Interested First Year Students
Thank you for your interest in the K-12 health and physical education program. First year students are undergraduates who have not attended another university prior to WCU. They have earned their high school diploma and may have some A.P. or I.B. credits.
We recommend, whenever possible, enrolling in the WCU HPE program as a first-year student right out of high school. We have developed a 4-year-sequence of classes allowing students to graduate in four years if the prescribed sequence of classes is followed.
Following the sequence creates a cohort model where you will see similar “faces” throughout your degree progress. This helps build relationships with other WCU students interested in the same career path. Additionally, enrolling as a first year student minimizes the possibility that transfer credits from another institution will not count towards your degree.
We do not recommend attempting to complete all of WCU’s general education requirements at another institution and then taking only HPE-related classes at WCU. This approach typically means earning a teaching license will take 4 ½ – 5 years because of the sequential nature of our courses. This scenario will cause students to be at WCU longer while also not yet earning a teaching salary. Therefore, it makes greater economic sense to attend WCU’s HPE program directly out of high school whenever possible.
For additional information and/or questions, please contact the department chairperson, Dr. Laura Renzi.
