NGU Physical Education Program Receives National Recognition
Posted on: December 18, 2025
Tigerville, SC—North Greenville University’s physical education program is now nationally recognized by SHAPE America.
SHAPE America is a Specialized Professional Association (SPA) partnered with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The accreditation acknowledges the program’s alignment with national standards for specific educator preparation fields and is achieved through a program review process.
“We know our program is producing students who are prepared to be in the classroom,” said Dr. Mark Bjornsen, who serves as the program director for physical education at NGU. “Our majors have skills, knowledge, and dispositions to be Christ-like leaders and educators.”
The physical education program at NGU is the largest secondary education program on the Tigerville campus. Students in the program have a 100 percent pass rate on the Praxis Content Knowledge in Physical Education and PLT exams in the last two years, scoring above the state and national averages.
Bjornsen said 100 percent of alumni have found jobs since the Fall of 2021, and many received job offers prior to graduation.
“We hear from our cooperating teachers that they want NGU graduates,” Bjornsen said. “That’s very exciting.”
As the program grows, so do its offerings. Students in physical education can now study sport leadership and coaching as a minor, which Bjornsen said meets a need in the schools.
“One of the first questions that our majors are asked during the interview process is ‘what can you coach?’ We knew this was an opportunity to develop future coaches with an understanding of the potential impact they will have on countless student athletes,” Bjornsen said. “As Billy Graham famously stated, ‘A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.’ Our goal is to integrate a healthy and biblical approach to coaching excellence.”
Bjornsen said producing strong graduates will result in a better experience for the next generation.
“The habits that we develop during school often carry over into adulthood,” Bjornsen said. “If kids have a negative experience in physical education, it will likely lead to them avoiding physical activity. It’s super important for our graduates to meet all the needs of students and prepare them for a healthier life.”
