Lead with Heart. Elevate Your Practice. Become Board-Certified in Two Semesters.
You’re already in healthcare. You see every day how knowing what to do doesn’t mean people will do it. You want better tools, deeper tools, to help your patients, clients, or students create lasting change.
This program meets you where you are and transforms how you work.
Most health coaching programs teach you protocols and scripts. They train you to coach the problem: more exercise, better nutrition, medication adherence.
We teach you to coach the person, in two intensive semesters.
Here’s the difference: Teaching someone how to fit in workouts is coaching the problem. Exploring how physical activity connects to their life, their identity, their fears of failure, that’s coaching the person. One treats symptoms. The other creates a transformation that lasts beyond the quick fix.
This isn’t about adding a credential to your name. It’s about changing the quality of your presence so completely that you become a catalyst for change in every interaction. If you’ve always desired to provide person-centered care, but never quite knew how to do that, elevated coaching skills could be the missing link. Providing person-centered care creates a pathway for a more fulfilling practice. A practice with less moral distress and subsequently a reduced risk of burnout.
Who This Certificate Is For
You’re a healthcare professional who believes sustainable change requires more than education and advice. Maybe you’re:
A nurse, physician, or or other healthcare provider frustrated by brief visits that never address the real barriers
A health educator, exercise physiologist, or dietitian who knows information isn’t enough
A behavioral health specialist wanting integrative tools for whole-person care
You want to lead differently within your current role, not necessarily leave it. You value diversity, cultural humility, and trauma-informed approaches. You’re ready for intensive training that honors both your expertise and your desire to grow.
The Format
14 credits. Two semesters. Two weekend intensives each semester.
Fall Intensive: Friday and Saturday, September 11 & 12 (CSPH 5701)
Spring Intensive: Friday and Saturday, February 5 & 6 (CSPH 5702)
- Mostly online, synchronous coursework allows you to learn from anywhere in the U.S. while maintaining your life and commitments
- Two weekend intensives (Fall & Spring) create the deep cohort bonds that make this work transformative
- Synchronous classes primarily in the evening respects that our students are often navigating their current careers, families, and complex lives
This blended, cohort model isn't a compromise; it's intentional design for accessibility without sacrificing depth.
Admission: We Seek Healthcare Professionals Ready to Become Experts in Health Behavior Change
You must have:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in a health/wellness field (exercise physiology, nursing, nutrition, health education, etc.); or
- Master’s degree or higher in medicine, pharmacy, psychology, public health, etc.; or
- Board-certified chaplain with 3+ years in healthcare; or
- Current enrollment in a healthcare professional graduate program
- Minimum 2.8 GPA
"The skills I have learned through the Health Coaching program at the University of Minnesota have increased my ability to communicate effectively with my patients as a nurse and empower them to make positive health and wellness choices."
- Jenna, Health Coaching Student
Upon Completion: NBC-HWC Eligible
When you graduate, you will be eligible to sit for the National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach exam. Our curriculum exceeds NBHWC requirements because we believe elite coaching requires more than checking boxes and our pass rate for the NBC-HWC exam is 99%!
A Leadership Tradition Since 2005
The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing pioneered academic health coaching education. We were the first, and we continue to set the standard for depth, heart, and evidence-based practice.