Easiest Physical Education Degree Programs

Transitioning into the field of health and fitness often starts with a flexible academic foundation. If you’re passionate about wellness but need to balance school against a busy schedule, finding an easy online degree can make the difference. Online physical education (PE) programs move the lecture content — kinesiology, pedagogy, curriculum design — into coursework you complete on your own schedule, while hands-on teaching practice happens through placements in schools and programs near you.

Because demand for qualified coaches and health instructors continues to grow, many institutions have developed easy education degrees specifically tailored for the physical education sector and build around around working students, with streamlined certification tracks and practical experience in place of dense theoretical research. Whether you want to teach K-12 or manage a corporate wellness program, the schools below offer some of the most accessible paths to a physical education degree.

The Easiest Degrees To Help You in Your Physical Education Career

First, make sure your degree choice matches your career plans. A degree in physical education is most commonly pursued by people who want to become teachers, so the level you pick has real consequences for what you can do after graduation.

While associate degree programs are the easiest to complete, they don’t open nearly as many doors. They typically serve as a stepping stone toward a bachelor’s degree rather than as a stand-alone credential.

Today, you can learn about the different physical education program levels, whether an online degree will be easier for you, and find answers to some important questions about physical education degrees.

Physical Education Degree Levels

Physical education degree levels include associate programs, bachelor's programs, and master's programs.

To know which program offers the easiest physical education degree, it helps to understand what makes them different: admissions, courses, time commitments, and post-graduation job opportunities.

Which Program Level is the Easiest?

Generally, associate degrees in physical education are the easiest, thanks to their shorter two-year commitment and more basic coursework. Associate programs also carry lower admissions requirements — usually just high school transcripts and a minimum GPA between 2.0 and 3.0 for nearly any community college program.

Bachelor’s degrees in physical education aren’t much more difficult than associate programs, and they open the door to teaching. Programs that meet teaching licensure requirements will be more demanding than those that don’t. Keep that in mind if you want the degree but not the classroom.

Graduate programs, such as master's degrees in physical education, are definitely the most difficult program level, not just because the classes are harder, but because an undergraduate program is required to be considered for admission.

Are Online Programs Easier Than In-Person Degrees?

As technology becomes more prevalent in education, many people find online degrees easier because they offer more flexibility, access to learning resources, and varied learning formats. The same holds for physical education up to a point, but teaching physical activity means some in-person work is unavoidable. Student teaching, practicums, and skills assessments all happen face-to-face.

Because of that, physical education programs marketed as online are almost always hybrid in practice: lectures and readings online, fieldwork in a school or community setting near you. Programs leading to teaching licensure carry the heaviest in-person requirements, since states mandate supervised student teaching hours.

An online physical education program may suit you if you do well with varied class times, digital resources, and formats like interactive video. If you’d rather have regular face-to-face contact with instructors and built-in access to local placements, an in-person program is the better fit.

Schools Offering Physical Education Degree Programs

Here are a few schools that offer bachelor’s or master’s programs in physical education, in online, hybrid, and in-person formats:

• Eastern New Mexico University: The Bachelor of Science in Physical Education can be completed entirely on campus, fully online, or as a combination of both, with emphases including teaching PE K-12 licensure, health and wellness, and sport and recreation management. The master’s in physical education with a sport administration emphasis runs fully online.
• Eastern Oregon University: The bachelor’s in health and human performance with a physical education concentration is available online and on campus, paired with internships and a capstone. It’s a non-licensure degree, so graduates who want to teach continue into the Master of Arts in Teaching.‍
• Arizona State University: The physical education BAE is campus-based. For career changers, ASU’s online Secondary Education teacher certification master’s and its graduate certificate both include a physical education content area, pairing remote coursework with in-person internships and student teaching.
• University of Northern Iowa: The physical education teaching major is on campus and leads to endorsements for PE K-8 and 5-12. UNI also offers an online master’s in leadership in physical education for teachers already in the classroom.
• East Carolina University: The Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Coaching Science is on campus, with concentrations in physical education teaching licensure and coaching science.
• Lamar University: The Bachelor of Science in Physical Education Teacher Education is on campus, with both certification and non-certification options.
• Liberty University: The Bachelor of Education in Health and Physical Education P-12 leads to licensure and is residential only, as is the non-licensure Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health.
• University of Central Florida: The teacher education bachelor’s offers a physical education track leading to K-12 certification and a lifelong learning track for roles that don’t require it, both on campus.

Physical Education Degree FAQs

In addition to finding out how easy certain levels and formats of physical education degrees are, here are answers to some important questions that potential students have before starting their program.

Can You Teach High School PE with a Physical Education Degree?

Yes, you can teach high school PE with a physical education degree. However, a bachelor's degree is required for a teaching license in the United States, so the easier associate physical education degree programs would not be acceptable.

In addition to completing a physical education degree, you'll also need to meet any other requirements your state has for a teaching certification before you can begin teaching high school PE.

What Can You Do with a Physical Education Degree?

Aside from becoming a physical education teacher in a public school, graduates move into a range of other positions. Some open up with a bachelor’s degree, while others require graduate study and licensure.

Roles you can pursue with a bachelor’s degree:

• Coach: Many K-12 and youth coaching positions pair with a teaching role or require only a bachelor’s plus your state’s coaching requirements.
• Fitness instructor or personal trainer: Gym, community, and senior fitness positions typically call for a bachelor’s plus an industry certification.
• Dance instructor: Studio and community roles generally depend on skill and experience rather than a specific license.
• Corporate wellness coordinator: Employer wellness programs hire graduates with a health and fitness background.
• Athletic administrator: Athletic director and sports program roles often grow out of teaching or coaching experience.

Roles that require additional education:

• Athletic trainer: Requires a master’s degree from an accredited program plus certification, and nearly all states require a license.
• Physical therapist: Requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy, about three years beyond a bachelor’s, plus state licensure.
• Occupational therapist: Requires a master’s in occupational therapy with supervised fieldwork, plus a national exam and state licensure.

Is Physical Education an Easy Major?

For many, education is an easier major overall, but physical education may be more demanding than you expect.

Alongside the classes that satisfy teaching requirements, you’ll take coursework in anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, motor development, and a range of activity and sport courses. Most programs require college algebra or statistics rather than higher-level math, though requirements vary by school. The combination can be physically and mentally demanding at times, so plan accordingly if physical fitness and education are your passion.

What’s the Difference Between a Physical Education and a Kinesiology Degree?

Physical education degrees center on teaching — pedagogy, curriculum design, and classroom management applied to physical activity — and often lead to K-12 licensure. Kinesiology focuses on the science of human movement and tends to serve as preparation for clinical or performance careers. Many universities house both in the same department, and some use “kinesiology” as the degree name for a program that still leads to PE certification, so read the degree plan rather than the title.

Can You Teach PE Without a Physical Education Degree?

In many states, yes, through alternative certification. If you hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, you can often complete a post-baccalaureate certification program or a master’s with a certification track to earn a PE endorsement. These routes typically take one to two years and include supervised student teaching. Requirements differ by state, so check with your state’s department of education before committing to a program.

How Long Does It Take To Earn a Physical Education Degree?

An associate degree generally takes about two years of full-time study, and a bachelor’s takes four. Licensure programs sometimes run slightly longer, since student teaching occupies a full semester and can’t easily be compressed. Master’s programs usually take one to two years, and transfer credit from a community college or a prior certificate can shorten any of these timelines.

Get Started in the Easiest Physical Education Degrees and Enhance Your Career Today

Now that you know about the easiest degrees available in physical education, it's time to choose the program that best fits your needs and apply.

Learn.org is here to help you find out everything you need to apply to your ideal physical education program today.