Updated: December 8th, 2021
integrative health degree

What Can I Do With an Integrative Health Science Degree

Integrative Health has been a trending topic in recent years and for good reason. As people across America become more health conscious, their preferences for health care have changed. Patients are asking for more holistic and preventative options in contrast to conventional medicine. And healthcare practitioners are beginning to switch over to integrative health options to use with conventional methods. An Integrative Health degree is becoming more prevalent in these recent years.

If you are interested in a career in integrative health, then you’re in luck. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029. With stats like that, there are plenty of career opportunities for those interested in integrative health.

What is an Integrative Health Degree

Before we jump into the benefits of a degree in integrative health, some readers may be wondering, “what does integrative health mean?”

Integrative health approaches are typically defined as the coordinated use of conventional and complementary therapies. The term integrative implies that the various approaches are not just used in parallel to one another, but are employed in an organized fashion to optimize the benefits for clients/patients. It is a holistic approach to health care that encompasses all aspects of an individual. It finds the root cause of an illness. Practitioners in integrative health will utilize healing-oriented approaches, such as herbal remedies, and assess the whole person, including their diet, lifestyle, and mental health.

There are many career paths in which an integrative health practitioner may specialize in, including but not limited to functional nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and yoga therapy. Keep reading to find out more about career opportunities in integrative health.

Alternative Health and Holistic Careers

For those interested in alternative health or holistic career paths, there are lots of avenues to choose from. In fact, the different career opportunities may be a little overwhelming. For those prospective students who are a bit newer to the idea of pursuing a career in integrative health, you may be asking, “what can I do with a degree in integrative health?” The fact of the matter is, integrative health is an all-encompassing term to describe many different careers and job functions.

Here are some specific roles that fall under the description of integrative health:

  • Non-Pharmaceutical Pain Management
    • Non-pharmaceutical pain management is the management of pain without medication. Integrative health practitioners who specialize in pain management help patients cope with pain through therapeutic practices.
  • An emphasis on nutrition in healthcare
    • Nutrition is often overlooked in conventional medicine. Functional nutrition is a fulfilling field, helping patients and clients live healthier lives through proper nutrition and supplementation.
  • Natural remedies for mental and cognitive health
    • Herbalists and other integrative health practitioners can help improve the mental and cognitive well beings of their patients through natural remedies. As mental health awareness continues to rise, so has the demand for natural remedies.

Integrative Health Trends

As we mentioned before, there are many areas of specialty in integrative health.

Here is a list of some popular career opportunities one can pursue with a degree in integrative health:

  • Nutritionists
    • Nutritionists focus on the patient instead of the disease. Nutritionists optimize their patients’ health by creating personalized meal and supplementation plans based on a patients genetics, lab results, and lifestyle among other things.
  • Corporate/Workplace Wellness
    • Practitioners who work in corporate wellness design and manage workplace wellness programs for the benefit of company employees. They help promote healthy habits in the workplace and can even help businesses save on corporate health insurance.
  • Cannabis Science
    • There are a variety of career opportunities in cannabis science. You can specialize in cannabis therapeutics, dispensary operations, and formulating cannabis products. The cannabis industry continues to grow as more states legalize cannabis use.
  • Yoga Therapy
    • Yoga Therapy is a rapidly growing practice that is being adopted in hospitals, private clinics, and other health care organizations. Yoga therapists can work 1-on-1 with patients, help with mobility, mental health, and conduct research to further the field of yoga therapy.
  • Coaching
    • Health and wellness coaching has been dubbed “the new fitness career”. Health coaching takes a holistic approach to a person’s wellness. Health coaches blend fitness training, meal planning, and counseling into a personalized service for each individual. Health coaches can be seen as a healthy lifestyle consultant.

How Can MUIH Help You Achieve Your Career Goals?

If you’re looking to jumpstart your career in integrative health, then consider earning a degree or certificate from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. We offer 11 comprehensive areas of study led by qualified faculty. Our accredited programs can help you take the next step into a fulfilling career in integrative health.

Programs we offer:

If you would like to learn more about the degree programs offered at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, please reach out to our admissions team at and we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.