Contact Us Campus Box 5956 Phone: 910.962.3250 Fax: 910.962.7073 shahs2@uncw.edu
Bachelor of Arts: Healthful Living & Fitness Education
The Healthful Living & Fitness Education major (or HFE, formerly Physical Education & Health) is designed for students wanting to enter K‑12 teaching in healthful living and fitness education, or the health, wellness, and fitness industries. HFE students complete core major courses in Healthful Living & Fitness Education and then choose from one of two specialty options: K‑12 Teacher Licensure Specialty (2.7 GPA requirement for teaching) or Lifetime Fitness & Health Specialty (2.0 GPA requirement for health, wellness, and fitness).
Healthful Living & Fitness Education majors are provided with on-campus practicum experiences that prepare them for their internship semester. Additionally, the UNCW Fitness Clinic provides opportunities for HFE students enrolled in core major course PED 415: Adapted Physical Education to actively work with students with disabilities. Activities in this course include: adapted aquatics, fitness and physical activity, health, and leisure activities. Students in PED 415 are assigned to a younger student with a disability for one-on-one interaction where they conduct assessments in physical fitness, motor skills, health knowledge, and social behavior. Additionally, PED 415 students create and implement an individual educational program (IEP) tailored to meet the needs of their student partner.
Additionally, students who already hold a non-teaching bachelor’s degree and are seeking initial teaching certification in physical education and health can pursue the online Master of Arts in Teaching degree.
Students can declare Healthful Living and Fitness Education after completion of 24 credit hours and a 2.0 or higher UNCW GPA.
Students must also choose from one of two concentration options when declaring: Lifetime Fitness and Health (employment in health, wellness, or fitness) or K-12 Teacher Licensure (prepares students to teach, coach, or enter leadership in K-12 schools).
The Lifetime Fitness and Health Concentration requires a 2.0 GPA.
The K-12 Teacher Licensure Concentration requires students to also apply to Watson School of Education. These requirements include: completion of 45+ credit hours, a C- or higher in English, Math, Science, and EDN 200, and a minimum 2.7 GPA. Application to Watson can be done after declaration of the Healthful Living and Fitness Education major.
The K‑12 Teacher Licensure Specialty is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and prepares students to teach, coach, and assume leadership positions in K‑12 schools. Hands-on training is a central theme in this specialty area, and practicum experiences are embedded into seven courses throughout the program. Teacher Licensure students complete their program of study with a 12-hour internship where they are placed into a local school for 15 weeks. Another noteworthy practicum experience in this specialty area is PED 387, wherein UNCW Physical Education faculty collaborate with the Isaac Bear Early College High School (IBECHS) to assist PED 387 students in offering physical education to the IBECHS students. VIDEO
The Lifetime Fitness & Health Specialty is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in the health, wellness, and fitness industries. This a broad specialty allowing for a holistic understanding of these career fields as well as an introduction to entrepreneurship to aid in building a business in health and wellness.
UNCW degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for applicable exams. However, requirements in other states may be different. If you are considering a degree program that in order to qualify for a professional license and/or certification, please note that at this time UNCW may or may not be able to advise whether the program meets requirements outside of North Carolina. Prior to enrolling, please discuss this important topic with your program of interest.
