Undergraduate

Health and Physical Education

Explore multiple aspects of education—from learning theory and health frameworks to physical activity principles and teaching practices.

2026

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Location

Durham, NH

Courses

24*

Credit

128 hrs.*

Full-time

4 yrs.

Part-time

Varies

View course catalog

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Kinesiology

The Health and Physical Education degree at UNH offers comprehensive training in promoting youth wellness and physical development. Here you'll be able to explore multiple aspects of education—from learning theory and health frameworks to physical activity principles and teaching practices.

With a focus on authentic learning experiences, hands-on teaching opportunities, and evidence-based approaches, our program prepares you to engage with children of all abilities. Through intensive coursework and practical classroom experience, you'll develop the essential skills needed to make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of school-aged youth.

*Number of courses and course credit hours may vary, please reach out to your academic advisor for exact requirements.

Please note: admissions to the health and Physical Education (BS) are paused.

Department of Kinesiology

Key Links

Tuition Costs

Contact Cards

Holly Alperin

Clinical Associate Professor

Holly.Alperin@unh.edu

New Hampshire Hall, Durham, NH 03824

(603) 862-1211

WHAT IS HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION?

Health and physical education is a major that prepares you to teach school-aged populations the skills and strategies that support and improve their health and well-being. Emphasis is given to increasing your foundational knowledge and ability to apply teaching practices grounded in health behavior change, movement concepts and sport. The health and physical education program at UNH offers its undergraduate students a way to gain knowledge and teaching skills for developing quality programs in both health education and physical education that will make a difference in the lives of all school age children and youth.

WHY STUDY HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION AT UNH?

Becoming a health and physical education teacher is a rewarding career choice in a high-demand marketplace. The need for teachers has never been greater.Graduates of our program find positions at all levels–elementary, middle and secondary–in physical education, health education and adapted physical education. You will be part of a program with classes taught by faculty who are nationally recognized leaders in their fields. Our program has been ranked in the top 15 percent of all undergraduate health and physical education programs nationwide, with a high rate of successful employment. You’ll also have the opportunity to pursue a fifth-year master of arts in teaching degree.

POTENTIAL CAREERS

Health and/or physical education teacher
Adapted physical education teacher
Community health/wellness educator
Physical activity program coordinator
Athletic coach

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

The health and physical education (HPE) major provides a foundation for teaching through a four-year program (BS), or the UNH Department of Education fifth-year program leading to a master of arts in teaching (MAT). Graduates become certified to teach kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) health education and physical education in the state of New Hampshire. This licensure is transferable to all other states in the U.S. Extensive supervised practicum experiences that develop teaching skills, including adaptive physical education programming, offer an excellent foundation for preparing high-quality teachers. The combination of health education with physical education and adaptive physical education makes graduates highly marketable.

Fifth Year Program Admission
Admission to the fifth year program for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) requires a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students admitted to the accelerated masters program (required GPA of 3.2 or greater and completion of 90 credits) are eligible for dual credit at the undergraduate/graduate levels for up to 12 credit hours. This enables undergraduates to begin the masters program in their junior or senior year.

Transfer Student Admission
Internal UNH undergraduate transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.67.
External UNH undergraduate transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.

For questions about the program, contact the undergraduate program coordinator, Holly Alperin at (603) 862-1211, or Holly.Alperin@unh.edu.

Degree Plan

Sample Degree Plan

This sample degree plan serves as a general guide; students collaborate with their academic advisor to develop a personalized degree plan to meet their academic goals and program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall		Credits
HPE 500	Introduction to Health and Physical Education	2
HPE 600	Movement and Gymnastics Exploration	4
NUTR 400	Nutrition in Health and Well Being	4
1 or 2 Discovery Course		4-8
	Credits	14-18
Spring
HPE 603	Team Sports	3
ENGL 401	First-Year Writing	4
HMP 540 or PSYC 402 or SOC 402	Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals or Statistics in Psychology or Statistics	4
1 or 2 Discovery Course		4-8
	Credits	15-19
Second Year
Fall
BMS 507	Human Anatomy and Physiology I	4
HPE 610	Elementary Physical Education Pedagogy	4
HPE 648	Current Issues in Teaching Health	4
HPE 675	Motor Development and Learning	4
	Credits	16
Spring
KIN 501	First Aid: Responding to Emergencies	1
BMS 508	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	4
HPE 570	Elementary Physical Education Practicum	4
HPE 601	Lifetime Sports	3
HPE 671	Health Education Pedagogy	4
Discovery Course		4
	Credits	20
Third Year
Fall
EXSC 620	Physiology of Exercise	4
HPE 653B	Biomechanics of Human Movement	2
HPE 655	Middle School and Secondary Physical Education Pedagogy	4
HPE 702	Health Content and Youth Risk Behavior	4
Discovery Course		4
	Credits	18
Spring
HDFS 746	Human Sexuality	4
HPE 676	Adventure Activities	3
HPE 712	Health Education Practicum	4
HPE 781	Introduction to Adapted Physical Education	4
	Credits	15
Fourth Year
Fall
EDUC 605	Educational Perspectives in Critical Times	4
HPE 766	Middle School and Secondary Physical Education Practicum	4
Discovery Course		4
Discovery Course		4
	Credits	16
Spring
EDUC 694D	Supervised Teaching/Kinesiology	4
HPE 694	Supervised Teaching in Health and Physical Education	6
Discovery Course (if needed)		4
	Credits	14
	Total Credits	128-136

Requirements for the Program

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits

Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH

Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*

Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements

Foreign Language Requirement: No

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

Students must receive a minimum grade of C (2.0) or better in all major-required courses.

Teaching Licensure Program Requirements
In order to ensure full admittance to the teaching licensure program, all students are required to pass Praxis Core (Reading, Writing, Math) or equivalent prior to starting Elementary Practicum (HPE 610). Additionally students must earn a minimum grade of B- or better in the following major-required courses, HPE 570, HPE 675, HPE 781, and EDUC 605.

Culminating Experience
The coursework for students choosing the four-year or five-year path to teaching certification is exactly the same until the final semester of the undergraduate program. The culminating experience for students in the four-year teaching program is student teaching (EDUC 694D /HPE 694). Students must maintain a GPA of 2.5 to be eligible to student teach. Students choosing the fifth-year program complete a year-long internship, in lieu of student teaching. Students also have the option of completing a concentration in adapted physical education through additional coursework designed to enhance teaching strategies and the programmatic needs of students with disabilities. Students must pass a required background check prior to admittance to student teaching.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
BMS 507	Human Anatomy and Physiology I	4
BMS 508	Human Anatomy and Physiology II	4
EDUC 605	Educational Perspectives in Critical Times	4
EXSC 620	Physiology of Exercise	4
HDFS 746	Human Sexuality	4
HPE 500	Introduction to Health and Physical Education	2
HPE 570	Elementary Physical Education Practicum	4
HPE 600	Movement and Gymnastics Exploration	4
HPE 601	Lifetime Sports	3
HPE 603	Team Sports	3
HPE 610	Elementary Physical Education Pedagogy	4
HPE 648	Current Issues in Teaching Health	4
HPE 655	Middle School and Secondary Physical Education Pedagogy	4
HPE 653B	Biomechanics of Human Movement	2
HPE 671	Health Education Pedagogy	4
HPE 675	Motor Development and Learning	4
HPE 676	Adventure Activities	3
HPE 702	Health Content and Youth Risk Behavior	4
HPE 712	Health Education Practicum	4
KIN 501	First Aid: Responding to Emergencies	1
HPE 781	Introduction to Adapted Physical Education	4
NUTR 400	Nutrition in Health and Well Being	4
PSYC 402	Statistics in Psychology	4
or SOC 402	Statistics
or HMP 540	Statistics for Health and Human Service Professionals
Senior Capstone Experience
HPE 766	Middle School and Secondary Physical Education Practicum	4
Total Credits		86

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Apply sound pedagogical practices that enable effective teaching of health education, physical education, and adapted physical education at all levels.
Create a learning environment that allows each student to feel safe, challenged and valued by embracing the unique strengths each student brings into the classroom and gymnasium.
Integrate foundational skills and knowledge from health education and physical education disciplines that enhance teaching practices in the classroom and gymnasium.
Design unit and lesson plans within an overall curriculum for health education and physical education that supports the development of students’ intellectual, physical, social and emotional well-being.
Design and implement authentic assessments for health education and physical education that will enhance and inform student learning.

Disclosures

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However, completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria.

UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states. Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification and requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online). The University provides guidance below but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for information about whether this program meets professional licensure requirements in your state.

Explore Program Details

Adapted Physical Education Concentration

The Physical Education Option with the Department of Kinesiology would like to offer an undergraduate concentration in Adapted Physical Education.

Completion of the coursework can count towards eligibility in sitting for the Adapted Physical Education National Standards examination.

Program offers

Overall knowledge of instruction
Assessment
Programming for students with disabilites
Guided practicum experiences
Learn to address needs of students with disabilites to become physically literate individuals
19-20 credits of coursework

Required courses

HPE 675 - Motor Development and Learning (4 credits)
HPE 731- Inclusive Teaching Through Sport (4 credits)
HPE 781- Inclusion in Physical Education (4 credits)
HPE 742- PE Practicum for Students with Disabilities (4 credits)
HPE 696- Independent study (3-4 credits)

For more information, please contact Scott McNamara at Scott.McNamara@unh.edu.

FAQ

Q: What is needed to be certified to teach in NH?

To be certified in the state of New Hampshire you need to complete an undergraduate degree program through an accredited school such as UNH. In addition, you need to take standardized tests at the state level for teacher certification.

Q: What kind of certifications will I receive?

The UNH Health and Physical Education program certifies its 4-year B.S. students in both health and physical education. The 5th year Masters program also certifies its teacher candidates in both health and physical education.

Q: What can I do with the certificate?

With a health and physical education teaching degree you are able to teach at any level from kindergarten to grade 12 in either health or physical education. Many of our graduates receive jobs where they are able to teach in both of these areas. The degree also qualifies you to work in a recreational setting. In addition, you will have the knowledge to coach at any level, and teach students with disabilities.

Q: What is the difference between the 4 and 5-year programs?

The 4-year program gives you a B.S. degree with certification to teach in health and physical education. Candidates are only required to student teach for one semester.
Because many states and school districts require a master’s degree to teach, the 5-year program gives you a master’s degree with certification in health and physical education. Candidates in the master’s program complete a yearlong internship.

Q: What if I only want to teach in one area - either health or physical education?

You can do that! What we find is that most students get the job and the teaching levels they want to work in.

Fifth Year Graduate Program

Master’s in Art in Teaching (MAT)

Students who opt for the 5-year graduate program as their route to teaching certification in Health and Physical Education will apply to the UNH Graduate School for admission into the Department of Education’s MAT program.

Students must have a UNH undergraduate GPA (Grade Point Average) of at least a 3.0 out of 4.0. The application process is done online, and three letters of recommendation are required. An outstanding benefit for high achieving students is referred to as ‘early admission’ to graduate school. If an undergraduate has a GPA of 3.2 or better at the time they apply, they will be accepted ‘early’ and can take up to three courses (12 credits) as dual listed – undergraduate and graduate level courses. This would mean that an undergraduate student early admitted to the graduate program, will be eligible to take three of the required five courses as undergraduates. Early admit students would then have only two courses left to complete their graduate program. This saves both time and money!

All graduate students, whether regular or early admitted will also be required to take a full year of student teaching (referred to as an internship), as the major component of the MAT that leads to teaching certification. This includes a 16-week placement at an elementary school and a 16-week placement at a middle or high school. Classes required include: (700 level is undergraduate and 800 level is graduate).

Regular Admission Courses	Early Admission Courses
EDUC 800 Ed Structure and Change	EDUC 700/800 Ed Structure and Change
EDUC 805 Contemporary Ed Perspective	EDUC 705/805 Contemporary Ed Perspective
KIN 802 Content Risk Behavior	KIN 702/802 Content Risk Behavior
KIN 910 Curricular Issues in Health	KIN 910 Curricular Issues in Health
One additional 800 level KIN course	One additional 800 level KIN course

With the additional, 5^th year of study, including the internship, a student will graduate with an MAT Education Master’s degree and certification to teach Health and Physical Education, K-12 in New Hampshire. These teaching certifications will be transferable to all of the other 49 states in the U.S. If you have further questions about this graduate program, contact Holly Alperin at Holly.Alperin@unh.edu.