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Studies & Degrees in Human Physiology

Human physiology is the study of how the human body works. The American Physiological Society describes it as the study of how the body functions both in health and in illness, and notes that the subject is generally divided into 10 organ systems: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, muscular, nervous, renal, reproductive, respiratory and skeletal. Students learn how each system works, how the systems regulate one another, and what changes when disease, exercise, ageing or the environment disturbs them.

Teaching combines lectures with laboratory work. A programme usually starts with biology, chemistry, physics and statistics, and then moves on to cell biology, biochemistry, anatomy, systems physiology and pathophysiology (how function changes in disease). Many programmes end with a research project or a placement in a clinic or laboratory.

Qualifications and levels

Physiology is taught in two ways: as a core subject inside a health degree, and as a degree of its own.

  • Inside a health degree. Medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, biomedical science and sport science all include physiology, mostly in the first years. In Spain, for example, the Grado en Medicina of the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera lasts 6 years and has 360 ECTS credits.
  • Bachelor's degree. In the United States, Boston University offers a BS in Human Physiology at its Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. It requires a minimum of 128 units, with courses such as systems physiology, gross human anatomy, exercise physiology and cardiovascular or pulmonary pathophysiology, and ends with an internship at a healthcare site or a thesis. The university presents it as an alternative to a traditional biology degree that already contains the premedical courses.
  • Master's degree. Boston University also has a combined programme in which students earn the BS and the MS in Human Physiology in five years of full-time study. At the University of Copenhagen a master's programme is a two-year course of 120 ECTS credits that follows a three-year bachelor's degree. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits and follow a bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits.
  • Doctorate. Research careers usually continue with a PhD in physiology or a related life science.

Two-year colleges also teach the subject at introductory level, usually as part of nursing and allied health programmes.

Where to study human physiology

SpainExchange lists 6 active schools for human physiology: two in Spain, two in the United States, one in Denmark and one in Ukraine. In Spain they are the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, in the Valencia area, and EADE Estudios Universitarios in Málaga. In the United States the list includes Boston University and Amarillo College, a two-year community college in Texas. The other two are the University of Copenhagen and Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi.

The language of instruction depends on the school and sometimes on the campus. CEU Cardenal Herrera teaches its medicine degree in Spanish in Castellón and Elche and has an English / Spanish group in Valencia. The University of Copenhagen offers a range of master's programmes in English, and Bukovinian State Medical University states that it teaches in Ukrainian and, for foreign students, in English. Check the language of each programme, and the language certificate it asks for, before applying.

Careers

Human physiology leads in three main directions. The first is further study for a health profession such as medicine, dentistry or physiotherapy, which is the stated purpose of many bachelor's programmes. The second is research. According to the American Physiological Society, physiologists often work in teams with medical care providers and pharmaceutical companies. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that medical scientists typically have a PhD, and projects their employment to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035.

The third direction is applied work with patients and athletes. The same bureau projects employment of exercise physiologists to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035; a bachelor's degree is the usual entry level, and licensing rules for exercise physiology vary from state to state. These are figures for the United States; other countries regulate health and exercise professions in their own way, so check the rules of the country where you want to work.

Frequently asked questions

Is a degree in human physiology the same as a medical degree?

No. A physiology degree is a science degree and does not give the right to practise medicine. It can prepare for medical school in countries where medicine is a graduate course, as in the United States.

How long does it take to study human physiology?

It depends on the country and the level. A Spanish bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, at 60 credits per academic year, and an official master's has 60, 90 or 120. Boston University's combined BS and MS in Human Physiology takes five years of full-time study.

Can I study human physiology in English outside English-speaking countries?

Yes, in some places. The University of Copenhagen teaches master's programmes in English, and Bukovinian State Medical University teaches foreign students in English. Always confirm the language of the specific programme with the school.

Do I need a PhD to work in physiology?

For independent research, usually yes: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says medical scientists typically have a PhD. Work as an exercise physiologist usually requires a bachelor's degree.