The Program
The undergraduate program provides an interdisciplinary four year course of study leading to an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education (B.P.H.E.).
The goal is to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers or further study relating to physical activity and health.
The B.P.H.E. program is accredited in both Kinesiology and Physical Education Teacher Preparation by the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA). The Physical Education Teacher Preparation accreditation will strengthen the preparation of students who seek careers in teaching. The Kinesiology accreditation will be of special interest to students seeking careers in the health sciences.
The program consists of four interrelated parts:
The academic component consists of 20.0 full course equivalents. Within these course credits, students have both required and optional courses. The sequence of required courses has been designed to provide a solid grounding in the behavioural, biophysical, and sociocultural bases of physical activity and health. In third and fourth year, students may apply their learning and experience to professionally supervised leadership placements. These optional courses provide an opportunity for specialization in one or more of the sub-disciplines involved in physical activity studies. The academic component also includes four to six elective courses from another division within the University.
The activity component is designed to give students a practical understanding of a number of popular forms of Canadian physical activity, and how they can be taught to enhance participation and the enjoyment and health of participants. In each of the four years, students take one required core rotation. These rotations begin with a foundation course which addresses basic aquatics, dance, gymnastics, run/jump/throw and fitness principles. In second year, the rotation focuses on the development of sport skills, while the third year rotation includes movement and health, pedagogy, principles of fitness 11, introduction to inclusion, and advanced sport instruction. In the fourth year, game skills, movement forms and organizational skills are applied to various games, dances and activities for differing populations and cultures in our society.
The outdoor activity component is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to engage in pleasurable and environmentally supportive physical activity in natural settings. It consists of three courses to be taken over the four years.
The leadership courses are designed to meet the Faculty’s objective of developing leaders within the broad field of physical education and health. In these placement courses, students address the theoretical knowledge base in the area of leadership, observe leaders “in action,” apprentice with various experts, and have the opportunity to assume an independent leadership placement.
The four components are linked throughout the B.P.H.E. program. It is the Faculty’s belief that all four are integral to the preparation of a successful leader in physical and health education.