Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology

Earn your BS in Human Physiology

Human physiology is the science of how the human body functions in health and disease. The curriculum offers rigorous study of human physiology across the molecular/cellular, systems, organism, and behavioral levels.

The Bachelor of Science with a major in human physiology requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, including 63 semester hours of work for the major. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in all courses for the major and in all UI courses for the major. They also must complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences GE CLAS Core. Transfer students must complete a minimum of 16 semester hours in human physiology coursework at the University of Iowa, including HHP:3550 Human Physiology with Laboratory.

The major in human physiology is designed primarily for individuals who intend to continue their education beyond the BS in the health professions, including medicine, physician assistant, physical therapy, dentistry, occupational therapy, chiropractic, and optometry, and for those who intend to pursue graduate degrees in basic life sciences.

Students may complete the BS with a major in human physiology without an emphasis area or with one of three optional emphasis areas: clinical physiology, neuromuscular physiology and metabolism, or research.

Students who earn a BS in human physiology:

May earn a BS in health promotion or exercise science, but not more than one of these.
May not earn the minor in human physiology.

Required Coursework
For full curriculum, please visit:

https://catalog.registrar.uiowa.edu/liberal-arts-sciences/health-human-physiology/human-physiology-bs/#requirementstext

Questions?

Please contact clas-hhp@uiowa.edu.

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Current course list

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Human Physiology Alumni Spotlights

"The human physiology BS program provided me with an unparalleled educational experience. All the HHP faculty I interacted with took a genuine interest in my academic success and always challenged me to reach my fullest potential. With the wide variety of advanced elective coursework offered by HHP, there were also countless options for me to challenge myself, with the cadaveric dissection course being by far my favorite.

I currently work as the Office Coordinator of the Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic and will be starting medical school in the fall. Majoring in human physiology has more than prepared me for these experiences. The critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills combined with the anatomy and physiology knowledge I gained from being an HHP student have been vital in my work at the Free Clinic and will undoubtedly be invaluable in my future medical endeavors.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to study in such an incredible academic environment, and I could not feel more equipped for a career in health care."

Joshua Yem, BS (Class of 2021)

Bella Swan

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Bella Swan graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology and a minor in Spanish, on the Pre-Med track, earned an MA in Medical Sciences from Loyola University–Chicago, and is now an MD Candidate at UIC College of Medicine Rockford.