements for licensure in Health and Physical Education (PK-12) in Virginia. Students complete a student teaching experience in their final semester.
Admissions
Four-Year Students
Students entering as freshmen with an interest in majoring in Physical Education will be accepted into the Physical Education, BSEd.
To enroll in Upper Level courses (i.e. PHED 308, PHED 403, PHED 404, PHED 415 and, HEAL 405), students will need to meet the following program requirements:
- complete a minimum of 45 credits
- attain a cumulative GPA of 2.50
- have earned passing grades in
Degree-Seeking Transfer Students
Students entering as transfer students with an interest in majoring in Physical Education will be accepted into the Physical Education, BSEd.
To enroll in Upper Level courses (PHED 308, PHED 403, PHED 404, PHED 415, and HEAL 405), students will need to meet the following program requirements:
- complete a minimum of 45 credits
- attain a cumulative GPA of 2.50
- have earned passing grades in
Licensure testing requirements are determined by the Commonwealth of Virginia and may change at any time. If changes to these requirements occur, students must meet the current testing and licensure requirements as set forth in the legal Code of Virginia.
Policies
For policies governing all undergraduate degrees, see the AP.5 Undergraduate Policies section of the catalog.
Student Teaching Internship
To enroll in PHED 415 Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core), physical education majors must:
- have a minimum 2.50 GPA in the last 60 credits of coursework
- have passed and electronically submitted test scores for the VCLA and PRAXIS II exams to George Mason University and provide a paper copy of the test scores to the internship coordinator
- have satisfactorily completed all required Mason core and professional concentration courses
- have successfully completed an emergency First Aid, CPR and AED certification or training.
The application must be completed one full semester before taking PHED 415 Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core). Application deadlines are listed below and forms are located online.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester—February 1
- Spring Semester—September 1
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
Mason Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | 6 | |
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Information Technology | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (Mason Core) (recommended course) | ||
| Literature | 3 | |
| Arts | 3 | |
| Global History | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Global Understanding | 3 | |
| Natural Science: | ||
| BIOL 124 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 125 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Synthesis/Capstone 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 38 | |
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Fulfilled by PHED 415 Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core), listed below in professional sequence.
Professional Sequence
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATEP 300 | Functional Anatomy | 3 |
| EDRD 300 | Literacy in Fine Arts, Health, and Physical Education | 3 |
| EDUC 302 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| HEAL 110 | Personal Health | 3 |
| HEAL 200 | School and Community Safety | 1 |
| HEAL 250 | Introduction to School Health | 3 |
| HEAL 405 | Teaching Methods in Health Education (K-12) 1 | 3 |
| KINE 310 | Exercise Physiology I | 3 |
| PHED 202 | Teaching Skillful Movement 1 | 3 |
| PHED 218 | Technology in Health and Physical Education | 3 |
| PHED 273 | Net and Target Games | 3 |
| PHED 274 | Dance and Educational Gymnastics | 3 |
| PHED 275 | Field and Invasion Games | 3 |
| PHED 276 | Health-Related Fitness Education | 3 |
| PHED 306 | Psychomotor Learning | 3 |
| PHED 308 | Adapted Physical Education 1 | 3 |
| PHED 320 | Student Assessment in Health and Physical Education | 3 |
| PHED 340 | Social and Cultural Issues in Physical Education (Mason Core) (Satisfies the university Writing Intensive requirement) | 3 |
| PHED 403 | Elementary School Instruction in Physical Education 1 | 3 |
| PHED 404 | Middle and High School Instruction in Physical Education 1 | 3 |
| PHED 415 | Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core) 2 | 12 |
| RMGT 316 | Leadership and Outdoor Education | 3 |
| Select 9 credits in electives. | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 82 | |
- 1
Requires a grade of C or better.
- 2
Students must complete student teaching (PHED 415 Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core) within 5 years of completing PHED 202 Teaching Skillful Movement. If more than five years has lapsed from taking PHED 202 Teaching Skillful Movement and student teaching (PHED 415 Student Teaching in Physical Education (Mason Core), students will have to retake this foundational course before they can student-teach.