Health and Physical Education

A bachelor’s degree in health and physical education provides the training future educators need to pursue certifications that qualify them for careers as health teachers or physical education teachers. College coursework helps these future teacher professionals gain a solid understanding of what it takes to teach young learners, P-12, in public and private school settings. They’ll cover everything from wellness initiatives in youth to best practices in teaching for young minds and bodies. These future educators should also gain a comprehensive education in age-appropriate lesson planning, classroom management and supervision strategies, how to plan educational activities, and more.

After earning your bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, you will be prepared to begin your teaching career in grades P-12, where teachers earned an average annual salary of $61,820 in 2030, or continue your studies in graduate school. Job options can include*:

• Gym teacher
• Recreation and fitness studies teacher
• Coach or scout
• Fitness trainer
• Health promotion specialist
• Wellness program director
• Worksite health promotion manager
• Recreational director for a YMCA
• Parks and Recreation activity director
• Fitness instructor

* Certification or additional training may be necessary for some positions.

You will likely need to pass a state test for whichever state in which you hope to teach. Upon passing the exam, you should apply for a teaching license. Once you’ve obtained that, you can apply to open teaching positions!  

All programs at University of the Cumberlands are offered at some of the lowest rates in the nation – and we even include free textbooks through our One Price Promise! For more information on how affordable this program would be for you, visit our Financial Aid page.

Per the standards set by Kentucky EPSB, “Candidates [for student teaching] in Kentucky are required to complete a minimum of 200 field experience hours prior to student teaching.”  Each education course contains a prescribed number of field experience hours. Some courses will have more than others, and courses with more hours are distributed toward the end of the program. Before student teaching, the hours completed in courses will be 200 or more. It's hard to measure an average per semester, since it will depend on the courses you take, but rest assured that you will be able to complete all your necessary hours by the time you graduate. 

Yes! University of the Cumberlands' School of Education is accredited through Kentucky's Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and has national accreditation through the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level. UC’s School of Education has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement.