College of Education > Academics > Teacher Education, Kinesiology and Educational Studies > Undergraduate > Physical Education (BSPE) > Major Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements

​Course Requirements

Biology Foundations: 8 quarter hours required

Course Title Quarter Hours
BIO 201HUMAN ANATOMY4
BIO 202HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY4

Introductory Courses: 8 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
SCU 207SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION4
SCU 336ADOLESCENT AND ADULT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT4
or SCU 337 HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Introductory Activity Core: 4 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
KNES 121SWIMMING2
KNES 213FOLK & SOCIAL DANCE2

Introductory Activity Electives: 10 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
Select five of the following:10
KNES 181FLAG FOOTBALL
KNES 182VOLLEYBALL
KNES 183SOCCER
KNES 185SOFTBALL
KNES 186TRACK AND FIELD
KNES 187BASKETBALL
KNES 276TENNIS
KNES 277GOLF

Physical Education Core: 18 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
KNES 311MOTOR DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE LIFE SPAN4
KNES 206PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTH4
KNES 302FIRST AID: RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES2
KNES 303ATHLETIC INJURIES4
KNES 341HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION4

Advanced Courses: 36 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required

Course Title Quarter Hours
KNES 317PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL4
KNES 325LANGUAGE AND LITERACY IN THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION SETTING4
KNES 372METHODS AND MATERIALS FOR PHYSICAL EDUC CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION-SECONDARY SCHL4
KNES 346ORGANIZATION/ADMINISTRATION OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SPORTS & FITNESS PROGRAMS4
KNES 351KINESIOLOGY4
KNES 352PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE4
KNES 360EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND MEASUREMENT OF LEARNING4
KNES 374ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION4
KNES 390PSYCHO-SOCIAL ASPECTS OF EXERCISE AND SPORT4

Open Electives: 16 quarter hours are required

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. The following cannot be used to fulfill an open elective: WRD 98, MAT 94, MAT 95.

Student Teaching: 12 quarter hours required, grade of B- or better required

Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures above. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete. All students also take KNES 384 during the spring of the senior year (listed in the Liberal Studies section).

Course Title Quarter Hours
KNES 378PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENT TEACHING IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION6
KNES 379PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENT TEACHING IN SECONDARY EDUCATION6
EDU 95CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH (non-credit, non-tuition, PA grade required )0

Licensure Tests

All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Physical Education majors must complete the following tests: 

  • Physical Education Content Area Test (test #144) – assesses knowledge of health-related physical fitness, movement and skill acquisition, the role of physical education in promoting development, and the physical education program in schools. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
  • EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.

Field Experiences

Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education / Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate settings in conjunction with education courses. The field experiences must include a variety of grade levels, multicultural experiences, and a minimum of 10 hours in special education settings. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Field experience hours should be entered by the student into the FEDS system when completing courses with field experience requirements. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.

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