Individuals receiving a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance with a specialization in physical education are prepared for teaching in grades K-12.

The K-12 physical education program is designed to prepared human performance majors to teach at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels of instruction in the specialty area of physical education.

Typical Job Responsibilities

• planning of physical education programs
• implementation of physical education programs
• evaluation of the teaching and learning processes

Typical Facilities/Agencies

• application of specialty practiced with school age children in school-based settings
• application of specialty practiced with adults in postsecondary institutional settings
• application of pedagogical skills in nontraditional instructinal settings, such as sport-specific comunity-based or residential institutions, correctional facilities, sport camps, various youth organizations

Market Outlook

The employment outlook in Mississippi for K-12 physical education teachers is good. For the past several years, there have been more positions open in physical education teaching in Mississippi than Southern Miss has been able to fill. Students who pursue an "add-on" endorsement in an additional subject area find greater marketability. "Add-on" endorsements can be received in many subject areas through the completion of 21 credit hours in the subject.

Admission into Professional (Teacher) Education Program

A student must have a 2.5 grade point average on 44 specified hours of the university core curriculum, with an average of C or better in the freshman English courses, to be admited to the Professiona (or teacher) Education Program at Southern Miss.

Additionally, a student must meet minimu score criteria set by the Mississippi Department of Education on the PRAXIS I examination or the ACT. Proficiency in the use of technology must also be demonstrated through the Basic Technology Literacy Exam (BTLE). When all these requirements are met, students may apply for admission to the Professional Education Program for further study in the physical education specialization.

Teacher Candidacy Requirements

The final semester of the physical education program is teacher candidacy (formerly known as student teaching). The teacher candidate earns 14 semester credit hours while working with an approved mentor teacher in a K-12 school. Each teacher candidate has two experiences: one in an elementary school and one in a secondary school.

Before the student is allowed to enroll in student teaching, he or she must have completed all course work and have obtained an overall minimum grade point average of 2.5 (students must also have a C or better in all HPR major and professional education course requirements).

Licensure/Certification Requirements

Upon completion, graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Human Performance with a specialization in physical education. Graduates also receive an endorsement from the College of Education and Psychology Professional Education Program recommending standard licensure for K-12 physical education within the State of Mississippi Department of Education Teacher Licensure Program.

Prior to receiving licensure, students must take and pass the PRAXIS II Content Knowledge: Physical Education exam and pass a PRAXIS II: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam. The requirement for K-12 Mississippi Licensure very similarly meets the requirements of many other states, including Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Georgia.

Salary Ranges

Salaries for teachers in Mississippi public schools range from $28,000 to above $45,000, depending on the level of degree and experience. Benefits may vary with employers (school-based or non-school-based). These may include vacations, sick leave, hospital and group insurance, pensions, and other extras. School-based physical education teachers have summers off.

Placement of Graduates

Recent placement of Southern Miss graduates in physical education include Forrest County Public Schools, Gulfport School District, Our Lady Academy, Ocean Springs Public Schools, Biloxi Public Schools, Pascagoula Public Schools, Forest City Public Schools, Bay Saint Louis Public Schools, Vicksburg Public Schools, Wesson High School, and various school districts in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

University Core (44 hrs with GPA of 2.5 required)

• English: ENG 101, ENG 102, ENG 203
• Humanities: HIS 101 & 102
• Fine Arts: Art 130, DAN 107, MUS 365, or THE 100
• College Algebra: MAT 101
• Social Studies: SOC 101
• Lab Sciences: BSC 250, BSC 250L (Pre-rreq to HPR 301 and HPR 308), approved lab science elective
• Psychology: PSY 110
• Health: CHS 101
• Nutrition 362
• Speech: SCM 111

Program Core (Student must obtain a "C" or better in each course)

• HPR 146, 147, 148 Developmental Skills
• HPR 205L Dynamic Fitness
• HPR 220 Introduction to Human Performance
• HPR 301 Kinesiology
• HPR 301L Kinesiology Lab
• HPR 303 Evaluation in High Performance
• HPR 308 Exercise Physiology
• HPR 308L Exercise Physiology Lab
• HPR 309 First Aid
• HPR 401 Corrective and Adaptive Physical Education
• HPR 404 Motor Development
• HPR 423 Biomechanics

Methods and Field Experiences (Student must obtain a "C" or better in each course.)

• HPR 210 Practicum
• HPR 284 Creative Rhythms
• HPR 314 Instructional Techniques in Teaching Team Sports
• HPR 321 Elementary Physical Education
• HPR 326 Instructional Techniques in Teaching Individual and Team Sports
• HPR 426 Program Design and Supervision in Physical Education
• HPR 462 Methods of Teaching Physical Education (Requires a Gold Card)
• HPR 462L Methods of Teaching Physical Education (Requires a Gold Card)
• HPR 463 Professional Preparation in Physical Education (Requires a Gold Card)
• HPR 490 Student Teaching in Elementary Physical Education (Requires a Gold Card)
• HPR 491 Student Teaching in Secondary Physical Education (Requires a Gold Card)

Education Courses (Student must obtain a "C" or better in each course)

• PSY 374 Educatinal Psychology
• REF 400 Public Education in the United States (Requires a Gold Card)
• REF 469 Tests and Measurements (Requires a Gold Card)
• SPE 400 Psychology of the Exception Individual (Requires a Gold Card)

Requirements for a Gold Card

• GPA of 2.5 or better on the 44 hour core
• ACT composite of 21 or higher with no scale score below 18 or an SAT of 860 (verbal and quantitative) upon entrance into college or acceptable scores on the PRAXIS I: (Minimum Score Reading 170, Writing 172, and Mathematics 169)
• Passing score on the Basic Technology Literacy Exam (BTLE)