The Teaching and Research Office of Physical Education was founded in 1958. Thirty years later, it was renamed the Department of Physical Education, and in 2015, the School of Physical Education was established. The school has developed comprehensively with a focus on physical educational reform and discipline construction, aiming to advance scientific research in physical education, mass fitness campaigns and competitive sports. Currently, the school stresses competitive programs in track and field, swimming, tennis, martial arts and badminton. Simultaneously, traditional sports like Dragon and Lion Dancing are also witnessing rapid growth.

In recent years, athletes from Jinan University have won almost 1,000 medals in all types of international and domestic competitions, including more than 400 gold medals, bringing honor to Jinan University. The school offers a bachelor's degree program in physical education to its more than 130 full-time undergraduates. Over the years, graduates have been welcomed and valued by employers; the employment rate for graduates has reached over 96% for the last three years.