Is this program for me?

• Do you want to build and manage school and district physical education programs?
  
• Do you see yourself as an administrator for community health programs?

If so, the Physical Education and Health Specialization may be the right choice for you!

Physical Education and Health Specialization

The Physical Education and Health Specialization is for professionals in the field of health and physical education who are directly responsible for addressing the health and physical concerns of individual students, classes, district-wide student populations, and children and adults in the community at large. The primary focus is on school-based health and physical education; however, the program is designed to prepare professionals to teach or administer programs at the university, college, or K-12 schools, as well as in the community.

Professional Core

The 21 semester hours in the professional core required for an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction will provide you the foundational knowledge for planning, developing, and evaluating research-based physical education and health programs. You will study the psychological and philosophical foundations of education, examine critical issues in education, and learn how to conduct educational research. You will also learn statistics, a critical skill for program planning and evaluation.

Specialization Hours

In addition to the professional core, the Physical Education and Health Specialization requires 27 semester hours of coursework in the specialization. You will learn strategic planning and instructional design, assessment and evaluation of physical education and health programs, effective models of teaching health and physical education, and processes for systematic observation and supervision of program activities.

Dissertation

The final step in achieving your doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a Physical Education and Health Specialization involves planning, conducting, and documenting a research study focused on an administrative issue for your dissertation. The dissertation process is a major effort involving 18 semester hours, during which time you will work independently under the guidance of your dissertation committee.

How do I get started?

1. Review the information regarding the Ed.D. program and the Administrative Studies specialization in the UWF catalog.
2. Contact Dr. Todorovich, the Physical Education and Health Program Coordinator and Chair of the Department of Health, Leisure, & Exercise Science, to make an appointment to talk to an advisor.
3. Submit an application to the UWF Office of Admissions.
4. Submit an application to the Ed.D. Program Office.