Human Performance and the world of exercise sciences is a broad and exciting field.
We offer a robust and versatile program that prepares you for careers in exercise physiology, fitness management, recreation and sports management, sports performance, health rehabilitation, and other areas related to health, wellness and physical activity.
Human Performance students have many opportunities to gain professional experience on and off campus.
Internships
Human Performance students complete their 300-hour internships in a variety of settings including fitness centers, hospitals and clinics, professional or collegiate sports teams, and park and recreation departments.
Service learning
Embedded into our curriculum you’ll find several courses with a service-learning element. For example, students plan and host health fairs, lead after-school programs, develop activity programs for senior centers, and lead Performance Stations during Wisconsin Special Olympics competitions.
Travel study courses
Take a faculty-led international or domestic travel study course focused around sport and/or outdoor adventure! Paddle, trek, and explore glaciers in Chilean Patagonia, explore sport facilities and outdoor adventure in Australia, or travel between the sport complexes across Europe. For domestic options, study biology and outdoor recreation management in Yellowstone, or explore canyons by bike in Utah.
Research
Students engage in research with a faculty mentor, which can lead to co-authoring a paper or presenting at a national conference.
On-campus employment
Many of our students gain professional experience through on-campus employment in recreation sports, at the fitness center, or with our coaching staff and athletic trainers.
UW-Whitewater offers several student organizations that are of interest to Human Performance students.
ACTIVE Human Performance, Sport and Recreation Professional Development Club
Invites guest speakers, brings students to conferences and job fairs, and provides other work to support professional development of students.
Outdoor Adventure Club
A student-led club that provides outdoor and professional development opportunities by leading outdoor experiences. Common adventures include river and lake canoeing, rock climbing adventures, ski trips, and camping/adventure trips (including trips to nearby Ottawa Lake State Park and Horicon Marsh, and more distant trips to the Badlands National Park/Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Great Smoky Mountain National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee).
Our updated motion analysis lab features equipment such as a CSMi isokinetic dynamometer, force plates, Parvo Medics metabolic cart, tendo unit, and a Biodex Balance System. The lab also has upper body and cycle ergometers and other equipment used for aerobic and anaerobic capacity tests.
This equipment is used for class laboratories, honors options, and undergraduate research projects, such as measuring muscle imbalances, likelihood of muscular injury, and sports training program assessment.
Our program prepares students for an array of careers in the performance sciences
Human Performance graduates work in a variety of settings as:
Many of our Human Performance graduates continue on to master’s degree programs in areas such as:
Among our faculty you’ll find award-winning teachers and leading exercise scientists with impressive credentials:
Additionally, our faculty often collaborate with colleagues in other departments, such as psychology, geography and UW-Whitewater Athletics.
Want to learn more about becoming a Physical Education or Health Education teacher, or studying Education at UW-Whitewater? Contact us »
The Human Performance major includes 47 credits, a 6-credit internship and 3-credit capstone requirement.
Students also complete a minor which is typically composed of 22 credits.
The Department of Kinesiology offers minors in:
Students may also choose a minor outside the department to broaden their professional qualifications.
To apply, complete the UW-Whitewater application for admission and indicate your major of interest.