Over more than a century of development, from "compulsory exercise" and the "five-item test" to the "Ready for Labor and Defense" national defense sports program, and now to a physical education model that runs throughout the entire undergraduate experience, the department has always strived to explore and advance. Tsinghua currently requires four years of physical education for all undergraduates. It also stipulates that undergraduates must be tested in long-distance running (3000 meters for men, 1500 meters for women). Students cannot graduate if they fail their physical education courses or the swimming test. Nearly 50 different types of physical education courses are offered, covering competitive sports (Olympic events), recreational sports, traditional Chinese sports, and physical therapy. Elective PE courses are also available for graduate students. In 2004, "University Physical Education" was named a National Elite Course, and in 2018, the department received a National Award for Teaching Achievement.