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Physiology Schools and Programs in The United States

24 schools in The United States teach Physiology.

Physiology Studies in The United States

Physiology is the study of how living organisms work, from genes and molecules to cells, organs and whole body systems. In the United States, students meet it in two settings: as an undergraduate major (at UCLA, for example, called physiological science) and as a graduate research field, often in a physiology department of a medical school. Many students choose it as preparation for medicine and other health professions.

How the degree is organised

There is no national list of degree titles in the US: each accredited college or university designs its own programmes. The usual levels in physiology are:

  • Bachelor's degree (four years), for example a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in physiological science, physiology or a related biology major
  • Master's degree (typically two years), often research-oriented
  • PhD (five to eight years), a research degree, sometimes offered through an interdepartmental programme

US credits reflect the hours a class meets each week; they are not ECTS credits. The academic year usually runs from August to May, and students normally declare their major at the end of the second year. At The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology offers a B.S. in Physiological Science, a two-year, research-oriented M.S. in Physiological Science and a home for the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology (MCIP) PhD programme. The department describes the major as spanning levels of biological organisation from genes to whole-system physiology, with electives that let students tailor the programme to their goals.

At graduate level the focus is research. The Department of Physiology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, for example, offers coursework and thesis topics in neural, pulmonary, cardiovascular, muscular, renal and reproductive biology, and its research uses cultured cells, animal models and translational studies with human subjects.

Admission, English and visa

For a bachelor's degree you need to have finished secondary school and generally be at least 17. Each university reviews foreign records itself, sometimes through a credential evaluation agency, and US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. Graduate programmes follow a bachelor's degree.

Before applying for a student visa you must be accepted by an institution certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), which then issues the Form I-20 (or DS-2019 for exchange programmes). Degree students normally use the F visa. Check the school's accreditation too: according to EducationUSA, recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to it.

Physiology as a route to medicine

In the US, medicine is not a first degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physicians typically need a bachelor's degree and then a medical degree, which takes another four years. Medical schools are highly competitive, and applicants usually submit transcripts, scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and letters of recommendation. UCLA presents its physiological science major as preparation for medicine and other health professions such as physical therapy, optometry, pharmacology and dentistry, as well as for biomedical research.

Where to study physiology in the United States

This page lists 25 schools that teach physiology in the US. Philadelphia and St. Louis have two each: Drexel University and Temple University in Philadelphia, and Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. Other examples include large public universities such as UCLA, the University of California San Diego, the University of California, Davis, the University of Washington, Purdue University and the University of Minnesota; Stanford University, The Rockefeller University in New York and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). When comparing programmes, check whether physiology is offered as an undergraduate major or only at graduate level, and whether the department sits in a college of arts and sciences or in a medical school.

Careers

Physiology prepares students for careers in medicine and other health professions, academia, research and industry. Medical scientists, who research human diseases and their treatment, typically have a PhD, usually in biology or a related life science; the BLS counted about 181,000 medical scientist jobs in 2025, with a median annual wage of $103,410 in May 2025 and projected growth of 13 percent from 2025 to 2035. Exercise physiologists, who develop fitness and exercise programmes to improve people's health, typically need a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology, exercise science, kinesiology or a related field; the BLS gives a median annual wage of $59,460 in May 2025.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study medicine directly after secondary school in the US?

No. Physicians in the US typically complete a bachelor's degree first, for example in physiology or another science, and then four years of medical school.

How long is a physiology degree in the United States?

A bachelor's degree takes four years, a master's degree typically two and a PhD five to eight years.

What can I do with a physiology degree?

Common paths are medical or other health professional school, research (usually after a PhD), and work as an exercise physiologist, which typically requires a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology or a related field.