Physical Education, M.A. in Teaching

Master’s Degree Ranking

Ranked #1 out of 12 in Best Teacher Education Grade Specific Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina Ranking.*

The goals of the degree program M.A.T. in Physical Education is designed to provide an exemplary educational environment and experiences leading to advanced skills, knowledge, and attitudes within domains teaching and learning processes.

This program provides a scholarly approach to the study of physical education and prepares its graduates for leadership positions in public and private K-12 settings. The degree program is geared towards students who would like to teach at above educational settings but lack initial certification in teaching, and their undergraduate major was in a field different than teaching.

Admission Requirements

1. Contact one of the pedagogy specialists in the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Science.
2. Complete and return a graduate application form, along with appropriate non-refundable application fee, to The Citadel Graduate College (CGC), Bond Hall Room 101.
3. An official transcript of the baccalaureate degree and all other undergraduate or graduate work directly from each regionally accredited college or university.
4. Applicants are expected to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher. Applicants with less than a 2.5 undergraduate GPA may appeal to The School of Education Admission, Retention, and Certification Committee. The Committee’s recommendation regarding this appeal will be forwarded to the Dean of the School of Education for final action.
5. Successfully complete either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have scores sent to the CGC office. The test must be current within five years of application. Minimum acceptable score for the MAT is 396. The minimal acceptable GRE score is a combined verbal and quantitative score of 290. Applicants who score between 380-395 on the MAT or between 283-289 on the GRE may apply for provisional status provided all other requirements are met. A student admitted into provisional status, who completes 6 graduate semester hours and maintains a 3.5 grade point ratio will be classified as a regular degree-seeking student. Students who score 379 or below on the MAT or 282 or below on the GRE will not be admitted.
6. Three signed letters of recommendation must be sent to the CGC office.
7. A Program of Study completed by the applicant and his/her MAT-PE program advisor must be submitted to the CGC office.
8. A copy of the birth certificate, passport, or military ID as proof of U.S. Citizenship as defined by the State of South Carolina.

Program Requirements

This is a 42 hour graduate program, of which, at least 33 hours must be completed at the graduate level. A maximum of twelve (12) hours of graduate courses may be transferred to The Citadel from other accredited colleges/universities. A maximum of nine (9) hours of undergraduate courses may be applied to coursework in the program. These nine hours may be substituted for three of the following courses: HESS 505, HESS 525, HESS 535, and HESS 561. To qualify, these undergraduate courses must have been completed within the last three years with a grade of “B” or better. This program assumes a substantial undergraduate preparation in the proposed certification area. It is the responsibility of the student, and a requirement of the degree program to submit official transcripts of previous academic work to the program advisor via the CGC office. Through a dual advisor system that includes content and education faculty, transcripts will be evaluated and a program of study developed for each student. This program of study will include work in professional education and a content field.

In addition to regular admission requirements of the CGC, each MAT student must successfully pass the PRAXIS II Examination in the content field in which the student seeks certification. A passing score, using South Carolina standards, must be achieved prior to placement in the Professional Internship.

Prior to the internship in teaching, the teacher candidate must:

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• Apply for the internship no later than May 1 for the subsequent spring internship semester and no later than October 1 for the subsequent fall internship semester.
• Complete the teacher certification application with state-required fees, social security card copy, and fingerprints for FBI/SLED background check.
• Successfully complete the PRAXIS II Content Specialty Exam.- Be cleared by the South Carolina State Department of Education.
• Successfully complete all required field experiences – a minimum of 75 hours prior to the student teaching internship.
• Negative TB test.
• MAT interns must successfully pass Red Cross Blood Borne Pathogens training prior to internship.
• Proof of current American Red Cross certification in First Aid and CPR must be submitted prior to the internship.

To graduate and be recommended for certification, teacher candidates must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and must have successfully completed the PRAXIS II (Principles of Learning and Teaching, Physical Education Content Knowledge) and any other certification tests for the State of South Carolina. The candidate must also successfully complete 60 full days during the student teaching internship. Completion of the approved program will qualify the student for a teaching license in physical education, grades K-12.

Prerequisites or Co-requisites

Students must have completed these pre-requisite or co-requisite courses (undergraduate or graduate) within the last six (6) years with a grade of “C” or better:

• Biology (4) or Chemistry (4) or Physics (4) with laboratory
• Health & Wellness (3) or pass a departmental competency exam
• Human Anatomy (4) and Human Physiology (4) or Anatomy/ Physiology (8) (each course must include a laboratory)
• Adolescent Psychology (3) and Child Psychology (3) OR PSYC-500 Human Growth and Development (3)

Course Requirements

Transcripts will be evaluated against the following list of required courses in physical education. Guidelines from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) are used to determine courses that students take in either graduate or undergraduate school. The M.A.T. in Physical Education will require forty-two (42) hours. Each student is assigned an advisor from the School of Education and from The Department of Health, Exercise, & Sport Science. Both advisors will examine transcripts and develop a program of study for each student.

Required Education and Physical Education Courses (42 hours)

• EDUC-536 Educational Psychology
• EDUC-512 Data Collection & Analysis
• HESS-505 Motor Development and Motor Learning*
• HESS-525 Scientific Principles of Physical Education and Health, Exercise, & Sport Science*
• HESS-527 Content and Methods of Teaching Health Education and Health-Related Aspects of Physical Fitness
• HESS-528 Content and Methods of Teaching Rhythmic Activities and Movement Education
• HESS-533 Content and Methods of Teaching Elementary School Physical Education
• HESS-534 Accommodating Persons with Disabilities in Sport & Physical Activity
• HESS-535 History, Philosophy, and Curriculum of Physical Education*
• HESS-550 Instructional Aspects of Teaching Physical Education
• HESS-551 Content & Methods of Teaching Secondary Physical Education
• HESS-561 Advanced Measurement and Evaluation in Physical Education*
• HESS-620 Professional Internship (6 hours)

The Professional Internship requires that a minimum of sixty (60) full days be spent in the schools, and during the Professional Internship, it will not be possible for the teacher candidate to take any additional courses.

*Undergraduate and graduate transcripts may be evaluated for application to coursework in the program.

Field Experiences

Many education courses require field experiences that vary from course to course and are related to specific course objectives. All field experiences provide opportunities for Master’s candidates to develop pedagogical knowledge and skills. At a minimum, teacher candidates are expected to successfully complete 75 hours of field experiences prior to the Professional Internship that is an additional sixty (60) days.

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