Dr. Amanda Blaisdell, Graduate Program Director
(434) 395-2543, blaisdella@longwood.edu
The concentration in Health and Physical Education is designed to enable the post-baccalaureate student to be better prepared to become an educational leader in the profession. Course work has been carefully designed to provide the already licensed teacher with knowledge and skills necessary to effectively assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health and physical education curriculum. You will receive a solid foundation in current trends in the discipline, utilize research effectively, and be able to implement the new knowledge and skills immediately. Program requirements include partnering with an area school or community to submit a grant that could affect student health and wellness in that setting. A six-credit internship will provide an opportunity to pursue an area of interest in a local school or community setting. Internship options include community health, health education, physical education, or adapted physical education (working with children with special needs in physical education). The program offers two tracks:
- Track A - Licensed Health and Physical Education teachers is for candidates who possess a valid Virginia Collegiate Professional License or equivalent from another state with an endorsement in health and physical education.
- Track B - License in a discipline other than health and physical education is for candidates who possess a valid Virginia Collegiate Professional License or equivalent from another state with an endorsement(s) in areas other than health and physical education.
Graduate students who elect to pursue the adapted physical education internship will meet all requirements to register for the national examination to become a Certified Adapted Physical Education specialist.
This master’s degree program is structured to permit the graduate student to complete the entire program in one calendar year (a summer session and two semesters). In addition, part-time students are welcome and flexibility allows completion of the program beyond the one calendar year.
Admission
Applicants to this program must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a valid Virginia Collegiate Professional License or equivalent from another state at the time of admission to the program.
In addition to the above, applicants must have:
- a 2.75 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- provide a minimum of two recommendations
- a 500-word personal essay
- a résumé
- and official transcripts of the bachelor’s degree and any course work completed after that degree.
Professional Portfolio
All students in the health and physical education program complete HLTH 691 - Professional Portfolio, as the culminating experience and exit requirement for the program. Students are scaffolded by their advisor throughout the program regarding professional portfolio requirements. The portfolio is electronic. Grading is Pass/Not Pass. A grade of incomplete (I) may not be assigned. A student who earns a Not Pass is allowed to retake HLTH 691 once. Should the student earn a second Not Pass, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program.
General Requirements: Development of a portfolio provides each candidate opportunities for reflection and self-evaluation, which documents their mastery of program standards and highlights their growth throughout the program.
Administrative procedures for culmination of the process:
- student registers for HLTH 691 - Professional Portfolio ;
- portfolio will be reviewed and evaluated by program faculty members;
- candidate will present a synopsis of the Professional Portfolio to the faculty committee and his/her program peers on a date selected within the semester enrolled in HLTH 691 ; and
- instructor will record the collaborated grade of P/NP for the course.
