HUMAN PERFORMANCE
Bachelor's Degree Program
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.
CAN WE BRAG A LITTLE?
Did you know that the Human Performance major offers the opportunity to personalize your degree? Choose a minor tailored to your career goals — from coaching, strength and conditioning, sport management, recreation, or health promotion.
The need for community health workers is projected to grow 13% by 2029, much faster than the average occupation, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
We’re ranked No. 1 for value among all schools in the University of Wisconsin System.
What our Human Performance students do
Gain practical skills and develop knowledge needed to be a leader within the kinesiology profession
Pursue internships with professional sports teams and local parks
Explore the great outdoors through travel study and student trips
Hands-on and cross-cultural experiences
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.
Campus and community involvement
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 facilities
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.
What our Human Performance students do
Design and implement health promotion and recreation programs
Coach high school and college athletics
Pursue graduate degrees in health professions
Human Performance jobs: Career success
Our program prepares students for an array of careers in the performance sciences
Human Performance graduates work in a variety of settings as:
- exercise physiologists (in clinical rehabilitation and sports performance settings)
- strength and conditioning coaches (in collegiate athletics, at fitness centers, or in clinical settings)
- community health coordinators (with nonprofits, hospitals, or corporations)
- sports/recreation managers (in civic organizations, nonprofits, or state/national parks)
Many of our Human Performance graduates continue on to master’s degree programs in areas such as:
- exercise science
- nutrition
- recreation management
- sport management
- occupational therapy
- physical therapy
- public health
- nursing /medical school
Sarah Knetzke, from Ozark, Missouri, earned a B.S. in human performance and was hired as a sales executive with Cottingham & Butler in Madison, Wisconsin.
"I'd like to acknowledge my head gymnastics coach, Jennifer Regan, because she motivated me to be better not just in gymnastics but in the classroom as well. And Wesley Kephart, who was supportive throughout my college academics and guided me with all my classes, and Dan Nowak, who created an engaging and fun atmosphere for learning."
Ryan Schroeder, from Muskego, Wisconsin, earned a B.S. in human performance and was accepted to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater pursuing a Master of Science in Applied Kinesiology in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Tina Shelton, from Janesville, Wisconsin, earned a B.S. in human performance and was accepted to graduate school at Bellin College pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
"I'd like to acknowledge Josh Ireland, my track and field coach, instructor, and internship coordinator. Coach Ireland helped me plan my future after athletics and has given me the tools that I will use not only in the workforce but in my everyday life."
Our faculty
Among our faculty you’ll find award-winning teachers and leading exercise scientists with impressive credentials:
- Andrea Ednie serves on a visitor-use planning team for protected areas in Chile in partnership with the Center for Patagonia Ecosystem Investigation.
- Lindsey Greviskes co-authored a paper on caring interactions between patients with Parkinson’s Disease and their provider team.
- Bridgette Hermanson brings practical experience in the sport and recreation management. She enjoys connecting students to real world experience by facilitating the internship process.
- Wes Kephart is an exercise physiologist with more than 40 publications in topics such as nutrition, supplements, aging and oxidative stress.
- Jason Shurley recently co-authored the book, “Strength Coaching in America: A History of the Innovation that Transformed Sports.”
- Mike Stibor has vast experience and knowledge in the field of kinesiology that he brings to classroom. As a former physical education teacher and varsity coach, his practical experience enhances student learning.
- Nathan Tokarek is a strong proponent of integrating outdoor spaces into the classroom environment and the development of healthy behaviors among children and adolescents.
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? education@uww.edu
UW-Whitewater offers the following Human Performance degrees:
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.
Minors:
- Health Promotion
- Recreation and Leisure Studies
- Strength and Conditioning
- Sport Management
- Coaching
- Allied Health
Certificates:
To apply, complete the UW-Whitewater application for admission and indicate your major of interest.
