Department of Physiology

Physiology is the study of how our bodies work at the molecular, cellular, and organ systems levels.

Understanding human physiology is therefore a key part of knowing ourselves. And of course, knowing what's normal is crucial to understanding the abnormalities that lead to disease, and enabling development of effective treatments.

Study Physiology at Otago

A university-level understanding of how the  body works is an excellent preparation for a  wide range of career options. Some Physiology  graduates go on to higher degrees in Physiology  because they wish to become full-time  researchers and academics, designing their  own research and leading research teams.

Other graduates use their Physiology degrees  to gain access to a wide range of jobs where  employers are looking for specific knowledge  of human biology, including as laboratory  research technicians, advisors to TV and movie productions, in medical technology companies,  aviation and space medicine research,  hospital sleep laboratories, and marketing  pharmaceuticals—to name just a few.

If you find human biology interesting and want to know more about how the human body works—or why it sometimes fails to work properly—then Physiology is for you.

• Undergraduate study in Physiology ← start here if you're an HSFY or secondary school student
• Postgraduate study in Physiology ← start here if you already have a bachelor's degree