Integrated degree programs bridge undergraduate and master’s degrees at the University of Minnesota, offering eligible University undergraduates the opportunity to transition to a master’s degree and complete both degrees in a shortened amount of time. These programs are also commonly referred to in the higher education community as 4+1 programs, early-admission pathways, combined degrees, Bachelor-Plus-Master’s, or accelerated degrees. Integrated degree programs encourage the retention of our best and brightest students through an accelerated path.
The Bakken Center currently offers two of these collaborative pathways into our Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching program. Key highlights of the benefits to students in these programs include:
- Accelerated Timeline: Students complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years.
- Tuition Savings: Students pay undergraduate tuition rates for graduate-level credits in year four, saving an estimated $19,000 in tuition costs.
- Career-Ready Curriculum: Coursework includes coaching principles, behavior change theory, trauma-informed care, leadership, and integrative health models.
- Hands-On Experience: The program culminates in a health coaching internship and capstone project and eligibility to become a Nationally Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach.
- Growing Industry: The U.S. health coaching market is projected to reach $6.94 billion by 2032 with significant job growth expected.
Integrated BS-Health Sciences-UMR/MA-Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching
The Center for Spirituality & Healing and the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) offer an integrated degree opportunity for eligible Health Science BS students interested in pursuing the MA in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching degree. Students admitted to the Integrated BSHS/MA-IHWC sub-plan take 15 IHWC credits during their senior (fourth) undergraduate year and complete the MA-IHWC by taking the remaining credits as a full-time graduate student during their fifth year. Graduate courses cannot be applied toward both BS and MA credit and degree requirements. Admitted students must maintain timely degree progress to ensure that the BS degree is awarded no later than the end of the senior (fourth) year. The application deadline for the Integrated BSHS/MA-IHWC opportunity is the spring of the applicant's junior (third) year. Students should confer with their UMR coach and the IHWC program for application instructions.
Students who have not yet been admitted to the BSHS program may apply for admission by following the guidelines here.
Integrated BS-Physical Activity and Health Promotion/MA-Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching (final approval pending)
The Integrated BS-Physical Activity and Health Promotion/MA-Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching (BS-PAHP/MA-IHWC) program allows students to earn both a Bachelor of Science in Physical Activity and Health Promotion and a Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching in five years. The MA-IHWC prepares students for various professional settings with courses on coaching principles, health behavior change, mind-body science, trauma-informed mental health, leadership, and more. In this program, students complete BS coursework and 16 MA credits in the fourth year, then finish the remaining MA credits in the fifth year. Approved students follow the program's schedule and apply for the sub-plan in the spring of their junior year, consulting with their undergraduate PAHP advisor for guidance. BS-PAHP courses are mainly on-campus, while MA-IHWC courses are online and synchronous, with two required weekends on campus in the first year.
Students who have not yet been admitted to the BS-PAHP program may apply for admission by following the guidelines here.