Master of Science in Herbal Product Design & Manufacture

This program is designed for individuals with a wide range of interests in the growing herbal supplement industry. Graduates of the program will be poised to contribute as change agents for quality, rigor, and efficacy in diverse areas of the herbal product field, including herbal product development, formulary, sustainable production, quality control, research, education, retail, marketing, and sales.

While sales of herbal supplements have doubled over the past ten years, the expertise has not. The need for innovators who can create quality herbal products remains more vital than ever. To meet this need, MUIH offers the only M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture program in the U.S.

Students of this program learn to evaluate complex problems applying evidence-based scientific research and traditional perspectives for the development of safe and effective herbal products. Topics include botanical supply chains, medicine making, herbal safety, research, quality assurance, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), analytical chemistry, phytochemistry, Structure/Function claims, New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) claims, as well as pharmacology and product stability strategies.

Students have the opportunity for hands-on herbal identification and harvesting through field experiences, practical and applied learning in a microscopy laboratory-based experience, and mentor-guided learning from a distance. Students engage in scholarship, learn to think experimentally, ask penetrating questions, and develop innovative solutions for the challenges faced by the herbal dietary supplement industry.

While not a prerequisite, the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Herbal Studies can serve as an entry point and advanced standing in MUIH’s M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture degree. The four courses of this certificate program are transferable and make up the first four required courses of this master’s degree.

Required Courses

The program consists of 36 credits of the following required courses:

• HRB-600 Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB-605 Materia Medica I (3 cr)
• HRB-622 Herbal Pharmacy: Evaluating and Manufacturing Quality Herbal (3 cr)
• HRB-641 Safety of Botanical Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB-636 Botany Intensive: Exploring Sustainable Supply Chains (3 cr)
• HRB-637 Business of Herbal Products (3 cr)
• HRB-642 Dispensary Practices and Quality Assessment of Herbal Medicine (3 cr)
• HRB-653 Extraction, Analytical Methods, and Formulation Strategies (3 cr)
• HRB-656 Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Introduction to Analytical Methods (3 cr)
• HRB-781 Research in Botanical Pharmacognosy (3 cr)
• HRB-794 Case Studies in Herbal Product Design and Manufacture (3 cr)
• MUIH-550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

• Summarize and synthesize traditional, pharmacological, and clinical data to make an informed decision about the suitability of herbal formulas.
• Analyze evidence-based literature and traditional knowledge to support the safe and efficacious development of herbal supplements.
• Investigate rationale extraction design and applied analytical techniques to produce herbal products.
• Establish and administer Quality Assessment and Quality Control (QA, QC) procedures in a federally regulated Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environment.
• Create a business plan, a launch strategy and a branding concept for an herbal product business using effective business strategies.

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.

All courses can be completed entirely online; however, students have the option to come to campus for a 4-5 day in-person intensives as part of HRB636 Botany Intensive: Exploring Sustainable Supply Chains. 

Program Schedule

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

The herbal supplement industry continues to expand and provides graduates of MUIH’s M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture program with career paths and opportunities. 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 strongest sales growth for herbal supplements in more than 15 years. Total U.S. retail sales have increased every year since 2004, and since that time consumer spending on herbal supplements has nearly doubled. The global herbal medicine market is projected to grow from $165 billion in 2022 to $347 billion by 2029.

The herbal product sector supports the continued projected growth of healthcare occupations in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects healthcare occupations to grow 13% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. One hundred percent (100%) of recent graduates (2021) of MUIH’s M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture program were employed or self-employed within one year of graduation. Recent graduates in herbal product design and manufacturing are employed in the natural products and herbal supplements fields in settings such as industry, herbal dispensaries, pharmacies, government agencies, agriculture, and education ranging in size from large to small organizations. Such individuals are employed in a variety of roles including product development, substantiation of product claims, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) specifications, quality control, regulatory compliance, retailing, growing, processing, extraction, manufacturing, and marketing of herbal products, and design of educational materials, and research. Their employment encompasses starting their own companies and working with others.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) jobs site provides an ongoing and robust list of jobs nationally.

View more about career opportunities.

Take a look at what our Master of Science in Herbal Product Design & Manufacture program offers and how MUIH is the choice for you!

Contact the Department:

James Snow D.C.N.
Department Chair

Michael ​(Bhodi) Tims, Ph.D.
Program Director, Herbal Product Design and Manufacture

Rachel Voss, M.P.A.
Department Manager

Casey Opperman
Academic Advisor

Click here to view the faculty.