Human Performance, Dance & Recreation

Academic Programs

NMSU's Department of Human Performance, Dance and Recreation prepares students for teaching, coaching, and athletic training careers in education, as well as for leadership roles in privates and public organizations related to sport, physical fitness, dance, and exercise.

Physical Education Teacher Licensure

The Teacher Education Program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, which is preparatory to obtaining licensure for teaching physical education in the public schools, kindergarten through grade 12. Areas of emphasis can include either a major or minor in physical education.

Kinesiology

The general program in physical education leads to a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree. Many minors in other academic departments are available. These minors, in combination with the general program, prepare students for careers related to physical education. These may include sports management, fitness and exercise technology, recreation and/or other listings under "Career Opportunities."

Athletic Training Education

The goal of the Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) at New Mexico State University is to prepare individuals for entry-level positions in athletic training. The program is administered by the Department of Human Performance, Dance and Recreation, in the College of Education. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), the ATEP is designed to meet and exceed National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) eligibility requirements for national certification.

Dance

The Dance program provides a broad coverage of the field that includes the development of basic technical and performance skills complemented by related studies in arts and sciences. It provides students with an appropriate background for the pursuit of careers or advanced degrees in teaching, performance, choreography and other related fields.

Special Programs

Adapted Physical Education Programs

The adapted physical education (APE) program at New Mexico State University will provide local children with disabilities individualized instruction emphasizing gross motor skills and physical fitness. This service will be provided by undergraduates enrolled in APE (PEP 455) who are interested in gaining experience teaching youth with disabilities. Program participants will be youth between the ages of 3-21 with a wide range of abilities. These children will be paired up one-on-one with an undergraduate who will be responsible for developing and implementing weekly physical education lessons for the child they are assigned. The goal of this program is to provide undergraduates with the theoretical and practical knowledge to competently plan and implement appropriate physical education programs for people with disabilities. It is my aim, as coordinator of this program, to provide a positive learning experience for all individuals involved. At the end of the semester it is likely that the undergraduates will learn as much from the children with disabilities as the children learn from the undergraduates' instruction.