Exercise & Sport Science

PASHE Logo

UW-La Crosse has been a state and national leader in preparing physical, adapted, and school health educators for decades. Our graduates are licensed to teach kindergarten through high school and work in all 50 states and around the world.

You’ll build a strong foundation in motor skills, fitness, scientific principles, teaching strategies, and program development while gaining hands-on experience in both traditional activities and unique offerings like backpacking, ropes courses, and rock climbing. This well-rounded approach helps you graduate career-ready.

Due to its exceptional quality, the UW System has designated the program a Center of Excellence, an honor reserved for high-quality undergraduate programs.

Our goal is to be a leader in preparing educators who inspire lifelong healthy, active living.

Career Opportunities

Our graduates are highly regarded and sought after by school districts, and career opportunities in education and coaching are outstanding.

Our bachelor's degree provides a solid foundation for graduate education and advanced work in physical, adapted, and school health education and other related fields.

For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Brock McMullen

Physical, Adapted, and School Health Education Program Director 
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1725 State Street 
131 Mitchell Hall
La Crosse, WI 54601 
608.785.8167

bmcmullen@uwlax.edu

Exercise and Sport Science-Academic Requirements

Successful completion leads to Wisconsin DPI 1530 (Physical Education), DPI 1860 (Adaptive Physical Education), and DPI 1910 (Health Education) teaching licenses.

General Education Requirements (42 credits). For a complete listing of General Education classes please see the Undergraduate Catalog or Advisement Report.

Semesters 1-4

*Not open to students who have credit in BIO 312/313 (Anatomy and Physiology I & II)

Semesters 5-6

 Semesters 7-8

Semester 9 - Student Teaching

Requirements

1. Students enrolled in Exercise and Sport Science majors must earn a grade of ‘C’ or better in all required ESS courses.
2. Complete all academic course work, clinical experiences
3. Current First Aid and CPR certifications
   1. Certifications must be completed through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association
   2. Must include a practical component
4. Earn a 2.75 or better grade point averages in the cumulative and in all areas of licensure.

The Department of Exercise and Sport Science offers a Coaching Competitive Athletics Concentration, but the concentration does not lead to WI DPI Coaching certification.  If you are interested in learning more about the concentration please contact Dr. Teri Hepler, thepler@uwlax.edu (608) 785-8164.

Application deadline is the third Friday of fall and spring semester (4:00 p.m.)

Application Requirements

• Completion of or concurrent enrollment in the following PASHE foundation courses - Students must earn a C or better in each course.
  • ESS 118  Foundations of Physical and School Health Education
  • ESS 200  Introduction to Teaching Methods in Physical and School Health Education
  • ESS 212  Teaching Fundamental Movement Skills in Physical Education
  • ESS 231  Introduction to Teaching Adapted Physical Education
  • EDS 203  School, Society, and Teachers ¹
  • EDS 206  Multicultural Education ²
• Must have completed 30 Credits.
• GPA: Minimum 2.75 combined cumulative GPA is required to apply for the program and must be maintained throughout the program. 
  
• Reference information for one off-campus individual who can describe the student’s ability to work with students in grades PK-12. 
• A PASHE program reference form will also be completed by program faculty. No student action is needed to complete this reference form. 

     ¹ Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Self and Society (GE Category 6). Also satisfies an SOE core requirement.

     ² Counts toward General Education Program requirement: Minority Cultures or Multiracial Women's Studies (GE Category 3). Also satisfies an SOE core requirement.

After completing the required coursework, you are eligible to submit an electronic application through the School of Education. The application to the program is available on the School of Education admission webpage. 

• Current Resume
  • Applicants must visit Career Services as you develop this resume. Please schedule an appointment with career services by emailing career@uwlax.edu.
  • Uploaded by the applicant through the electronic application survey.

• Physical Activity Reflection Paper (800 words max)
  • This reflection is based on a minimum of 8 hours of active involvement with PK-12^th grade children in a physical activity setting.
  • This experience can be either a paid or volunteer position.
  • A brief description of the overall experience (who, what, where, when, your specific responsibilities, ages of children).
  • Address three areas that you recognize need to improvement on to become a more effective physical educator.
  • 1-2 pages double-spaced, 12 point font.
  • Uploaded by the applicant through the electronic application survey.

• Off-campus Reference Form
  
  • An off-campus reference form must be completed by an individual off-campus who can describe the student’s ability to work with grades PK-12 students. Applicants will submit their reference information in the admissions application, which will be used to send the form to their reference (on the applicants behalf). 

• Interview Requirement
  • Once all application materials have been reviewed and approved, students will be contacted by the interview chair who will set up an interview schedule and solicit applicants to sign up for a 15-minute interview.  The interview questions will be sent to applicants. Interviews will be conducted by three faculty members. The purpose of the interview is to evaluate oral communication skills and ability to relate current issues, content knowledge, experiences, and personal qualifications to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become an effective physical education teacher.

Admission decisions will be sent to students from the School of Education via email within one month following the application deadline.  Students are will formally admitted to the School of Education as ESS - PASHE Majors

* The WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requires that candidates for admission to a teacher education, administration, or pupil services program successfully pass a criminal background check (CBC) as one criterion for admission. By applying for admission to one of these programs, candidates agree to provide the necessary personal information to UWL in order to initiate their CBC, and to complete their portion of the process prior to the deadline specified in their admission letter.  Teacher candidates are responsible for all costs associated with the criminal background checks. Admission decisions by programs are contingent upon a successful CBC clearance decision by the UWL Office of Field Experience.

Questions about the admissions process or timeline should be directed to your advisor.  Questions about using the application survey can be directed to soe@uwlax.edu.  

Completion of Minimum Requirements Does NOT guarantee admission into the PASHE Program

Request for a GPA waiver for admission:

Applicants who have extenuating circumstances preventing them from meeting the GPA admission criterion may provide a request for a GPA waiver consideration if their GPA is not below 2.70. The request is submitted through the PASHE electronic admission application survey, and must include:

• A written statement of appeal. The appeal should include reason(s) why the requirement was not satisfied, and why the committee should approve a waiver in this case (e.g., in justification of the request, please submit convincing evidence of academic success, personal circumstances beyond your control, prospects for success as a teacher)(500 Words Total)
  1. What factors contributed to your current cumulative GPA?
  2. What supports did you seek out to help you improve your coursework?
  3. Moving forward, what are your plans for improving your GPA?
  4. What are some personal qualities or experiences you would bring to the classroom that we might not find with other applicants?

The student may be asked to meet with the PASHE faculty as part of the appeal process. The decision after the appeal is final. 

PASHE Application Rubric 

Student Name: __________________ 

Total: /20 

*Note: At the time of application, an average level of “Emerging” is necessary for admission (i.e., 10/20 points). 

**Cohorts will still have a maximum capacity of 16 students in each semester. Priority will be given to students with a higher criteria score. 

Detailed Interview Rubric 

Request a Transcript Evaluation

Prospective students are invited to request an evaluation of their transcripts. This will help to determine if any of your prior course work may be applied to the program's requirements. Candidates with a strong academic background in exercise science/kinesiology, and to some degree teacher education, may see a significant reduction in the number of required credits as listed above. You may request a transcript evaluation by sending legible copies of your transcripts and a brief cover letter outlining your career goals to:

Beth Gamoke
Academic Services Director/Teacher Certification Officer
School of Education 
UW-La Crosse 
235 Morris Hall
La Crosse, WI 54601

(608) 785-8127

bgamoke@uwlax.edu

The UWL Physical, Adapted, and School Health Education Majors (PASHE) Club is the longest running student organization on campus. The purpose of the PASHE Club is to help future physical, adapted, and health education teachers develop and maintain a connection to the ever-changing world of physical education.  The PASHE Club provides opportunities for future educators to network with current PASHE majors and become more involved with the major and their future profession.  We as members discuss new and innovative ways to further develop our teaching methods by attending both state and national conventions.  The one overlying goal we have as PASHE Club members is to learn to teach our students how to maintain healthy active lifestyles.

To become a member please contact Mrs. Sarah Mosley (smosley@uwlax.edu).