Physical Education and Athletic Training

Lynda Nilges-Charles, Chair

Faculty	Programs and Courses
Admission to Professional Programs	Website
Progression Requirements

The Department of Physical Education and Athletic Training offers two undergraduate degree programs: a B.S. degree in physical education and a B.S. degree in athletic training. A minor in school athletic coaching is also offered.

Admission to Professional Programs

Students applying to the teacher certification and athletic training tracks must be admitted to the University. Students must be formally admitted to the professional programs in teacher certification and athletic training. Specific requirements for each track are listed below.

Teacher Certification

The teacher certification track is an NCATE-approved program that prepares people to teach physical education and coach in public and private schools from grades K to 12. The requirements for acceptance into the professional program in teacher certification include a 2.50 GPA, a passing score on the Praxis I exam, a passing score on the Educational and Economic Development Act (EEDA) assessment, a minimum of 60 credit hours, and a C or better in EDFN 300, EDPY 401, PEDU 570, ENGL 101, and ENGL 102. For a complete listing and description of all program requirements, please refer to the USC Department of Physical Education Student Handbook.

Athletic Training

The athletic training education track is a CAATE-accredited program that combines formal classroom instruction and clinical experiences in preparation for the BOC Examination. The requirements for acceptance into the professional program in athletic training include a complete application, 70 hours of clinical experience from a USC-affiliated site, completed program technical standards, completion of prerequisite courses PEDU 263, PEDU 266, PEDU 266L, PEDU 275, and PEDU 300, and a 2.75 cumulative GPA. For a complete listing and description of all program requirements, please refer to the USC Athletic Training Student Handbook and/or athletic training Web site, http://www.ed.sc.edu/pe/athletictraining.

Transfer admission into degree programs in the Department of Physical Education and Athletic Training

Physical Education Teacher Certification

Students from regionally accredited colleges and universities must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) to enter preprofessional programs in physical education.
A grade of C or better must be earned on all courses listed for admission to the professional program in physical education.
Students may not transfer credit for any course which carries a grade less than C.

Athletic Training

Transfer students and traditional four-year students must meet the same admissions criteria for entrance to the program (see “Admission Requirements,” above). Transfer students should plan on a minimum of three years to complete the program once accepted into the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP). The ATEP Director determines transferability of courses into the ATEP plan of study.

Progression Requirements

A student in physical education must earn a C or better in all major course work, including major and minor emphases, education courses, required sciences, analytical reasoning option, and ENGL 101 and ENGL 102.

Students may attempt to earn a satisfactory grade in a major course no more than two times. Only if a valid case for taking the course a third time is established will such be allowed. Validity of a case will be determined by departmental review of a formal petition. Completion of remedial course work may be required.

Standards for general eligibility to continue in the University are described in the bulletin. The Department of Physical Education has additional standards.

Teacher Certification in Physical Education

If the semester, yearly, or cumulative grade point average of a student is below 2.50, the student will receive notification in writing from the department of the GPA jeopardy.
If a student has two consecutive semesters of grade point averages below 2.50 and a cumulative grade point average below 2.50, the student will be suspended from academic programs in the Department of Physical Education.
To be reinstated the student must achieve an overall grade point average of 2.50 and have the endorsement of the Department of Physical Education.

Athletic Training

If the semester, yearly, or cumulative grade point average of a student is below 2.75, the student will receive notification in writing from the department of the GPA jeopardy.
If a student has two consecutive semesters of grade point averages below 2.75 and a cumulative grade point average below 2.75, the student will be suspended from academic programs in the Department of Physical Education. Students will not be assigned an ACI (clinical site) and will not be able to enroll in athletic training courses with assigned competencies without at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA.
To be reinstated, the student must achieve an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 and have the endorsement of the Department of Physical Education.
Students in the ATEP are expected to abide by the NATA Code of Ethics (www.nata.org). For a complete listing and description of all program progression requirements, please refer to the USC Athletic Training Student Handbook and/or athletic training Web site, www.ed.sc.edu/physed.