Bachelors In

Physical Education Degrees

The complete guide on what you’ll learn, job prospects, university programs, and saving time and money.
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Why We Love It

  • $40,970
    Potential Avg. Salary*
  • Growing Demand
    Job Outlook

* Salary & growth data is based on the recent Bureau of Labor and Statistics data published at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399031.htm for 39-9031 Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors 11/2021. Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.

A bachelor of science in physical education will prepare you to work in various fitness and health positions. Students learn how to educate others in safe exercise techniques, develop customized training programs, and form diet plans to meet health and physical goals.

Graduates work in various settings: in gyms as personal trainers, in schools as PE teachers, and in sports as coaches and trainers.

What is a Degree in Physical Education?

Teaching yourself how to exercise and teaching others how to exercise are two very different things. To provide training to others through exercises, weightlifting, fitness, and diet, you have to understand people’s current physical status, their limits, their goals, and their capabilities.

It’s only in fully understanding the body that talented physical educators and personal trainers can help people craft their bodies and meet their sports, exercise, fitness, and personal goals without incurring injury.

In a bachelor’s degree in physical education program, you’ll learn how to teach PE the right way, helping people avoid injuries and excel in their personal goals. At the same time, you’ll focus on meeting your own fitness goals. You’ll learn to educate a variety of different people, including children, the elderly, men, women, and athletes.

By the end of the program, you’ll have the skills required to form detailed and comprehensive health and exercise plans to help anyone meet their fitness and physical goals.

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What Courses Would I Take For a Major in Physical Education?

  • Sociocultural Foundations of Physical Education
  • Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement
  • Human Body Systems
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Movement Analysis and Control
  • Functional Anatomy
  • Psychology of Sport
  • History of Sports

What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Physical Education?

From professional athletes to individuals just looking to lose weight, there are always plenty of opportunities for qualified physical educators to find work. Fitness instructors can find work in schools as PE teachers and sports team coaches, in gyms as fitness instructors and personal trainers, and as independent consultants taking on individual clients.

Additionally, many also find work with college and professional sports teams, helping coaches work to get and keep players in the shape they need to be.

How Long does it take?

A bachelors in Physical Education will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.

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Best Jobs for Physical Education Degrees

A bachelor’s degree in physical education prepares graduates for a number of careers in the sports and fitness industries. You may be able to become a PE teacher in a public or private school; you may find work with a college or professional sports team; or you may decide to find work in a gym as a personal trainer or fitness class instructor.

You may also start your own training business and take on individual clients.

How to save time and money

Our mission is to help you to avoid paying full price for college. We want your Physical Education degree to be affordable and accessible. Here’s how you could save:

Create Your Free SmartPlan

There are many ways to make college affordable and accessible.

That’s why we created a helpful tool called SmartPlan.

It’s free, and helps you find potential ways to save and tons of information about each school you’re considering

Think of it as your “college blueprint”, to help you instantly craft a path to your degree:

  • Which Colleges Match Your Needs
  • Ways You Could Save Time & Money
  • Free Courses You Could Take for Credit
  • Valuable Data and Insights on Each College
  • Detailed Steps You Should Take!

See what’s possible for you and generate a free plan within just a few minutes

Create My SmartPlan

Find a Program That Meets Licensing Standards

If you think you might one day want to teach PE in an elementary, middle, or high school, make sure to choose a program that provides the education needed to become a licensed teacher.

While working as a fitness instructor or personal trainer for adults usually doesn’t require any specific credentials, teaching children requires a special state-issued license. Save time and money by getting this license as part of your bachelor’s degree program, and avoid having to return to school later for another year of coursework.

You Might also be Interested in

Many visitors who look for a degree in Physical Education are also interested in the following degrees.

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