Doctoral programs in physical education offer various specialties such as curriculum, exercise science, sport administration, adaptive physical education, or sport pedagogy. The path to earning a doctorate starts in undergraduate years, and after completing the required curriculum, pre-dissertation research projects, and a dissertation, students will receive a doctorate in physical education.
Doctoral programs in the philosophy of physical education allow students to take courses and research in various areas of physical education. For example, students can choose from specialties such as curriculum, exercise science, sport administration, adaptive physical education, or sport pedagogy. Obtaining a doctorate in physical education is an ambitious undertaking; however, if students are willing to spend four to six years in graduate school, it is possible to pursue a doctorate in physical education.
The path to earning a doctorate in physical education does not start in graduate school. Rather, the path begins during the undergraduate years. There are two paths to qualifying to pursue a doctorate in physical education. One way would be to take an undergraduate course in physical education. The other path would include training in a non-physical education discipline and completing specific prerequisite courses as required by the graduate physical education program you wish to apply to.
Enrollment in the doctoral program in physical education can occur after you have worked in the field of physical education for a few years after college. Or, you can enroll in a doctoral program in physical education during the final year of your undergraduate degree. To complete the PhD application, you would have to receive letters of recommendation from former professors and complete applications for the specific schools you want to apply to. Also, you would need to get copies of your official college transcript, take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit your scores to all the schools you applied to.
After being admitted to the doctoral program, you must complete the required doctoral curriculum. The courses you take will depend on the specific academic emphasis you select. For example, if you select a doctoral specialty in curriculum and instruction or exercise science, take courses such as electrocardiogram interpretation, fitness design, exercise biochemistry, exercise physiology, and professional writing for physical education. If you select adapted physical education, you will take courses that emphasize applied physical education for children with special challenges, such as courses related to physical and sensory impairments, motor development issues, technology in physical education, and consulting techniques. Or, on the contrary, if you select sport pedagogy as your doctoral focus, your courses will focus on curriculum research and physical education teaching research.
In addition to your coursework, you would be required to do pre-dissertation research projects, which may involve helping a professor write a paper for publication in an academic journal. Or, you may have your own independent pre-dissertation research assignment to complete. So you would be required to do a PhD dissertation that showcases your own research skills. You would choose a topic of interest, research it, write the dissertation, and verbally defend your research under the supervision of the doctoral dissertation committee. After successfully defending your dissertation, you will receive a doctorate in physical education.
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