The Master’s Program in Adapted Physical Education at the University of Virginia is a one-year program which includes two summers and two semesters (fall and spring). Coursework is taught by internationally known experts in the fields of adapted physical education, special education, and early childhood special education. The program is best known for its emphasis on practical experiences .Students serve as adapted physical education specialists in local Albemarle County Public Schools. They also have opportunities to make presentations at major conferences.
Degrees
M.Ed in Kinesiology—Adapted Physical Education
Prerequisites and Admission Requirements
Masters applicants must have a baccalaureate degree in physical education or related discipline from an accredited college or university. Preference is given to students who are licensed to teach physical education. Students also must meet the admission standards outlined in the Curry School of Education Admission Policies which includes a high standard of achievement during their undergraduate work (minimum of 3.0 GPA), competitive Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores at or above 450 (45th percentile) on the verbal section, 530 (30 th percentile) in the quantitative section, and 4.0 in analytical writing. Applicants must also submit 2 outstanding recommendations. Note that recommendations should be solicited through the online application.
Application Due Date
Applications to the MEd program are due February 15. Applicants must select “summer” as their term of entry.
Degree Requirements
Masters students complete a program of study that consists of 36 credit hours with part of these credits including practicum hours teaching students with disabilities. Students are required to pass a comprehensive examination which is the Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS) Examination. Students who pass this exam are nationally certified as an adapted physical educator.
Practicum
The Masters Program in Adapted Physical Education at the University of Virginia is best known for its emphasis on daily practical experiences. We feel that daily practical experiences, supplemented by formal coursework with internationally known faculty in physical education special education, and counseling, is the best way to prepare our students to become master teachers. Also, we feel that it is important for University students to be a part of the greater Charlottesville community and support the community with efforts to provide services to children and adults with disabilities. As such, the Masters Program provides several different practicum experiences that are tied directly with Charlottesville and Albemarle County programs. For example, through a cooperative program jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia and Albemarle County Public Schools, our students serve as time adapted physical education specialists in local Albemarle County Public Schools. This unique arrangement allows our students to get daily, hands-on experience working with children with disabilities, their parents, and staff and administration from local public schools. In turn, Albemarle County Schools get needed adapted physical education services at a fraction of the cost of full-time teachers. Over the past five years students in the Adapted Physical Education Program at the University of Virginia have provided services to over 150 children with disabilities 2 to 13 years of age in 14 different Albemarle County Schools.
Another service component of our program is providing support to local sports and recreation organizations serving children and adults with disabilities. In the past several years our students have served as coaches and provided other forms of assistance to our local Special Olympics Program in volleyball, swimming, soccer, track and field, and basketball. Also, our students served as support staff at Virginia Wheelchair Games held each year at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, VA. Most recently our students have provided physical education and recreation services to the Virginia Institute on Autism (VIA). Again, these practical experience helps our students learn more about children and adults with disabilities while at the same time providing support to important community programs.
Another important teaching tool is helping our students conduct workshops, seminars, and presentations to local school districts and state/regional/national organizations. For example, each year for the past five years students from the program (with support from a faculty member) have presented information on topics such as peer tutoring, authentic assessment, working with children with autism, working with preschool children, and including students with disabilities in regular physical education at the Virginia Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (VAHPERD) and Southern District AAHPERD Conventions. Other conferences where our students have presented include the state and national Council for Exceptional Children Conference, the National Association for the Education for Young Children Conference. Many of these presentations have turned into publications in nationally recognized journals. Again, researching and writing a paper for publication with a faculty member is a wonderful learning experience for our students.
Practical experiences, service to the community, taking courses with internationally known faculty, and working closely with faculty on presentations and publications is all a part of the University of Virginia’s Masters Program in Adapted Physical Education Program.
Funding Opportunities
We receive funding for Masters Students from Albemarle County Public Schools which pays for part of select students’ tuition.
Typical Length of Study
The Masters Program is one-year (summer, fall, spring, summer).
Full or Part Time:
We currently only offer full time programming in the Masters Program in Adapted Physical Education, but we are looking into the possibility of a part-time and off-grounds Masters Program for practicing physical education teachers.
Course Overview
Summer I
EDHS 5480 Qualitative Assessment in Physical Education
EDHS 5612 Achievement-Based Curriculum Design in Physical Education
Fall
EDHS 8980 Practicum in Adapted Physical Education
EDHS 7600 APE for Students with Developmental Disabilities
EDHS 8500 Field-based Seminar in Adapted Physical Education
EDIS 5041 Behavior Management (or other approved SPED course)
Spring
EDHS 7610 Physical Education for Children with Severe Disabilities
EDHS 8980 Practicum in Adapted Physical Education
EDHS 8460 APE for students with Orthopedic and Sensory Disabilities
EDHS 8500 Field-based Seminar in Adapted Physical Education
EDHS 7444 Motor Development (or other approved course in KNES or SPED)
Summer II
EDHS 6610 Sport, Recreation, and Camping for Individuals with Disabilities (includes working one-week at a camp for children with disabilities)
Sample Electives (students take between 1 and 4 electives)
EDIS 5110 Characteristics of Learning Disabilities
EDIS 5120 Characteristics of Mental Retardation
EDIS 5130 Characteristics of Severe Disabilities
EDIS 5150 Seminar in Collaborative Teamwork
EDIS 7050 Behavior Management Techniques
EDIS 7080 Consulting Techniques in Special Education
EDIS 7120 Positioning, Handling, and Self-care
EDHS 3560 Elementary Physical Education Pedagogy
Sample Jobs After Graduation
Masters students work as adapted or general physical education specialists in public or private schools. Adapted physical education specialists either work as an itinerant APE specialist for a school district or as the APE specialist at a special school for children with disabilities. Occasionally graduates of the Masters program become special education teachers (they have to take additional coursework to get certified to teach special education).
