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Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Other titles employers use
Adjunct Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Health and Human Performance Professor · Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor) · Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor) · Instructor · Kinesiology Professor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
Subjects to know
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Psychology
- Biology
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.4 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.7 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.6 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A doctorate or professional degree 74%
- A master's degree 21%
- A four-year degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Electronic mail software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Project management software
- Computer based training software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 2,400
- Job openings each year
- 200
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 9.1%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,400 | 200 | 9.1% |
| Texas | 1,340 | 110 | 8.9% |
| New York | 1,110 | 20 | 19.4% |
| North Carolina | 1,060 | 90 | 11.6% |
| Pennsylvania | 780 | 60 | 1.3% |
| Illinois | 730 | 60 | 1.4% |
| Ohio | 550 | 40 | 1.9% |
| Michigan | 510 | 40 | 4.1% |
| Washington | 510 | 50 | 8.5% |
| Arizona | 420 | 30 | 5.0% |
| Indiana | 360 | 30 | 5.9% |
| Oklahoma | 330 | 30 | −2.9% |
| Alabama | 310 | 30 | 6.9% |
| Oregon | 300 | 30 | 7.1% |
| Missouri | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Maryland | 250 | 20 | 13.6% |
| Colorado | 240 | 20 | 20.0% |
| Mississippi | 240 | 20 | 4.3% |
| Utah | 240 | 20 | 20.0% |
| Wisconsin | 240 | 20 | 9.1% |
| New Jersey | 230 | 20 | 9.5% |
| South Carolina | 220 | 20 | 10.0% |
| Iowa | 210 | 20 | 10.5% |
| Tennessee | 180 | 20 | 20.0% |
| Arkansas | 170 | 10 | — |
| Idaho | 170 | 20 | 6.3% |
| Kentucky | 170 | 10 | 6.3% |
| Florida | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Connecticut | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Minnesota | 130 | 10 | — |
| Massachusetts | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Louisiana | 100 | 10 | — |
| West Virginia | 100 | 10 | — |
| Maine | 90 | 10 | — |
| Nebraska | 80 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 80 | 10 | — |
| New Hampshire | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| New Mexico | 60 | 0 | — |
| Kansas | 50 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 50 | 0 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 50 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of Iowa
- Degrees each year
- 663
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
California State University-Fullerton
- Degrees each year
- 542
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 466
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Indiana University-Bloomington
- Degrees each year
- 566
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
University of Memphis
- Degrees each year
- 443
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
Texas State University
- Degrees each year
- 423
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
California State University-Northridge
- Degrees each year
- 397
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Degrees each year
- 382
- Admit rate
- 88%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Compare every college offering sports, kinesiology, and physical education/fitness