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Prerequisites for Courses

Prereq is short for prerequisite coursework and refers to any course you are required to successfully complete before you can take another course. Prereqs are used to assure that students have the appropriate background training before they enroll in a course.  Instructors plan what and how they teach based on the learning objectives of the prereqs. Because of this, prereqs are strictly enforced.

The minimum grade to clear a prereq in the department of Human Physiology between Fall 2014 and Winter 2020 was a C. For Winter 2020 and beyond, it will be a C-.

How is a prereq for a HPHY course taken in Winter, Spring, and Summer 2020 different?

The Department of Human Physiology recognizes the challenge and stress added to our students during the early phase of the pandemic and by the shift to remote learning in Spring and Summer 2020. We want to ensure these additional challenges do not delay progress towards an undergraduate degree. For 2020 winter, spring, and summer terms, the department waived the requirement that all courses used to satisfy the major must be taken for a letter grade (P or C- grades were accepted). Moving forward, for all courses taken Fall 2020 and later, a C- or better will be required to satisfy the major and prerequisite requirements.

Did you pass a prereq for a HPHY course before fall 2014?

For students who completed a prereq prior to fall 2014, a marginal but passing grade of C- may satisfy the prereq criteria for entry to upper-division HPHY courses as follows:

Did you pass the following course prior to Fall 2014? Does a C- satisfy the criteria for entry to HPHY 321 & 322 or other HPHY courses?
HPHY 211 No, it must be C or better, no matter when it was taken
HPHY 212 No, it must be C or better, no matter when it was taken
BI 212 or BI 282H No, it must be C or better, no matter when it was taken
HPHY 321, 322, 323, 324, 333, 362, 371, 381 Yes
Other Biology, Chemistry, Math, or Physics prereq courses Yes

Prereqs for individual courses offered by Human Physiology

100 Level

The following 100-level General Education courses are Science Group Satisfying and are open to all majors.

100-level General Education Prereqs
103 Exercise and Performance No prereqs
105 Principles of Nutrition No prereqs
111 The Science of Sex No prereqs
112 The Science of Health No prereqs
200 Level

The following 200-level Required of Major courses are open to non-natural science majors after the initial registration period.

200-level Required of Major Prereqs
211 Medical Terminology No prereqs
212 Scientific Investigation Physiology No prereqs
300 Level

The following 300-level Required of Major courses are open to non-HPHY majors.

300-level Required of Major Prereqs
321 Human Anatomy I HPHY 211, (BI 211 or BI 281H), (BI 212 or BI 282H), (CH 221 or CH 224H), (CH 222 or CH225H), (CH 223 or CH226H), (MATH 246 or MATH 251).
322 Human Physiology I HPHY 212, (BI 211 or BI 281H), (BI 212 or BI 282H), (CH 221 or CH 224H), (CH 222 or CH225H), (CH 223 or CH226H), (MATH 246 or MATH 251). [Transfer students can co-enroll in HPHY 212 with Department approval]
323 Human Anatomy II HPHY 321
324 Human Physiology II HPHY 212, HPHY 321, and HPHY 322 
325 Human Anatomy/Physiology III HPHY 323 and HPHY 324
371 Physiology of Exercise HPHY 323 and HPHY 324 
300 Level Electives

The following 300-level Electives are open to non-HPHY majors but may require instructor approval.

300-level Electives Prereqs
333 Motor Control (HPHY 321 and HPHY 322) or PSY 304 [Open to non-majors with instructor approval]
337 Clinical Pharmacology HPHY 325
362 Tissue Injury and Repair HPHY 323 and HPHY 324
374 Clinical ECG & Exercise HPHY 371
375 Metabolism & Nutrition HPHY 325 and HPHY 371
381 Biomechanics HPHY 323 and PHYS 201
400 Level Electives

The following 400-level Electives are only open to HPHY majors. Some do not have prereqs, but all require Department or Instructor approval.

400-level Electives Prereqs
401 Research Department or Instructor approval
402 Thesis Department or Instructor approval
404 Internship Department or Instructor approval
405 Reading and Conference Department or Instructor approval
406 Special Problems Department or Instructor approval
408 Workshop Department or Instructor approval
409 Practicum Department or Instructor approval
409 Anatomy/Physiology Teaching Assistant Department or Instructor approval
411 Scientific Teaching HPHY 211 and HPHY 212; Department or Instructor approval
420 Human Cadaver Dissection HPHY 323 (students accepted by application, due in early February)
400 Level Capstone

The following 400-level Capstones are only open to HPHY majors (with some noted exceptions).

400-level Capstones Prereqs
410* New 400-level courses HPHY 325 or HPHY 371
412 Sleep Physiology HPHY 325
413 Muscle Structure, Function, and Plasticity HPHY 323 and HPHY 324
414 Muscle Metabolism HPHY 371
422 Physiology of Obesity HPHY 325 and HPHY 371
423 Physiology of Aging HPHY 325
432 Neural Development HPHY 321 and HPHY 322 (open to Neuroscience majors)
433 Neurophysiology of Concussion HPHY 325 and HPHY 333
434 Movement Disorders HPHY 321 and HPHY 322 (open to Neuroscience majors)
435 Physiology of Fatigue HPHY 325 and HPHY 333
436 Clinical Neuroscience HPHY 321 and HPHY 322 (open to Neuroscience majors)
444 Clinical Anatomy HPHY 325
462 Therapeutic Techniques HPHY 362
470 Environmental Physiology HPHY 371
472 Science of Athletic Performance HPHY 371
473 High Altitude Physiology and Medicine HPHY 325

*New courses under development may appear as 399 or 410 when scheduled.

Important changes to course prereqs (We will post corrections/changes here):

Update 11/11/2020 – Prereqs criteria for all courses changes from C to C-

Update 11/11/2020 – Prereqs updated for HPHY 432 and 436

Previous Updates

Update 12/04/2019 – Prereqs updated for HPHY 413

Update 11/13/2017 – opened 300-level courses to non-majors.

Update 06/09/2017 – changed prereqs for 410 Neural Development.

Update 06/02/2017 – removed course no longer taught. Changed 381 prereqs.

Updated 2/09/2016 – modified prereqs to HPHY 480.

Updated 1/26/2016 – Required courses may be repeated only once, including attempts that result in a grade of “W”.

Updated 1/19/2016 – added HPHY 325 as prereq to HPHY 433, 434, and 435.

Updated 11/13/2015 – added new course offerings for 2016-2017.

Updated 04/30/2015 – added new course offerings for 2015-2016.

Updated 03/11/2015 – changes to 321, 322, and 371 prereqs, some changes to upper-division prereqs 

Updated 03/06/2015 – removal of PHYS and 3rd term of biology requirement from HPHY 371.

Updated 04/01/2014 – merged information from two web pages.

First posted 11/08/2013 – watch this space for updates.