KINE 301 Human Physiology

Spectacle or science? Ethical or abominable? Mass graves moved. Nobel Prizes. Before America was even an idea, Paris has played a key, and sometimes controversial, role in human physiology. This revolutionary city claims the “Father of Physiology” in Claude Bernard, as well as numerous other influential scientists, educators, and physicians who have significantly impacted our knowledge of how the human body works. In fact, it was a French doctor who first used the term “physiology” in the early 1500s.

KINE 301: Human Physiology addresses fundamental and advanced principles of how the human body works at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organism levels, with emphasis placed on mechanisms of function and homeostasis as achieved through the coordinated function of homeostatic control systems. This course is for anybody with a body who wants to know a bit more about how it works! It is also a core course required for Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology majors, and great for MCAT preparation!

This summer KINE 301 is going to PARIS! This special offering of the course will build upon the solid curriculum established in the traditional campus-based KINE 301 course. However, the Paris-based version will have the advantage of bringing the curriculum to life through immersive local activities highlighting the evolution and rich influence of Paris on the science of human physiology.

As with the campus-based version, the Paris-based course will be taught in a flipped classroom format. Woven throughout the curriculum, the intersection of Parisian physiologists with anatomy, art, and medicine in Paris will be highlighted. Morning sessions will be spent in core curriculum pursuits online through Canvas. Afternoon sessions will consist of lectures exploring Parisian history and contributions to human physiology, followed by related excursions and experiences around the city. Students will complete a journal of these supplemental lectures and activities as part of a Paris-specific final course project and presentation.

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This course is 3 Rice credit hours.

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Yes, students will receive D3 credit for this course.

Applications close at midnight on February 1, 2026.

For questions regarding the course content, please contact the course instructor (see below).

For questions regarding the program (budget, application process, financial aid, global awards), first read through the Rice Global Paris Summer Program Information and FAQs page on our website. If you cannot find the answer to your question, email us at globalowls@rice.edu.