The University of Wyoming has been recognized by the national organization, EduMed, as having the best online Master’s in physical education teacher education (PETE) program in the United States.
EduMed is a national organization that is dedicated to helping students find the “best and most affordable online degree programs.” They work with hundreds of health care and education experts around the country to provide a detailed ranking of online programs, helping students choose the best program for them.
UW’s program prepares students to be physical education (PE) teachers in K-12 schools across the country,which recent trends have shown the value of.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of childhood obesity dramatically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wyoming is currently the state with the lowest rate of childhood obesity in the nation, with 24.3% of children 10-17 obese or overweight. The US average is 33.5%.
Quality education in physical education and consistent exercise has been linked to lower rates of childhood obesity.
The program also focuses on enrolling prospective students who already teach PE in schools full or part-time. It prepares these students to further advance their knowledge and expand their skill sets to be the best possible teachers they can be.
“I enrolled in the UW master’s in kinesiology online program without hesitation as soon as I took time to clearly define my professional goals,” says Charli Fluty, who works as a physical education teacher and coach at Powell High School and who spoke to UW’s institutional marketing. “Once I identified that my goal was to be a more effective physical educator, I had no question about where I would complete my graduate education.”
Because the program is online, students can live anywhere in the world and take it on their own time, allowing the program to be flexible and work for each individual student. And according to Fluty, the quality of education is excellent.
“The professors took the time to get to know each student and offer guidance and support both in and out of the classroom,” Fluty said. “I knew the professors, my peers and the curriculum at UW would assure that I accomplished my goal of becoming a more effective teacher.”
