Post-Master's Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices

Overview


Credits Per Trimester
3
Total Credits
12
Duration
4 trimesters
Trimester of Entry
Fall
Program Format
Online
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Credits Per Trimester
3
medal
TOTAL CREDITS
12
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Duration
4 trimesters
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Trimester of Entry
Fall
school
FORMAT
Online

The Post-Master’s Certificate in Therapeutic Yoga Practices is the only graduate program in the U.S. that fills a national gap in the yoga education spectrum to provide a pathway for licensed health care providers (LHCP) to add a specialty in therapeutic yoga practices to their professional scope of practice and differentiate themselves from other practitioners. Through this program LHCP will enrich their knowledge, tools, and competencies in yoga as a mind-body modality that can contribute to both conventional medicine and integrative health practices in order to provide patients with individualized treatment that is safe, evidence-based, and cost effective. The program is 12 credits, can be completed in 4 trimesters, and is delivered fully online.

Your journey starts here. This program will enroll Fall 2025.

Apply Now

Audience


This program is designed for the licensed health care provider (LHCP) who recognizes the value of yoga and meditation for their clientele and is interested in adding yoga therapy tools and services to their practice without becoming a fully certified yoga therapist. This program provides LHCPs the opportunity to learn and apply the tools that are appropriate to their scope of practice. Graduates of the program will differentiate themselves from other practitioners in their field by developing a therapeutic yoga specialty in their practice.

This program fills the unique educational needs and appropriate level of skills and knowledge needed by the LHCP. Studying to become a yoga teacher does not provide the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills that the LHCP needs to support their patients with individualized therapeutic yoga practices. Likewise, some LHCPs may not need the multiyear plan of study of a master’s degree in yoga therapy.

Click here to determine which yoga therapy or yoga program is right for you.

Program Description


This online program enables the healthcare professional to understand the framework of yoga therapy and its application to healthcare practice. Students will learn the proposed mechanisms through which yoga therapy has its effects, evidence of efficacy and effectiveness for various patient populations, how to integrate yoga practices in their professional practice, and how and when to refer and collaborate with yoga therapists. Students will call upon their prior training in yoga teaching (RYT-200) and their practice as a licensed health care provider to inform their experiences in the program.

Coursework includes the exploration of key yoga teachings and philosophies that relate to modern frameworks relevant to healthcare providers and the application of these concepts within the LHCP’s licensed scope of practice. The mind-body practices include but are not limited to meditations, visualizations, movement, relaxation, and breath. Additionally, the LHCP will explore evidence for the application of these practices to promote biopsychosocial-spiritual health and will analyze a range of practices for common conditions including relevant precautions and contraindications.

Clinically, students will apply these principles to working with patients and other providers. They will conduct patient assessments to identify the appropriate application of yoga tools within their scope of practice,  develop treatment plans and evaluate when to refer and/or collaborate with a C-IAYT Yoga Therapist or other practitioner. Students will apply these practices for patient care in individual and/or group settings.

For more information about yoga therapy:

Admissions Requirements


Trimester of Entry: Fall
Application Priority Deadline: Application deadline by Trimester
General Requirements:
Program Specific Requirements: Applicants must:
  • Earned a minimum of 200-hour Teacher Training, through a Yoga Alliance 200-hr registered school program or its equivalent
  • Hold active board certification or licensure in a healthcare field (for example – occupational therapy, physical therapy, licensed clinical social worker, master’s of social work, nursing, physician, massage, acupuncture, nutrition).
  • Submit copy of 200-hour Teacher Training (RYT-200) certification.
  • Submit copies of any licenses or certifications in the field of healthcare.

Complete Essay Questions in application:

  • Describe your current professional practice including what setting you work in, your client population.
  • Describe your current experience with integrative health practices.
  • Explain your vision for integration of yoga practices into your current professional practice. How do you feel this will change your experience or the experience of your clients?

Curriculum


Required Courses

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

  • YOGA650 Theoretical Foundations of Yoga for the LHCP (3 cr)
  • YOGA660 Theoretical Foundations of Health and Disease for LHCP (3 cr)
  • YOGA670 Professional Practices for LHCP (3 cr)
  • YOGA680 Integrating Practices for LHCP (3 cr)

Course descriptions are available in the Academic Catalog.

Learning Outcomes


Upon completion of the program students will be able to:

  • Describe the yoga therapy framework and its application to integrative healthcare practice.
  • Apply yoga therapy principles and evidence-informed practices within the licensed health care provider’s scope of practice.
  • Identify opportunities for appropriate referral and collaboration with yoga therapists.

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

  • YOGA650 Theoretical Foundations of Yoga for the LHCP (3 cr)

Trimester 2

  • YOGA660 Theoretical Foundations of Health and Disease for LHCP (3 cr)

Trimester 3

  • YOGA670 Professional Practices for LHCP (3 cr)

Trimester 4

  • YOGA680 Integrating Practices for LHCP (3 cr)

Tuition & Fees


Tuition rates will be available closer to the opening of enrollment.

Fall 2023 Intake
Course Code Cost per Credit # of Credits Tuition Cost*
YOGA $928 12 $11,136
Total 12 $11,136

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

Timeline

Average Credits per Trimester Typical Completion Time
4 3 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 students
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


Graduates of MUIH’s yoga therapy program are employed in a variety of settings including private practice; integrative group practices; health care systems; hospitals; U.S. military; veterans and military organizations and agencies; school systems; and colleges and universities. Many graduates chose to have a portfolio career in which they have multiple positions and employers within one or more profession, rather than one full-time job. A portfolio career provides such individuals with variety in their work life and the opportunity to develop a wide and varied professional network.

The use of yoga in the U.S. continues to grow steadily leading to an increasing need for professionals trained in the field; individuals who complete the proposed program will be prepared to meet the growing expectations of the general public that yoga and meditation approaches be applied to support them. The 2017 National Health Interview Survey revealed significant increases in the use of yoga-based mind and body approaches. Yoga was the most commonly used complementary health approach among U.S. adults in 2012 (9.5%, 22.4 million individuals) and 2017 (14.3%, 35.2 million individuals) and demonstrated an increase in usage during that five-year period. The use of meditation increased more than threefold from 4.1% in 2012 to 14.2% in 2017. Similar increased usage of these modalities was observed in children aged 4-17 years. The percent of children who used yoga increased significantly from 3.1% in 2012 to 8.4% (4.9 million children) in 2017. The use of meditation among children also increased significantly from 0.6% in 2012 to 5.4% in 2017.

The earlier 2016 Yoga in America Study conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance also indicated significant and widespread use of yoga. 28% of all Americans had participated in a yoga class at some point in their lives. The number of Americans practicing yoga increased to over 36 million in 2016, up from 20.4 million in the 2012 study. There were more older practitioners than ever before; nearly 14 million practitioners were over the age of 50, up from about 4 million in 2012. One in three Americans had tried yoga on their own (not in a class) at least once. 34% of Americans said they were somewhat or very likely to practice yoga in the next 12 months, equal to more than 80 million Americans. Since 2012, the percentage of Americans aware of yoga grew from 75% to 90%.

Healthcare governing bodies such as medicine’s leading accreditor, The Joint Commission, the federal government’s lnter-Agency Task Force on Pain Management, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , the American College of Physicians, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend and, in some cases, require nonpharmacologic treatment as part of patient treatment planning. Yoga is among the key modalities cited for such non-pharmacologic approaches.

The job market for yoga professionals is robust. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects jobs for yoga professionals (included in BLS’s fitness trainers and instructors category) to grow 19% from 2021-2031, much faster than average. There are currently 90,000 registered yoga teachers in the U.S. who possess the base level of non-academic training. MUIH’s Master of Science in Yoga Therapy provides such individuals with the opportunity to differentiate and distinguish themselves from others and to their clients and potential employers.

View more about career opportunities.

Program Administration


Suzie Carmack, Ph.D., M.Ed., M.F.A., C-IAYT, NBC-HWC, ERYT 500
Department Chair

Suzanne Zolnick, M.A.S.
Department Manager

Caressa Olivo
Academic Advisor

Click here to view the faculty.

An MUIH education is not just for living, but for life.