Physical Education

Bachelor of Arts

Many Physical Education majors become P.E. teachers. But physical education isn’t confined to gym class. With a background in physical education, you could also become an athletic instructor, a fitness coach or a recreation manager. You could work at a long-term care facility, in a company fitness program or your community recreation center. Whatever you choose, you’ll be performing a valuable service: helping your community maintain physical fitness and enhanced health.

MNU’s Physical Education curriculum focuses on helping students like you develop knowledge in several key areas, including:

Teaching models and strategies for physical education
Preventing and caring for physical injuries
Planning and implementing a physical education program
Lifestyle choices for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health
Maintaining compliance with state education standards

Coursework includes physical exercise classes such as weight training, aerobic conditioning, aquatics and team sports, along with education-focused courses like first aid/CPR, educational techniques and methods, sport psychology, and physical education for people with developmental disabilities.

Why MNU?

Faculty members are experts in the field, with experience teaching in public schools. They’ve been there and know the ropes, so they can give you the tips, training and advice you’ll need to become a great educator, too.

As a physical education student, you’ll benefit from our outstanding, high-tech facilities. The Cook Center is a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art complex for health, wellness and fitness. Amenities include a large basketball arena, two practice gyms, and a fully equipped weight room. Classrooms and a lecture hall are located here, too. The Olathe Medical Center Athletic Training Room offers nearly 2000 square feet of facilities, featuring high-tech equipment like a Swim-Ex Aquatic Therapy Pool and a Kin-Com machine with personalized physical activity regimens.

Olathe, Kansas, and surrounding areas are home to excellent school districts, offering an ideal environment for students to fulfill their teaching practicums and gain experience in the classroom, in the gym and on the field.

Clubs & Organizations

Physical Education students can join the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, for professional networking and social activities.

Awards, Scholarships & Financial Aid

Top students are eligible for the Outstanding Physical Education Major Award.

Internships

As a teacher-in-training, hands-on experience is key to your career success. Physical Education students fulfill teaching practice hours at elementary, middle and high schools in the following locations:

Olathe, Kansas
Blue Valley, Kansas
Shawnee Mission, Kansas
Gardner, Kansas
Spring Hill, Kansas
Bonner Springs, Kansas
DeSoto, Kansas

Careers

As school districts continue to grow, teachers are always in demand, making education a stable and rewarding profession. Your degree in physical education will prepare you to teach in school districts throughout Kansas. You could work as a P.E. teacher in an elementary school, middle school, or high school. Or, consider some additional career options: