The 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Program allows students to complete a B.A. in their academic major with an emphasis in Secondary and K-12 Licensure and a Master of Arts in Education in five years. Students apply to the program by December of their junior year. MUS majors interested in the program need to set up an individualized plan with their MUS and EDUC advisors. To be accepted into the 3+2 Program, each student must:
- Provide letters of recommendation from at least one Education Department faculty member and one faculty member from the student's major
- Prove content, as defined by the Colorado Department of Education
- Be accepted into Western's Teacher Licensure Program
- Successfully complete EDUC 340 (by Spring of junior year)
- Be on track to complete all coursework required within the academic major
Upon satisfactory completion of these requirements, students will be designated as "MAED candidates with provisional acceptance." Upon completion of the final undergraduate credits for the Western B.A., students will be designated as "MAED degree-seeking students." Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 Secondary and K-12 Licensure Degree Program and all Western undergraduate requirements, yet choose to leave the MAED program before Year Five, will still have completed the BA in Secondary and K-12 Licensure, have earned 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree, and be eligible to apply for initial teacher licensure .
Program Requirements
Students interested in pursuing this comprehensive program should consult with the Teacher Education Program advisor in addition to the advisor in their major as soon as possible. Students seeking Colorado licensure must fulfill the requirements for K-12 Physical Education Licensure (see description under Education).
To graduate, all exercise and sport science majors must complete ESS 181 Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 185 Lifetime Wellness with a minimum grade of “C-”:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise and Sport Science Nucleus | ||
| ESS 181 | Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| ESS 185 | Lifetime Wellness | 3 |
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| Select one of the following ESS Capstone courses: | 3 | |
| Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science | ||
| Internship in Exercise and Sport Science | ||
| K-12 Student Teaching | ||
or EDUC 610 | K-12 Student Teaching | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
In addition, the student must fulfill the requirements of the K-12 Licensure 3+2 Program (see description under Education), and the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESS 201 | Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab) | 4 |
| ESS 275 | Human Motor Development and Learning | 3 |
| ESS 290 | Curriculum Development and the Learning Environment | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab | 1 |
| ESS 350 | Assessment & Technology in Physical Education | 2 |
| ESS 353 | Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) | 2 |
| ESS 363 | Inclusive Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 380 | Biomechanics | 3 |
| ESS 392 | Methods of Secondary Activities | 3 |
| ESS 395 | Methods of Elementary Activities | 3 |
| ESS 396 | Methods of Alternative Physical Education | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Outdoor Education | ||
| Fitness Instruction | ||
| Select three of the following: | ||
| Skill Development and Analysis: Net and Wall Games | ||
| Skill and Development and Analysis: Invasion Games | ||
| Skill Development and Analysis: Target and Fielding Games | ||
| Skill Development and Analysis: Dance | ||
Capstone Course Requirement
The following course in the Exercise and Sport Science Major fulfills the capstone course requirement: ESS 495 Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 498 Internship in Exercise and Sport Science. Students completing the K-12 Physical Education Emphasis (Licensure Track) or (with a 3+2 Master of Arts) may use EDUC 410 K-12 Student Teaching or EDUC 610 K-12 Student Teaching (respectively) to fulfill this requirement.
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Sample Plan
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
“Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
"C-" or better required for both ESS 181 Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 185 Lifetime Wellness to receive credit toward ESS degree.
Students must achieve a “C-“ or better in Fundamental Skills courses, including ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) & ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2).
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| EDUC 000 | Education Gateway Course | 0 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| ESS 181 or ESS 185 |
Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science or Lifetime Wellness |
3 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters (select one) | 2 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 7 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| ESS 185 or ESS 181 |
Lifetime Wellness or Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science |
3 |
| ESS 210 |
Skill Development and Analysis: Net and Wall Games or Skill and Development and Analysis: Invasion Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Target and Fielding Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Dance |
1 |
| MATH 105 | Mathematics for the Liberal Arts (GT-MA1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills) | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 201 | Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology (with Lab) 1 | 4 |
| ESS 290 | Curriculum Development and the Learning Environment | 3 |
| ESS 353 or ESS 396 |
Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) or Methods of Alternative Physical Education |
2-3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 275 | Human Motor Development and Learning | 3 |
| ESS 298 or ROE 189 |
Fitness Instruction or Principles of Outdoor Education |
3 |
| ESS 392 or ESS 395 |
Methods of Secondary Activities or Methods of Elementary Activities |
3 |
| ESS 210 |
Skill Development and Analysis: Net and Wall Games or Skill and Development and Analysis: Invasion Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Target and Fielding Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Dance |
1 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course(s) | 6 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 210 |
Skill Development and Analysis: Net and Wall Games or Skill and Development and Analysis: Invasion Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Target and Fielding Games or Skill Development and Analysis: Dance |
1 |
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology 1 | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab 1 | 1 |
| ESS 380 | Biomechanics | 3 |
| ESS 396 or ESS 353 |
Methods of Alternative Physical Education or Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) |
2-3 |
| Elective | Elective Course(s) | 3 |
| Credits | 16-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 340 | Application of Pedagogy and Practice | 3 |
| ESS 350 | Assessment & Technology in Physical Education | 2 |
| ESS 363 | Inclusive Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 395 or ESS 392 |
Methods of Elementary Activities or Methods of Secondary Activities |
3 |
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| CPR | First Aid/CPR Competency | |
| WWGE 301/302/303/304 | Delta (select one) | 1 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 405 | Data-driven Instructional Practices | 3 |
| EDUC 604 | Learning Environments | 3 |
| EDUC 624 | Managing to Differentiate | 3 |
| EDUC 629 | Inclusion and English Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 610 | K-12 Student Teaching | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 403 | Instruction & Assessment in Content Area | 3 |
| EDUC 606 | Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas | 3 |
| EDUC 607 | Rethinking Learning in the 21st Century | 3 |
| EDUC 610 | K-12 Student Teaching | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120-122 | |
- 1
Milestone course. Must achieve a "D" or better to enroll in many higher level ESS classes.
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.