Physical Education Teacher Education

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) to prepare for a career as an educational researcher. As one of only 20 PETE doctoral degree-granting institutions in the country, this unique program takes a multidisciplinary and translational approach to developing an empirically-based physical education curriculum and comprehensive school physical activity programs in and around schools. Through this program, students gain experience in research, teacher education, coaching, and applied physical activity leadership.

Alumni from our program become teacher educators, professors, policy-makers, and community advocates for physical education.

Faculty

General Requirements (Minimum 21 hours)

EDC 380F Sociocultural Foundations
EDC 381F Introduction to Teaching and Teacher Education
EDC 383F Curriculum Theory

To be taken in sequence:

Step 1 (3 hours)

EDC 381R Introduction to Systems of Human Inquiry

Step 2 (3 hours in any order)

EDC 385R Introduction to Quantitative Research
EDC 386R Introduction to Qualitative Research

Step 3 (6 hours, one course topic from either category)

EDC 387R Advanced Quantitative Research
OR
EDC 388R Advanced Qualitative Research

Directed Research (Minimum 12 hours)

EDC 396T Directed Research in Curriculum & Instruction (6 hours minimum)
Two additional courses that include a substantial research component approved by an academic adviser.

Please Note: EDC 396T can be taken more than once for credit.

Program Area Specifics:

Additional 3 hours in Cultural Studies

Specialization Requirements (Minimum 15 hours)

Students with an emphasis on Physical Education Teacher Education will take additional related courses (minimum 15 hours), selected with the assistance and approval of the area program adviser. To help meet their personal career goals, students are encouraged to select courses from other clusters in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Among the courses that might be selected to fulfill this requirement are the following:

EDC 384P Analysis of Teaching in Physical Education
EDC 384P Research on Teaching in Physical Education
EDC 385G Current Issues in Physical Education
EDC 385G Curriculum in Physical Education
EDC 385G Research on Teacher Education in Physical Education
EDC 398T Supervised Teaching in Curriculum and Instruction
KIN 395: Cognition and Exercise Across the Lifespan

Courses Outside the Department (Minimum 6 hours)

Students are encouraged to complete 6 hours of coursework outside of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. These can be from the department of:

Kinesiology and Health Education
Educational Psychology
Educational Leadership and Policy
Special Education

Or from another college with the University of Texas at Austin.

Coursework from sections General Requirements, Directed Research and Special Requirements may fulfill this requirement, thus, hours in this section may already be counted as credit towards total hours.

Dissertation (Minimum 6 hours)

Students are required to continuously register for at least three credits of dissertation once they have advanced to candidacy.

You must register in X99W (399, 699 or 999W) in each semester of candidacy until you graduate.

Please Note: Students receiving fellowships, assistantships, or other financial aid, may be required to take 9 hours of dissertation credit each semester.

Additional Resources

At a Glance

Program Starts: Fall

Deadline to Apply:
December 31

Credit Hours Required: 60

Schedule: Flexible

Program Location: On Campus

GRE Required? No