Undergraduate Programs in

Physical Education

If you're passionate about sports and fitness and enjoy working with children, Hofstra's physical education degree is a way to combine those interests into a career that can make a lasting impact on the lives of young people. This program will prepare you to become an elementary, middle, or high school physical education teacher and/or coach.

 

In addition to the BSED in Physical Education, Hofstra offers the Physical Education and Health (BS) and Health and Physical Education (MS) Dual-degree program and a Physical Education and Sport Sciences minor

Why Hofstra?

Hofstra offers on-campus adventure facilities, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a large multipurpose Physical Education Building, a weight room, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a Recreation Building with a wide variety of intramural and physical activities, and tennis courts. And Hofstra offers 21 varsity sports (10 for men, 11 for women) that compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Colonial Athletic Association. This provides students the opportunity to join or work with a team, obtain firsthand knowledge of sports performance, and experience coaching top athletes. 

About the program

Our program provides a broad, scientifically based study of a dynamic field that has evolved from traditional games and sports to health and wellness activities that develop both mind and body for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Our faculty is highly diverse and well-recognized, locally and nationally, in their areas of expertise that consist of motor learning, sports psychology, and pedagogy.

Summer Camp

Through coursework and field experience, majors gain opportunities to teach children how to live healthy lifestyles through competitive, noncompetitive, and recreational activities.

Students must complete an independent internship experience coaching a middle school or high school interscholastic team for at least one season (or other similar experience as approved by the program director). 

Hofstra's highly credentialed faculty guide your development, and our full-service Center for Career Design & Development provides additional chances to reach your post-graduation goals.

Curriculum and Requirements

Our program curriculum boasts a wide range of requisite and elective courses from individual, team, and recreational sports to exercise and fitness programs that focus on cardiovascular and muscular development, and flexibility through activities ranging from jogging to lifting weights to martial arts. All courses integrate theory and practice, learning different instructional methods of teaching elementary and secondary content in physical education, sports, anatomy, physiology, fitness for life, adventure, and adapted physical education.

More about the BSED and the Physical Education and Sport Sciences minor

Requirements for Certification

You’ll complete two semesters of student teaching, as well as an internship coaching a middle or high school interscholastic team for at least one season. Majors who successfully complete the program and pass all New York state requirements will qualify for initial certification in all grades.

Courses

Physical education students take a wide range of courses that address health and fitness from various perspectives. Among the classes you can choose from:

  • Adapted Physical Education

  • Fitness for Life

  • Fundamentals of Human Movement

  • Literacy, Health, and Physical Education

  • Methods of Coaching

  • Sports and Physical Education in Cross-Cultural Context

  • Structural and Mechanical Kinesiology

  • Tactical Concepts and Teaching Methods for Team Sports and Individual Sports

Dual-Degree Option

We offer Long Island’s only five-year dual BS/MS in Physical Education and Health and Physical Education.

All teachers need a master’s degree for permanent teaching certification, and Hofstra’s program offers a fully integrated dual-degree program designed to prepare highly qualified professionals.

A dual-degree program allows you to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in less time than if each degree was pursued separately. 

Fieldwork/Student Teaching

The Office of Field Placement offers support as students navigate their requirements for field observations, clinical experiences, and student teaching. Students enrolled in programs that lead to New York state teaching certification are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of fieldwork prior to the student teaching experience.

The Outlook

Our graduates are working in public and private schools, academies, and educational organizations across the nation. They are enrolled in prestigious graduate school programs such as Fordham, Harvard, Hofstra, and New York University. According to a survey of recent graduates: 

  • 91% of respondents reported they were employed or attending or planning to attend graduate school within a year following graduation

  • Of those employed alumni, 96% landed their position either before or within three months of graduating; 100% landed their position within six months.

  • Their mean annual salary is $52K

During Crisis, Finding the Teachable Moments

When New York schools closed statewide in March 2020 to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Hofstra’s School of Education had approximately 135 student teachers placed throughout Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. Jay Lewis, associate dean for External Relations, Field Placement, and Recruitment, believed his aspiring teachers could be a critical resource as schools made the transition to digital learning. He started working the phones, making calls to contacts in local school districts to make sure his students could continue their placements.

The result? 100% of Hofstra student teachers continued to teach online.

Imani Hinson with Dean Jay Lewis

Contact Us

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Joseph Del Gais
Program Director and Adjunct Instructor of Specialized Programs in Education
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