Physical education teachers usually must complete a bachelor's degree in health and physical education in order to qualify for teaching positions. Health teachers working in public schools must have at least a four-year (bachelor's) degree, preferably in health and physical education, must have completed an approved teacher-training program, and must be licensed. Some states additionally require a graduate degree in health studies. Health teachers in private schools are not necessarily required to meet these standards.
Coaches of elementary and secondary school sports are often also schoolteachers, so they must have a college degree. (See the section on K-12 Instruction to read the requirements for obtaining a teaching degree and credential.) Coaches in public schools who are not teachers must become state-certified, though coaches at private schools may not need this certification. Coaches of college or university teams usually have master's degrees, and sometimes even Ph.D.'s, in subjects as wide ranging as physical education, sports science, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition and fitness, sports medicine, or a similar field.
Physical education teachers, also known as PE or gym teachers, teach students the rules and motor skills necessary to participate in individual and team sports. PE teachers at elementary schools usually teach half-hour classes to various groups of students throughout the day, while teachers at secondary schools might teach fewer but longer classes. PE teachers might also be assigned to teach health classes in addition to their physical fitness classes.
Coaches of elementary and secondary school sports are often also schoolteachers, so they must have a college degree. (See the section on K-12 Instruction to read the requirements for obtaining a teaching degree and credential.) Coaches in public schools who are not teachers must become state-certified, though coaches at private schools may not need this certification. Coaches of college or university teams usually have master's degrees, and sometimes even Ph.D.'s, in subjects as wide ranging as physical education, sports science, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition and fitness, sports medicine, or a similar field.
Physical education teachers, also known as PE or gym teachers, teach students the rules and motor skills necessary to participate in individual and team sports. PE teachers at elementary schools usually teach half-hour classes to various groups of students throughout the day, while teachers at secondary schools might teach fewer but longer classes. PE teachers might also be assigned to teach health classes in addition to their physical fitness classes.