Contact Information
(541) 346-4107
(541) 346-2841 fax
Undergraduate degrees: B.A, B.S.,
The study of human physiology focuses on the functional and structural mechanisms that underlie human performance from basic motor skills to sustained and demanding exercise.
The study of the human body in motion
What better place to study the science of exercise than Eugene, Oregon? Track Town U.S.A., as Eugene is affectionately known, annually hosts the prestigious Prefontaine Track Meet and is home to many internationally-ranked track and field athletes. Eugene is one hour from the Cascade Mountains and one-hour from the coast so hiking, skiing, surfing and other outdoor activities are all within easy reach. At the UO, you’ll explore the functional and structural mechanisms underlying human performance surrounded by world class athletes and a physically active community.
The physical performance of active people depends on many factors including the quality of physiological regulation, sensorimotor control, social factors, and a person’s tolerance to mechanical and psychological stresses. The scientific examination of these phenomena is what the UO’s Department of Human Physiology is all about.
As a human physiology major, you’ll study physical performance in its many manifestations, from basic motor skills to its state during sustained and demanding exercise. Lectures and lab work introduce students to biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology as these disciplines relate to physical performance.
The Institute for Sport and Human Performance provides outstanding research opportunities for students. Once you gain a basic understanding of the science of exercise, the human physiology department provides many options for practical training through the Participatory Learning Experience program.
At the UO, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to learn by doing—whether it’s hands-on fitness labs, internships or hitting the slopes or the track yourself. The UO and the surrounding community of is the perfect environment to submerse yourself in studying the mechanics of the human body.
Points of Interest
- Students gain hands-on training through internships with the UO Athletic Training Center, Sports and Wellness Center,
Sacred Heart Hospital's Oregon Heart Center, McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, and local fitness industries. - Technology-based lab programs give students experience taking neuromuscular and cardiovascular measurements in a variety of environments.
- Students have access to extensive research in the exercise, health and sports sciences at the UO’s International Institute for Sport and Human Performance.
- Faculty members specialize in various areas including sports medicine, geriatrics, biomechanics, and exercise physiology.