Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Narrative Health

This program is a valuable and practical complement for several health and wellness, health care, medical, social services, ministerial/pastoral, care giving, and education practitioners and their clients/patients. It provides such individuals with the skills, knowledge, and framework needed to incorporate narrative health in their primary practices. Narrative health approaches can complement other health care modalities such as health and wellness coaching, social work, health education, meditation and mindfulness, acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, yoga therapy, massage therapy, nursing, naturopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic, conventional medicine, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, among others. The program also supports individuals who serve populations that are renegotiating meaning and identity in life, after a death, divorce, job loss or other life-transitions.

The PBC in Narrative Health program prepares students with the skills and knowledge to use narrative health as a healing process, diagnostic tool, method to prevent burn-out, and a form of care in itself. It does so in a highly personalized manner within the context of a holistic and integrative approach to health and wellness. The course work emphasizes the use of narrative health to build empathy and mindfulness in communication, and support practitioners in authentic relationship-based care and the development of healing presence. Students gain an embodied experience of narrative health by applying theoretical approaches to their own personal narrative and gain experience in honing their facilitation design and skills.

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Identify and apply the primary themes of narrative theory.
• Apply narrative health strategies to compose a meaningful personal narrative.
• Develop narrative health strategies for individual and group work.
• Facilitate individual and small group narrative health programs effectively.

Required Courses

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

• NARR630 Narrative Theory (3 cr)
• NARR631 Expressive Writing and Poetic Care (3 cr)
• NARR632 Personal Narrative (3 cr)
• NARR633 Group Facilitation (3 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Scholarship and Research (0 cr)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Individuals with skills and knowledge in narrative health approaches will support the continued projected growth of healthcare occupations in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects healthcare occupations to grow 14% 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any other occupational groups in the U.S. This program supports the narrative competence professional standards of a wide range of licensed healthcare professions. Narrative health is also aligned with the growing trend toward integrative approaches and holism in health and wellness. The National Health Interview Survey indicates 59 million Americans spend $30.2 billion per year out-of-pocket for integrative health practices, and 33.2% of U.S. adults use integrative health practices.

View more about career opportunities.

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 for students starting the program in the fall 2020 trimester is shown below.

Fall 2020

• NARR630 Narrative Theory (3 cr)
• NARR632 Personal Narrative (3 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Scholarship and Research (0 cr)

Spring 2021

• NARR631 Expressive Writing and Poetic Care (3 cr)
• NARR633 Group Facilitation (3 cr)

Diane Finlayson, M.L.A.
Department Chair

Suzanne Zolnick, M.A.S.
Department Manager

Matt Mazick
Academic Advisor