Skip to main content
Apply Now
Menu

Exercise and Sport Science

Major / Minor Requirements

The Exercise and Sport Science Department offers a variety of programs, including those leading to teaching licensure or certifications.

Major in Exercise and Sport Science
Coursework leading to physical education teaching license (K-12)
Minor in School Health Education leading to teaching license (K-12) (Certification 910)
Adaptive Physical Education Certification
Athletic Coaching Certification
 College-wide Physical Education Requirements

Current students: You should follow the official College Catalog from the year you entered Carthage and work with your advisors and the department chair to ensure all requirements are met.

Exercise and Sport Science Major Requirements

44 credits

TAKE ALL:

  • EXS 1010 Foundations of Exercise and Sport (3 credits)
  • EXS 1051 Theory and Practice of Individual Sports I (1 credit)
  • EXS 1052 Theory and Practice of Individual Sports II (1 credit) 
  • EXS 1061 Theory and Practice of Team Sports I (1 credit)
  • EXS 1062 Theory and Practice of Team Sports II (1 credit)
  • EXS 1071 Teaching and Practice of Dance and Gymnastics (1 credit)
  • EXS 1072 Water Safety Instruction (1 credit)
  • EXS 2180 Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries (2 credits)
  • EXS 2200 Nutrition for Health and Performance (3 credits)
  • EXS 2300 Applied Principles of Strength Training (3 credits)
  • EXS 2620 Adapted Physical Education and Sport (3 credits)
  • EXS 2700 Elementary Physical Education: Principles of Movement (4 credits)
  • EXS 3010 Tests and Measurement in Exercise and Sport Science (4 credits)
  • EXS 3030 Sport and Recreation Management (4 credits)
  • EXS 3070 Applied Exercise Anatomy and Biomechanics (4 credits)
  • EXS 4050 Physiology of Exercise (4 credits)

SENIOR THESIS – CHOOSE ONE:

  • EDU 4900 Student Teaching (12 credits)
  • EXS 4900 Field Placement in Exercise and Sport Science (4 credits) 

Physical Education Teaching Certification (K-12 Licensure)
Students who intend to teach physical education in a school setting can obtain grades K-12 licensure from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction if they do the following:

  • Complete all courses in the Exercise and Sport Science major.
  • Complete all required education courses for the K-12 Physical Education Licensure Program (Secondary Education minor).
  • Apply for acceptance into the Teacher Education Program (TEP) sophomore year. Please contact the Education Department for specific requirements and deadlines.
  • Apply for acceptance into the Student Teaching Program (STP) junior year. Please contact the Education Department for specific requirements and deadlines.
  • Successfully complete student teaching.
  • Pass the edTPA.

To be eligible for student teaching, students must complete pre-student teaching clinical experiences that are developmental in scope and sequence and will occur in a variety of settings with a balance of observation at the elementary, middle, and secondary level. To meet the clinical experience requirements, students must register and successfully complete an education course requiring a pre-student teaching clinical experience.

Required EDUCATION Courses for physical education K-12 Licensure (54 credits):

  • EDU 1010 Education and Society (4 credits)
  • EDU 2010 Educational Psychology and Assessment (4 credits)
  • EXS 2700 Elementary Physical Education: Principles of Movement (4 credits)
  • EDU 2050 Teaching and Supporting Learners with Diverse Characteristics and Needs (4 credits)
  • EDU 3520 Developmental and Content Area Reading (4 credits)
  • EDU 3900 Junior Thesis Seminar (2 credits)
  • EXS 4200 Methods and Materials of Teaching Physical Education (4 credits)
  • EDU 4900 Student Teaching Seminar (12 credits)
  • BIO 1040 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 credits)
  • HIS 1000 Issues in American History (4 credits)
  • Any appropriate* physical science course (4 credits)
  • Any appropriate* social science course (4 credits)

* Contact the Education Department for a list of appropriate courses.

Adaptive Physical Education Certification
Students seeking Certification 860 (Adaptive Physical Education) must complete:

  • All courses in the Exercise and Sport Science major
  • All required courses for the Secondary Education minor
  • PYC 2850* Child and Adolescent Development (4 credits)
  • EXS 3520 Field Placement in Specially Designed Physical Education (4 credits)

* PYC 2850 must be completed before taking EXS 3520 Field Placement in Specially Designed Physical Education, the required capstone class.

Health Minor Requirements

Students who earn a K-12 certification in physical education and wish to teach health education in the school setting need to complete this coursework for a health minor, pass the Praxis II health exam (or waiver), and complete student teaching:

Required courses for minor and SCHOOL HEALTH Certification 910 (23 credits):

  • EXS 1080 Introduction to Health and Wellness Education (3 credits)
  • EXS 2200 Nutrition for Health and Performance (3 credits)
  • EXS 2270 Consumer Health Issues (2 credits)
  • EXS 2500 Comprehensive School Health Programming (2 credits)
  • EXS 2810 Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Education (2 credits)
  • EXS 3090 Sexuality Education (2 credits)
  • EXS 3110 Personal and Community Health (3 credits)
  • EXS 3120 Issues in Emotional and Mental Health (2 credits)
  • EXS 4210 Methods and Materials of Teaching Health Education (4 credits)

Athletic Coaching Certification
This program is very desirable for students who intend to coach athletic teams in a public or private school setting. It will assist students from three distinct academic areas:

  • Exercise and Sport Science major pursuing Physical Education, K-12 Licensure. Most of the coursework is part of the major. Students who receive teaching licensure also will receive a coaching certification recognition on their transcripts.
  • Education majors who will be licensed in a subject area. Students who receive teaching licensure also will receive a coaching certification recognition on their transcripts.
  • A non-Education major or an Exercise and Sport Science major who does not seek a teaching licensure. These students cannot receive a coaching certification from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. However, upon request, the EXSS department chair will have the following statement placed on those students’ transcripts: “This student has completed the coursework for coaching certification required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.”

required courses for the ATHLETIC COACHING certification:

  • BIO 1040 Human Anatomy and Physiology (4 credits)
  • EXS 2180 Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries (2 credits)
  • EXS 2300 Applied Principles of Strength Training (3 credits)
  • EXS 3030 Sport and Recreation Management (4 credits)
  • EXS 3070 Applied Exercise Anatomy and Biomechanics (4 credits)
  • EXS 4020 Theory and Practice of Coaching (4 credits)
  • EXS 4050 Physiology of Exercise (4 credits)

College-wide Physical Education Requirements

All Carthage students pursuing graduation are required to participate in and pass two physical education experiences (graded S/U) offered through the Exercise and Sport Science Department. The first is EXS 0010 Concepts of Physical Fitness (1 credit). This is a seven-week lecture/laboratory experience that presents basic knowledge and methods relevant to maintaining and developing good health, fitness, and overall wellness. After completing that course, all students are required to take a seven-week course in a lifetime or fitness activity.

Exceptions: A student who participates on an athletic team for an entire season can fulfill the one lifetime/fitness activity requirement. Exercise and Sport Science Department majors are not required to take either the EXS 0010 Concepts of Physical Fitness class or a lifetime/fitness activity.

Current students: You should follow the official College Catalog from the year you entered Carthage and work with your advisors and the department chair to ensure all requirements are met.

  • Quick Facts

    • Carthage is named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review (2021), a designation given to only 25 percent of four-year schools.

    • The Tower, Carthage’s newest residence hall, provides some of the best views on campus — if not in the Midwest! In addition to #carthageviews of the lake from seven stories up, residents enjoy suite-style living and two floors of shared campus spaces for gaming, cooking, group meetings, or quiet studying. Learn more about all housing options.

    • You’re going to need brain fuel. Grab a morning coffee and a snack and Starbucks or Einstein Bros. Bagels. Later, meet friends at “The Caf,” where the specials change daily but the staples are constant, or swing through “The Stu” for wings, a burrito, or a sub. A new option, Carthage Cash, even covers some off-campus meals.

    • Since 2008, Carthage athletic training students have used the newest diagnostic tools to study concussions. Overseen by a leading brain trauma expert from the Medical College of Wisconsin, the research helps doctors determine when athletes are healthy enough to return.

    • More than 90% of Carthage alumni report that they have secured a job or are continuing their studies six months after graduation. Visit The Aspire Center.

    • 91% of employers say critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills matter more than your major when it comes to career success. Learn more about how the liberal arts prepare you for a successful career.

    • Lots of schools wear the four-year label. Carthage stands behind it. More than 90% of Carthage graduates earn their degrees in four years. Learn more

    • Oscars. Emmys. Tonys. Golden Globes. The playwrights we’ve brought in have them. Each year, the Carthage Theatre Department commissions an original script by a renowned playwright for its New Play Initiative. Carthage students then work with the writer to stage it. 

    • Carthage has ranked as a top Fulbright producer for four of the past five years. Read about Carthage Fulbright winners.

    • Things look new at Carthage because they are. Our science center, student union, athletic and recreation center, and numerous residence halls have all been constructed or newly renovated in the last 15 years.

    • Carthage offers majors, minors, and concentrations in more than 50 areas of study, from marketing to neuroscience, nursing to music theatre.

    • Our Summer Undergraduate Research Experience offers select students a research budget, one-on-one mentoring with a professor, and 10 weeks of analyzing, deciphering — and getting paid.

    • So the lake is kind of a focal point, but there’s a lot more to love about our campus — like the fact that our more than 80-acre campus is also an arboretum and wildlife sanctuary. Focused on keeping campus lush forever, we plant between 50 and 75 new trees every year from a variety of species.

    • Carthage was founded in 1847. That’s more than 170 years of leaders, makers, and go-getters going out and going forth. Read more about Carthage’s rich history.

    • More than 90 percent of students receive financial aid. Carthage awards more than $20 million in scholarship and grant assistance. That includes $5.5 million in competitive scholarships in business, mathematics, science, languages, the fine arts, leadership, and overall academic strength. Learn what’s available.

    • Abraham Lincoln was an early Trustee of the College, and U.S. Secretary of State John Hay was a Carthage alum. The two still have a proud place on our campus. Spend some time with them in our Sesquicentennial Plaza. On warm days you’ll find professors leading their classes here.

    • Come to Carthage; hear yourself think — think … think …
      Legend has it that Sesquicentennial Plaza holds a perfect echo. Just stand with both your feet on the “1847,” face Straz, and start talking. “You’re the only one who can hear you, but you’ll be crystal clear,” promises English and theatre alumna Mikaley Osley.

    • Our Great Lake provides Carthage students with some amazing views. Think classes on the beach, lake views from the lab, and sunrises from your dorm room. “I love waking up in the morning with the sun shining off the lake. Nothing compares to the view in the morning,” recalls biology and neuroscience major Ann O’Leary.

    • Carthage awards up to 35 Presidential Scholarships each year, which range from $22,000 up to full tuition. Learn more.

    • For a full decade, NASA has selected Carthage students to conduct research aboard its zero-gravity aircraft. Lately, the stakes have risen. A team of underclassmen is grinding to prepare a tiny but powerful Earth-imaging satellite for launch to the International Space Station. Learn more about the space sciences at Carthage

    • Carthage is the only college or university in the Midwest where every freshman takes a full-year sequence of foundational texts of the Western intellectual tradition. Learn about Intellectual Foundations.

    • With a student-faculty ratio of 13:1, your professors will know who you are. They will also know who you want to be — and how to get you there. Meet our faculty.

    • There are more than 130 student organizations on campus, from Amnesty International to Fencing to Frisbee, Chem Club to Stand Up Comedy. See how easy it is to get involved.

    • True story: There are more than 27 art galleries, a dozen museums, and nine theatres within 25 miles of Carthage. Some highlights: The nationally recognized Racine Art Museum, the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Learn more about our location.

    • What’s better than one professor? Two professors. What’s better than two professors? Two professors from totally different fields teaching a single class. There’s debate. Discussion. Differing perspectives. This is where the magic happens. That’s why every student takes a Carthage Symposium.

    • You can’t hide here — not with only 17 other students in the classroom with you. That’s going to be rough some mornings. But later, when you’re able to argue your point of view thoughtfully, express your opinions succinctly, and meet challenges head-on, without fear … Yep, you’ll thank us.

    • Carthage is ranked in the Top 5 in the country for student participation in short-term study abroad. Every J-Term, hundreds of students travel all over the world on faculty-led study tours. Imagine a month in Sweden, Rome, Cuba, Senegal, India, Japan …

    Previous
    Next