Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Herbal Studies

Individuals with a background or interest in the medicinal use of plants, horticulture and gardening, culinary arts and nutrition, public health and education, and the environment and sustainability, as well as people who are parents and caregivers, will find the program relevant and valuable.

The coursework combines modern scientific evidence with traditional perspectives to explore the contributions of disciplines such as botany, pharmacology, pharmacy, clinical research, folklore, and ethnology to herbal medicine. An emphasis on practical skills ensures that students are familiar with various herbal medicines and can make medicinal food and herbal preparations. The program empowers students with the knowledge and skills to support self-care by safely and effectively incorporating herbs into daily life, using body care products, food preparations, and other herbal supplements. 

This online program offers connections with peers and faculty through interactive and personal online learning management systems. Highly engaged, experienced faculty with a contemporary evidence-informed understanding of how to use herbal medicines teach the courses. Class groups are interactive and rely on the group’s collective experience to inform the learning experience.

The PBC Herbal Studies program can also serve as an entry point and advanced standing in MUIH’s M.S. Clinical Herbal Medicine degree and M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture degree. The four courses of this PBC program are transferable and make up the first four required courses of both master’s degrees.

Required Courses

The program consists of 12 credits of the following required courses:

• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• HRB622 Herbal Pharmacy (3 cr)
• HRB641 Safety of Botanical Medicine (3 cr)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

• Use traditional, pharmacological, and clinical data to identify potential uses of individual herbs.
• Apply best practices in processing and extraction to create high-quality, small-scale herbal products.
• Identify safety concerns of herb-herb and herb-drug interactions through the examination of traditional and contemporary data.

Program Format

This program is offered in the online format. Click here to view MUIH’s definition of online, hybrid, and on-campus course and program formats.

Program Schedule

For trimester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.

Trimester 1

• HRB600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB622 Herbal Pharmacy (3 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Scholarship and Research (0 cr)

Trimester 2

• HRB605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• HRB641 Safety of Botanical Medicine (3 cr)

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects healthcare occupations to grow 13% from 2021-2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. Graduates of MUIH’s PBC in herbal studies find career options by pairing the program with their existing profession and area of interest. Acquiring foundational herbal training can be a beneficial addition to various primary skill sets. Additionally, graduates of the PBC program in herbal studies may apply their knowledge or skills in retail environments, as writers, medicine makers, in entry-level positions in the herb industry, and in home and community environments. Many graduates choose to have a portfolio career with multiple roles and employers within one or more professions. A portfolio career provides such individuals with variety in their work life and the opportunity to develop a wide and varied professional network.

Consumer use of herbal medicine continues to grow. More than 40 million individuals in the U.S. used non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements in 2012, up from 38 million users in 2007. In 2017, total U.S. retail sales of herbal supplements surpassed $8 billion for the first time, reaching nearly $8.1 billion. In addition, U.S. consumer spending increased 8.5%, from 2016 – the most substantial sales growth for herbal supplements in more than 15 years. Total U.S. retail sales have increased every year since 2004. During that time consumer spending on herbal supplements has nearly doubled. The increased use and sales of herbal medicine products nationally drive considerable job growth in the field. The global herbal medicine market is projected to grow from $165 billion in 2022 to $347 billion by 2029.

Increasingly, herbal supplement consumers are reaching out to professionals to help them understand what is safe and effective from the vast array of herbal supplements in the market. Herbalists and other healthcare practitioners with herbal skills and knowledge will support the continued projected growth of healthcare occupations in the U.S.

View more about career opportunities.

Take a look at what our Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Herbal Studies program offers and how MUIH is the choice for you!

James Snow D.C.N
Department Chair

Bevin Clare, M.S.
Program Director, Clinical Herbal Medicine

Rachel Voss, M.P.A.
Department Manager

Casey Opperman
Academic Advisor

Click here to view the faculty.