The Master of Arts (M.A.) 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. A personalized capstone course project provides the opportunity to focus on incorporating integrative health practices into students’ profession and/or health care organization. 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. Students can choose from elective courses in five categories of integrative health including nutrition, herbal medicine, health promotion and education, mind-body practices and self-care, and whole medical systems. This 30-credit program can be completed fully online in 5 trimesters (1.5 years).
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.
The program provides students with an understanding of:
This program provides foundational knowledge (18 credits) in the theoretical and philosophical foundations of integrative health practices, the efficacy and effectiveness of such practices, and practical and business models for the inclusion of integrative practices in conventional care settings. The opportunity for direct relevance and application of learning is achieved through a capstone course whose project focuses on incorporating integrative health practices into each students’ unique profession and/or health care organization.
Students can personalize their study through the addition of elective courses (12 credits) which provides the opportunity to explore particular integrative health care practices in greater depth. These specific elective categories are:
Integrative Nutrition
This category of elective courses provides foundational knowledge in nutrition. Students learn an integrative approach to nutrition that explores the health benefits of diet from a whole person perspective.
Herbal Medicine
The category of elective courses provides students with the opportunity to learn about the practice of herbal medicine and develop an in-depth knowledge of common herbs and their indications and safety.
Health Promotion and Education
This category of elective courses provides a deeper exploration of health promotion and health literacy in integrative health. It is designed for students looking to expand their skills in promoting and supporting the practice of integrative health through communications, and administration. The courses in this category can be used for beginning preparation for the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing’s Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.
Mind-Body Practices and Self-Care
This category of elective courses provides skills in mindfulness and meditation practices which can be incorporated into the student’s existing practice or organization.
Whole Medical Systems
This category of elective courses provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of Ayurveda to help bridge their own practice with these traditional medical systems and support strong interprofessional healthcare systems.
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Integrative Health Studies can serve as an entry point and advanced standing in the M.A. Integrative Health Studies degree. The four courses of the certificate program are transferable and make up the first four required courses of the master’s degree.
In addition, students who have previously completed one of MUIH’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificates (PBC) may be eligible to apply those credits toward the M.A. Integrative Health Studies. See the Curriculum section below for additional details.
Semester of Entry: | Fall |
Application Priority Deadline: | Application deadline by Trimester |
General Requirements: |
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Program Specific Requirements: | Complete Essay Questions in application:
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This program consists of 18 credits of required courses and 12 credits of elective courses.
The program consists of 18 credits of the following required courses:
The program consists of 12 credits selected from five categories of integrative health. This provides the student with interactions with future practitioners from outside their own discipline and fosters interprofessional understanding and communication skills. The selection of elective courses will also deepen the student’s foundational knowledge in various areas of integrative health that are tailored to their unique career paths.
Health and Wellness Coaching
Nutrition
Herbal Medicine
Health Promotion and Education
Mind-Body Practices and Self-Care
Whole Medical Systems
Undeclared Area of Concentration
Students may craft a personalized elective curriculum to combine 12 credits from any of the three areas above to complete the degree.
Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.
Students who have previously completed one of the following MUIH Post-Baccalaureate Certificates (PBC) may be eligible to apply those credits toward the M.A. Integrative Health Studies. This advanced standing opportunity reduces the credits, time, and cost of achieving a master’s degree, as students will be exempt from taking some courses in the M.A. Integrative Health Studies degree. This option allows students to achieve the M.A. Integrative Health Studies degree within one year by completing, in most cases, just 12 to 18 credits beyond the credits they have already earned in one of the following MUIH PBCs:
To be eligible for this advanced standing, students must submit their MUIH transcript showing completion of one of the above PBCs with their application for admission. Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions () for additional information about the number of credits of advanced standing available based on the PBC and other courses you have completed at MUIH.
Graduates of the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy (ICNA) Program are eligible for three (3) graduate elective credits of advanced standing in MUIH’s M.A. Integrative Health Studies program. Advanced standing reduces students’ credits, cost, and time to program completion. To receive advanced standing, students must indicate ICNA Program completion at the time of their application for admission and must submit official documentation of ICNA Program completion before starting their first class at MUIH.
Upon completion of this program students will be able to:
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.
For trimester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.
The schedule of courses for this program is shown below.
Trimester 1
Trimester 2
Trimester 3
Trimester 4
Trimester 5
Trimester | Course Code | Cost per Credit | # of Credits | University Fee | Tuition Cost* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall ’24 | INHS/ISCI* | $928/$953 | 6 | $275 | $5,643 |
Spring ’25 | INHS | $928 | 6 | $275 | $5,568 |
Summer ’25 | INHS*
*Cost based on elective. |
$928 | 6 | $275 | $5,568 |
Total | 18 | $825 | $16,779 |
*Prices subject to change. Tuition costs are for illustrative purposes only.
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 students |
Trimester | Course Code | Cost per Credit | # of Credits | University Fee | Tuition Cost* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall ’23 | INHS/ISCI* | $928/$953 | 6 | $275 | $5,643 |
Spring ’24 | INHS | $928 | 6 | $275 | $5,568 |
Summer ’24 | INHS*
*Cost based on elective. |
$928 | 6 | $275 | $5,568 |
Total | 18 | $825 | $16,779 |
*Prices subject to change. Tuition costs are for illustrative purposes only.
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 students |
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.
Take a look at what our Master of Arts in Integrative Health Studies program offers and how MUIH is the choice for you!
Marybeth Missenda, RPh. M.S.
Program Director
Brenda Helsing
Department Manager
Caressa Olivo, M.S.
Academic Advisor