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Many colleges offer online PE teaching degrees. These programs usually feature asynchronous courses that don't require live class meetings. But all teacher-training degrees also have student teaching requirements, so you'll need to teach at a local school for a few months toward the end of the program to gain classroom experience.

An online physical education degree at the bachelor's level offers flexible learning that covers physical fitness, wellness, and sports management. Students gain knowledge in anatomy, kinesiology, and pedagogy while developing skills in organizing activities and promoting healthy lifestyles. Many programs include practical internships, equipping graduates to excel in various professional roles amid the growing need for qualified physical educators.

A found that online instruction in physical education teacher education may suit particular students well and can foster independent learning, though it affects relationship building both positively and negatively. Put simply, an online PE program can work well if you're self-directed, and it's worth weighing how you'll build professional relationships at a distance. 

College program pages will tell you that a bachelor's degree takes four years to complete with a full-time schedule. But less than half of undergraduates finish at this pace because many students work, take a part-time course load, or take leaves of absence to attend to personal matters. In addition, some PE teacher-preparation programs last more than four years in some states because student-teaching requirements take longer to satisfy.

A bachelor's degree curriculum blends academic coursework with experiential learning so students can develop skills to nudge others toward physical fitness. Students interested in a specialization may also choose a minor or concentration, such as health and wellness, athletic coaching, or physical activity and sports performance.

Course titles and electives may change from program to program, but learning outcomes are similar. You're likely to take the following courses or something similar during a PE bachelor's degree.

• Philosophy and Psychology of Coaching: This course examines the basic concepts of sports coaching, including creating player development plans and motivating individuals and teams. Enrollees may also study coaching ethics and how to work with populations with diverse backgrounds and physical abilities.
• Teaching Assessment and Management of Physical Education: This class explores source materials and assessment tools to use when selecting activities, planning and organizing instruction, and developing physical education teaching plans in elementary school. Coursework may also include some classroom teaching.
• Administration and Organization of Physical Education: Faculty aim to equip students with a basic theoretical and practical understanding of developing, organizing, and implementing physical education and athletic programs. Topics may include management and organizational structure, budgeting, and program evaluation.
• The Care and Prevention of Sports Injuries: PE teachers need to understand the basic methods used to prevent, care for, and rehabilitate athletic injuries, which is this course's purpose. Instruction may also explain the trainer's role in their relationship with athletes to keep them fit and healthy.
• Physical Education for the Exceptional Child: Course content includes the best practices in planning, implementing, and adapting existing physical education and activity programs for young learners with disabilities. Professors may also explore current administrative procedures, policies, and legislation.

Administrators design PE programs with the goal of producing thoughtful, effective PE teachers. But there's some career variety in this field based on the age group that graduates teach. Some PE teachers earn in physical education to become more competitive in the job market, though it's unnecessary.

High school teachers earn a median of , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), though the agency projects little or no change in employment through 2035. 

Besides teaching, PE program graduates may consider a few other careers in which their skills might prove useful. 

While teaching offers stability at a solid salary, the coaching side of the field offers more growth. For example, coaches and scouts, another common destination for PE graduates, earn a median of with employment projected to grow 6% through 2035, faster than the 3% average across all occupations, adding about 18,100 jobs. 

The list below details some of the popular career choices for graduates of PE bachelor's programs. All pay and job outlook data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' .

• direct and instruct young students on positive lifestyle choices related to physical activity, exercise, and overall health.
• help shape the physical fitness of students ages 12-14. These typically teach more advanced sports and exercise skills than elementary students learn.
• means designing curricula and developing academic lesson plans for students to prepare them for entering the job market or secondary education.
• train and guide athletes to excel at their sport. They do this by developing training exercises and practice drills while preparing strategies for competition.
• work to increase the physical strength and stamina of clients through workout techniques, class instruction, and strength training. Most employers require trainers to hold one of many professional certifications for this occupation.

See our list of the most affordable online education degrees to find bachelor's programs suitable for any budget, and review the most affordable online master's degrees in PE to start planning for the future.

You typically need an education or teaching degree to become a teacher. However, many states have alternative paths to teaching licensure to help them fill gaps in the teacher workforce. In such cases, you'll need at least a bachelor's degree in another subject. This can help you qualify for provisional certification that lets you teach while you earn an education degree, such as an affordable master's degree in teaching.

PE degrees come in both bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) varieties. The differences between them are minimal when it comes to required courses in the major. BAs may require slightly more humanities courses in the general education portion of a program, whereas BSs may call for a few more math and science classes.

All in all, choosing a bachelor's degree in physical education is a smart move based on a growing evidence base connecting PE to real student outcomes. According to a , physical activity interventions in school settings were associated with small but statistically significant gains in children's mathematics and reading performance. 

Whether it's a BA or BS doesn't really matter as much as the discipline itself. 

You can weigh many factors when deciding on a college path. As you research your options, ask yourself the questions below to help clarify what you want and whether a program might suit you.

Is This College Accredited? Institutional accreditation helps ensure that a school has met quality education standards set by an independent agency. You typically need to attend an accredited college in order to receive federal financial aid or transfer credits to another accredited school. You can verify a school's accreditation status using the Department of Education's .

Is This Degree Program Accredited? The (CAEP) evaluates the quality of individual teacher-training programs. It's generally not necessary to attend a CAEP-approved PE program to earn a license, but you should check your state's requirements using resources from the nonprofit .

Do I Want to Teach PE or Work In Another Exercise-related Profession? It's important to set career goals so you can get the right education to help you meet them. For example, you may prefer to work as an helping injured patients or a who teaches communities about healthy lifestyle choices. In these cases, you might instead opt for a bachelor's degree in exercise science, a kinesiology degree, or a health education degree. 

What Would My Dream College Offer? Use your creativity to answer this question. Perhaps your ideal school provides a high level of financial aid, virtual support for a disability, and a particular professor whose work you respect. Or maybe you're more concerned with attending a hybrid program so you can have a mix of online and on-campus interaction. Think through your most important considerations and see which schools match them most closely. 

Do I Want To Enroll In an Online Degree? Online learning may be more flexible than in-person education, which requires you to be in a certain place at a specific time. Distance programs can help you balance school with work and anything else in your life. However, it's harder to build a professional network with people you never meet face to face, so you need to make sure you establish good working relationships while student teaching. 

Online physical education (PE) degrees are designed to prepare you to teach others the benefits of physical activity and healthy living. Courses cover topics in fitness and the health sciences, such as human anatomy, movement, injury prevention, team sport coaching, and nutrition. The curriculum may also explore the mind-body connection, motor skill development, and the impact of exercise on overall well-being. 

Even fully online physical education degrees require an on-site student teaching practicum. This takes place at an approved school in your community under the supervision of an experienced teacher. This student teaching period is necessary to get a license to instruct K-12 physical education programs.

A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement to become a licensed PE teacher. But an online master's degree in physical education might be a good option for you if you already have a bachelor's degree in another subject and want to launch your teaching career. Certain online teacher licensure programs assume that you're a working professional looking to switch careers, so they're designed with a certain level of flexibility in mind. 

You can generally expect to take four years at a full-time pace to complete the 120-154 credit hours needed to graduate. However, an online PE program may take five years if it's designed to prepare you for K-12 teacher certification. Attending college at a part-time pace will also extend the degree.