Master of Arts in Integrative Health Studies

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:

• the fundamental principles and effectiveness of a range of complementary and integrative health practices;
• how complementary health practices can be integrated with conventional care in a responsible way;
• research literacy skills unique to the field of integrative health, including how to find, appraise, and apply integrative health research to disease and health challenges;
• how complementary and conventional health care practitioners can work alongside one another, and
• the practical considerations of incorporating complementary health approaches in conventional health care settings, including business models, insurance coverage, and professional and legal requirements.

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 NDMU SOIH'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.

Upon completion of this program students will be able to:

• Explain the foundational principles, philosophies, practice, and models of integrative health care
• Evaluate the principles, practice, and application of particular areas of the integrative health care field
• Apply research literacy skills to critically analyze integrative health research literature
• Select evidence-based integrative health interventions aligned with prevalent health conditions
• Analyze the factors associated with incorporating integrative health practices in their profession and health care organization

Program Format

This program is offered in the online format. 

Program Schedule

For trimester start and end dates, see the Academic Calendar.

The schedule of courses for this program is shown below.

Trimester 1

• ISCI630A Survey of Complementary Health Approaches (3 cr)
• RSCH601 Research Literacy in Integrative Health (3 cr)
• MUIH550 Academic Research and Scholarship (0 cr)

Trimester 2

• INHS610 Complementary and Integrative Health Interventions for Common Conditions (3 cr)
• INHS620 Integrative Care Models (3 cr)

Trimester 3

• Elective courses (6 cr)

Trimester 4

• APP606 Becoming a Healing Presence (3 cr)
• Elective courses (3 cr)

Trimester 5

• INHS710 Seminar in Integrative Health Studies (3 cr)
• Elective courses (3 cr)

Tuition

*Prices subject to change.

Additional Fees

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Integrative Health Studies

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.

NDMU SOIH'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.

View more about career opportunities.

Contact the Department: muih-ihs@muih.ndm.edu

Marybeth Missenda, RPh. M.S.
Program Director

Brenda Helsing
Department Manager

Caressa Olivo, M.S.
Academic Advisor

Click here to view the faculty.