Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) is pleased to announce that its prestigious and accredited Master of Science in Yoga Therapy program is now fully online for students starting in Fall 2023. This new format provides greater accessibility, affordability, and flexibility for students around the world.
MUIH’s M.S. Yoga Therapy degree was the first and remains the only accredited graduate program of its kind in the world. Since 2013, MUIH has set the standard of excellence for a scientifically based yoga therapy education and helped to shape this emerging profession. Building on the success of the university’s other successful and fully online degrees, MUIH now offers its popular yoga therapy graduate program completely online.
“Yoga therapy is a pioneering field that offers many possibilities for new practitioners and their future clients. That’s why our faculty and staff are so excited to now be moving our program completely online – so that we can make the program more accessible and achievable for students who weren’t previously able to come to campus,” said Dr. Suzie Carmack, who joined MUIH as the new Department Chair of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda in August 2022.
“We are already receiving inquiries from students across the U.S. and internationally who are choosing MUIH to make their dream of becoming a yoga therapist a reality. We are excited to welcome them to our community of MUIH yoga therapy graduates – an alumni and professional network grown over 10 years. We are working hard behind the scenes to ensure that we uphold the programs’ global reputation for excellence, even as we operate in an online environment. So much of what wasn’t possible a few years ago, in terms of online training, is possible now. Like other professional training programs that have adapted after the pandemic, we are embracing this change and the possibilities it offers us, our students, and their future clients with hope and enthusiasm. It’s an exciting time to be here,” said Carmack.
Students engage in a two-year program with mentor faculty who are also leading practitioners, researchers, and advocates in the field. The first year of the program focuses on comprehensive training in the experiential science of yoga therapy, where students learn to (1) bridge the gap between ancient yoga wisdom and rigorous research practices; (2) develop evidence-informed and evaluation-based yoga therapy plans of care for individuals and small groups and (3) partner with allied health professionals to support clients in both community and clinical settings. In the second year of the program, students are mentored in the practice of yoga therapy in telehealth and in community settings in their local area, where they learn the practices of client intake, interviewing, assessment, and outcomes-based plan of care design. Faculty mentors share their expertise with students and support them in developing their unique niche within the yoga therapy field. Graduates leave with a deep understanding of the science of yoga therapy and professional competencies for delivering client-centered, compassionate, and culturally sensitive care.
In addition to earning a Master of Science degree in Yoga Therapy, program graduates are eligible to sit for the national yoga therapy exam offered by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) to earn their C-IAYT designation and to apply for the ERYT 300 designation with Yoga Alliance. Graduates are therefore well positioned at the forefront of this emerging field to design fulfilling careers in a wide variety of fields, including (a) health, wellness, and community health settings; (b) occupational health and workplace well-being promotion; (c) private practice; (d) practice in clinical and integrative medicine practices; (e) professional training settings and (f) higher education.
The MUIH M.S. program in Yoga Therapy welcomes yoga teachers (with at least 200 hours of yoga teacher training and 100 hours of personal teaching experience) to apply. And, new for Fall 2023, the program also welcomes current yoga therapy practitioners (C-IAYTs) the opportunity to apply for up to 6 credits of advanced standing in the program. Advanced standing provides these experienced professionals with a pathway to complete a master’s degree in their field of practice while also reducing students’ credits, costs, and time to program completion.
“A master’s degree in yoga therapy can open doors to career opportunities in conventional medical settings and provides those among the 100,000+ registered yoga teachers in the U.S. with the opportunity to distinguish themselves to their clients and potential employers,” said Dr. Christina Sax, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.
To learn more about joining the program, contact MUIH’s Office of Graduate Admissions () or experience a live yoga therapy session with a current student by calling 443-906-5794 or emailing to schedule an appointment. Telehealth and in-person options are available.
About Maryland University of Integrative Health:
Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) is a leading academic institution focused on the study and practice of integrative health and wellness and one of the few universities in the U.S. dedicated solely to such practices. Deeply rooted in a holistic philosophy, its model for integrative health and wellness is grounded in whole-person, relationship-centered, evidence-informed care. Since 1974, MUIH has been a values-driven community educating practitioners and professionals to become future health and wellness leaders through transformative programs grounded in traditional wisdom and contemporary science. MUIH has more than 20 graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines offered in convenient learning formats, including ayurveda, cannabis science, health and wellness coaching, health promotion, herbal medicine, integrative health studies, nutrition, workplace wellness, and yoga therapy. In the on-campus Natural Care Center and community outreach settings, MUIH provides compassionate and affordable healthcare from student interns and professional practitioners, delivering clinical treatments and consultations throughout each year. For more information, visit MUIH.edu.