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Studies & Degrees in Teacher Training for Physical Education

Physical education (PE) teachers teach movement, games, sport and healthy habits to children and teenagers as a school subject. Their training combines two things: knowledge of the body, exercise and sport, and the ability to teach a class, plan a course and assess pupils.

Students take subjects such as anatomy and physiology, motor development, games and sports, body expression, physical activity and health, and teaching methods, and they complete placements in schools. At the Universidad de Jaén, for example, the PE track of the primary education degree includes subjects on planning and resources for school physical education, games and sports, body expression and communication, and physical activity and health.

Qualifications and levels

In Spain the route depends on the age of the pupils.

  • Primary school. Teachers take the official bachelor's degree (grado) in primary education, which has 240 ECTS credits, with a specialisation (mención) in physical education of 30 to 60 credits. Physical education is one of the official teaching specialities for primary schools, and the law requires that speciality to teach the subject. PE specialists may also teach the general primary subjects.
  • Secondary school. The usual first degree is the Grado en Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (physical activity and sport sciences), which has 240 ECTS credits over four years. Secondary teaching is a regulated profession, so graduates then need the official master's degree in teacher training. It has 60 ECTS credits and includes a school placement, and students must show CEFR level B1 in a foreign language.
  • Vocational training (FP). The higher-level qualification Técnico Superior en Enseñanza y Animación Sociodeportiva lasts 2,000 hours. It prepares for sports instruction, leisure and activity work, and gives access to university, with possible recognition of some modules.

The sport sciences degree is broader than teaching. The official recommendations for this degree name four fields of work: formal and informal sports teaching, physical and sports training, exercise for health, and the management of physical activity and sport. They also say that, as a rule, at least 60 percent of the teaching should be face to face.

In the United States, high school teachers usually specialise in one area, and physical education is one of the elective areas. Public school teachers need at least a bachelor's degree and a state-issued certification or licence.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 29 active schools for this subject: 21 in Spain, seven in the United States and one in Chile. In Spain they include the Universidad de Alcalá, Universidad de Málaga, Universidad de Murcia, Universitat de València, Universidad de Jaén, Universidad de La Laguna, Universidad de Extremadura and Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Some examples of the sport sciences degree:

  • Universidad de Alcalá: four years and 240 ECTS credits, taught in Spanish. The university lists physical education teacher, sports director, coach, fitness trainer and exercise rehabilitation specialist as professions for its graduates
  • Universidad de Málaga: taught in Spanish and English. Applicants must show at least level B1 in English, and foreign students from non-Spanish-speaking countries need Spanish at level C1 (DELE or SIELE)
  • Universidad de Murcia: four years and 240 ECTS credits, taught in Spanish

For primary school, the Universidad de Jaén and the Universidad de La Laguna both offer a physical education mención within the primary education degree. In Jaén, the mención requires at least four optional subjects from the same track.

Admission requirements differ between universities, as the language requirement in Málaga shows. Check the admission page of each university. A teaching qualification from one country is not automatically valid in another, so students who plan to teach at home should ask their own education authority about recognition.

Careers

The main employer is the school system: primary schools for teachers with the PE speciality, and secondary schools for sport sciences graduates with the teacher-training master's degree. Outside schools, graduates work as coaches, fitness trainers, sports managers and activity coordinators in clubs, gyms, town councils and tourism companies. Holders of the vocational qualification work in sports instruction, social and tourist entertainment, and leisure activities for children and young people.

For the United States, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in the employment of high school teachers from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year, most of them to replace teachers who leave the profession. The figure covers all subjects, not only physical education.

Frequently asked questions

What do I study to become a PE teacher in a Spanish primary school?

The bachelor's degree in primary education, which has 240 ECTS credits, with the mención in physical education. Physical education is an official teaching speciality and is required to teach the subject.

And to teach PE in a Spanish secondary school?

Normally a bachelor's degree in physical activity and sport sciences, followed by the official 60-credit master's degree in teacher training, which is compulsory for secondary teaching.

Is a vocational qualification enough to teach PE at school?

The higher-level FP qualification in sports teaching and activity leadership prepares for sports instruction and leisure work. School teaching posts follow the degree and master's requirements described above, but the qualification gives access to university.

In which language are these degrees taught?

Mostly in Spanish. The Universidad de Málaga teaches its sport sciences degree in Spanish and English and asks for level B1 in English at entry.