(Bachelor of Science Degree)
The Wellness and Adventure Education program educates students to provide and manage fitness and health promotion programs as well as includes introductory coursework related to physical and health education teacher certification. Students who wish to work with children in kindergarten through 12th grade should select the Teacher Education track. This is the first of two programs which prepares students to become coaches and eligible for certification as physical education and health education teachers (see the Master’s Degree in Education which completes this preparation). The Corporate Wellness Track prepares students to become fitness professionals and apply physical and health promotion strategies to clients of all ages in businesses and organizations. Students will be taught a range of methods by which health promotion can be achieved.
The Wellness and Adventure Education program emphasizes adventure education, which involves structured learning exercises characterized by perceived risk or challenge (including low and high ropes courses) and reflection. Students in the Teacher Education and Corporate Wellness tracks participate in some or all of the adventure education courses to develop the skills needed to create meaningful, effective, and safe learning experiences in their respective disciplines. Please note that both the Teacher Education track the Corporate Wellness track require moderate physical activity including, but not limited to, running, jumping, climbing, and tumbling. All students are required to meet the departmental code of professional conduct (see program website for details).
Students in the Corporate Wellness Track must earn a C or better in all major and major-related classes. To graduate, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required. Throughout their education, students are required to follow the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations Code of Ethics (see: http://www.cnheo.org/ethics.html). During fieldwork and internships, they also are required to follow site policies and procedures including those related to physical examinations and immunizations. Malpractice insurance is required for internships.
Students in the Teacher Education Track will be admitted into the dual degree program as first-year students and must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 in their first two years and have a GPA of 3.0 at the end of their Junior Year. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required in year 4. Students must earn a C or better in all major and major-related classes. Throughout their education, students are required to follow the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations Code of Ethics and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education Code of Conduct for P-12 Physical Education Teachers. During fieldwork, they also are required to follow site policies and procedures including those related to physical examinations and immunizations.
Students in the Corporate Wellness and Teacher Education Tracks who do not meet the grade, ethics, or fieldwork/internship site requirements may be removed from the Wellness and Adventure Education program. Such decisions are made by the program’s full-time faculty and Chair. Students who wish to appeal the decision of the Wellness and Adventure Education program may do so to the Academic Standards Committee. Students who wish to appeal the decision of the Academic Standards Committee may do so to the Provost.
Learning Objectives
- To assess participants’ health and design effective and safe programs which promote physical, intellectual, emotional, and social well-being.
- To implement effective and safe programs which promote physical, intellectual, emotional, and social well-being.
- To develop leadership skills necessary for transforming activity into positive behavior change.
- To modify programs and leadership skills to enable people with disabilities to participate in and benefit from programming.
- To demonstrate proficiency in skills related to fitness, health education, and adventure education.
- To evaluate outcomes such as program effectiveness and participant well-being.
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