Overview

Credits Per Trimester

TOTAL CREDITS

Duration

2 trimesters

Trimester of Entry

Fall

FORMAT

Online

COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE: This program will next enroll students for the Fall 2023 trimester. This program will be delivered in its standard online format for students entering the program in the Fall 2023 trimester; the program can be completed by taking only online classes, and there are no requirements to come to campus.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (PBC) in Integrative Health Studies provides the opportunity to acquire advanced knowledge of integrative health care practices, and how complementary health approaches can be integrated with conventional health care approaches. MUIH’s program is the only such program to include both the evidence-informed efficacy of integrative health practices and the practical and business models for the inclusion of integrative practices in conventional medical and health care settings. It is designed to meet the increasing and widespread interest in exploring and understanding the benefits and application of integrative health principles and practices. This non-clinical interdisciplinary program covers a broad spectrum of integrative practices, rather than focusing on a single modality as is the case for all other MUIH programs. This 12-credit program can be completed in two trimesters (8 months).

Your journey starts here. Programs now enrolling for Fall 2023.

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Audience

This program is designed for professionals in health care and related professions, who wish to integrate complementary health approaches in their practice or organization. It provides a variety of health care professionals with the opportunity to explore and understand the benefits and application of integrative health principles and practices, especially as related to their individual professional area within the broad health care spectrum. The primary audience for this program is two-fold. First, are healthcare practitioners seeking to expand their professional knowledge and skills and complement their current specialty with an understanding of the integrative health field. This audience includes, among others, nurses, social service and behavioral health professionals, allied healthcare professionals, and other licensed/certified healthcare and medical providers. Second, are professionals who support the health care field through their work in administration, management, policy, and advocacy, as well as health and science writing and communication.

Program Description

The program provides students with an understanding of 1) the fundamental principles and effectiveness of a range of complementary and integrative health practices, 2) how complementary health practices can be integrated with conventional care in a responsible way, 3) research literacy skills unique to the field of integrative health, including how to find, interpret, and apply integrative health research to disease and health challenges, 4) how complementary and conventional health care practitioners can work alongside one another, and 5) the practical considerations of incorporating complementary health approaches in conventional health care settings, including business models, insurance coverage, and professional and legal requirements. This program is comprised of 4 courses (12 credits) and provides foundational knowledge in the theoretical, philosophical, and research foundations of integrative health practices, and the efficacy and effectiveness of such practices, and practical and business models for the inclusion of integrative practices in conventional care settings.

The PBC Integrative Health Studies can also serve as an entry point and advanced standing in MUIH’s M.A. Integrative Health Studies degree. The four courses of this PBC program are transferrable and make up the first four required courses of the M.A. Integrative Health Studies degree.

The PBC Integrative Health Studies can also serve as an entry pathway for registered dieticians into MUIH’s Doctor of Clinical Nutrition degree.

Admission Requirements

Semester of Entry:	Fall
Application Priority Deadline:	Application deadline by Trimester
General Requirements:	Bachelor’s Degree from a degree-granting college or university accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, Minimum 2.0 GPA Resume Transcript(s) TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (international students)
Program Specific Requirements:	Complete Essay Questions in application: Why have you chosen to apply to this program at MUIH? How do you plan to use the skills learned in this program to support your career development?

Curriculum

Required Courses

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

ISCI630A Survey of Complementary Health Approaches (3 cr)
INHS610 Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions for Common Conditions (3 cr)
INHS620 Integrative Care Models (3 cr)
RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
MUIH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

Explain the foundational principles, philosophies, practice, and models of integrative health care
Evaluate the principles, practice, and application of particular areas of the integrative health care field
Apply research literacy skills to critically analyze integrative health research literature
Select evidence-based integrative health interventions aligned with prevalent health conditions
Analyze the factors associated with incorporating integrative health practices in their profession and health care organization.

Program Format & Schedule

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.

The schedule of courses for this program is shown below.

Trimester 1

ISCI630A Survey of Complementary Health Approaches (3 cr)
RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
MUIH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Trimester 2

INHS610 Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions for Common Conditions (3 cr)
INHS620 Integrative Care Models (3 cr)

Tuition & Fees

Fall 2023 Intake

Course Code	Cost per Credit	# of Credits	Tuition Cost*
APP	$928	3	$2,784
INHS	$928	6	$5,568
ISCI	$953	3	$2,859
	Total	12	$11,211

*Prices subject to change. Tuition costs are for illustrative purposes only.

Timeline

Average Credits per Trimester	Typical Completion Time
6	2 Trimesters

Additional Fees

Fees	Cost
Application Fee	$50
Non-Refundable Tuition Deposit	$150
University Fee (per trimester)	$275 All students, including students taking a voluntary break in enrollment. Click here to learn more about the fee.
Late Registration Fee	$75/course After registration deadline and before start of the schedule adjustment period for current students$150/course During the schedule adjustment period for current and new students who have confirmed before the late confirmed student registration period begins
Cooking Lab Fee	NUTR 681 – $40/course NUTR 682 – $40/course NUTR 683 – $45/course NUTR 684 – $45/course NUTR 686 – $30/course NUTR 687 – $40/course NUTR 688 – $40/course
Cooking Kit Fee	$225 M.S. in Nutrition and Integrative Health students (1st trimester) and other students taking cooking labs (NUTR 681 – 689)
Herb Kit Fee	Students enrolled in the following herbal medicine courses: HRB 605 $160 HRB 614 $185 HRB 622 $150 HRB 642 $220 HRB 653 $85 HRB 705 $180 Due to international customs requirements, we do not ship herb kits outside of the United States Facilities/Food fee: HRB 636 $175
Credit Card Adjustment Fee	2.75% of amount paid by credit card
Graduation Fee	$75

Career Opportunities

Complementary and integrative health (CIH) care approaches are increasingly a key component of access to high quality, high impact, and affordable health care. The growth of this industry and use of such practices is driving the need for more CIH professionals and practitioners.

McKinsey and Company reported the wellness industry as “a demographic sweet spot of enormous potential” and calculated this market as close to $16.5 billion per annum. The National Health Interview Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrated significant use and spending on integrative health care approaches (2012, 2017). One-third of U.S. adults and nearly 12% of children ages four to seventeen used complementary health approaches. An estimated 59 million persons aged four years and over had at least one expenditure for some type of complementary health approach, resulting in total out-of-pocket expenditures of $30.2 billion per year. Out-of-pocket spending for complementary health approaches represented 9.2% of all out-of-pocket spending on health care. Studies by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the American Association of Retired Persons (2010) and the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (2022) indicated that 50%-66% of Americans 50 and older reported using CIH approaches.

National healthcare bodies such as medicine’s leading accreditor, The Joint Commission, the federal government’s lnter-Agency Task Force on Pain Management, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American College of Physicians recommend and, in some cases, require nonpharmacologic CIH approaches in patient treatment planning for pain. Traditional health care organizations, employers, and regulators are responding to increased consumer demand for integrative health therapies. The percent of hospitals offering CIH approaches has increased steadily from 8% in 1999, to 18% in 2004, to 25% in 2005. The 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nearly 42% of hospice care providers offered CIH approaches.

MUIH’s M.A. Integrative Health Studies program serves the career expansion and advancement of a wide range of professions within the healthcare, medical, behavioral health, and health and wellness industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) projects healthcare occupations to grow 12% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. This program also supports community and social service occupations; BLS projects jobs in this field to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. Technical writers, including health and science writers, are also supported by this MUIH degree; BLS projects jobs in these fields to grow 4% to 7% from 2021 to 2031.

View more about career opportunities.