Health Coaching Track

Health coaching is a rewarding field of study that will allow you to work directly with people to help increase their wellbeing. There is not a better time to become a nationally board certified health and wellness coach (NBC-HWC). As an approved training program by the NBHWC, we prepare you to work in a variety of settings including interdisciplinary healthcare teams in preparation for health coaching reimbursement codes. Please see the press release from the NBHWC here. Our Certificate program is unique as we emphasize health equity and an integrative health focus. We believe this helps students in this program learn a more holistic approach to health coaching.

For those already in a health sciences program or working in healthcare, earning our certificate in health coaching can help you elevate your skills in motivational interviewing and coaching psychology to better help your patients adopt new health behaviors. Health behavior change can be hard and all healthcare practitioners can benefit from new ways to communicate and motivate their patients.

Courses are taught in a blended delivery format, requiring physical presence on campus once a semester for each semester of the certificate program. Only two semesters and you are done!

An In-Demand Area of Practice

Graduates of this new degree program will work in a multitude of practice settings, including hospitals, clinics, health educational facilities, community centers, senior living centers, fitness venues, corporations, schools, and private practice.

“Health coaching is a relatively young and rapidly developing field, which shows great promise as a player in changing the nature of our existing healthcare system," said Dr. Nico Pronk, vice president and chief science officer at HealthPartners. “We whole-heartedly look forward to interfacing with UMN student interns and graduates as they provide needed services in tomorrow’s health care system."

A Unique Curriculum with a Heart of Personal Transformation and Leadership

Our curriculum builds upon our strengths of personal transformation, group coaching skills, a strong internship program, and an integrative health focus. In Fall 2023, we will launch new courses that will increase the emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. In addition, our curriculum prepares graduates to transition into healthcare settings including interdisciplinary healthcare teams in preparation for health coaching reimbursement codes. 

We believe that building on our strengths, and with our new focus on health equity and preparing health coaches to work in a variety of settings including interdisciplinary healthcare teams, we will increase the impact our students can make with individuals, in their communities, and beyond.

In this 14-credit degree program, all coursework is offered in a blended format—a combination of on-line curriculum with in-person intensives. Students will be required to visit campus no more than 2 weekends per semester, thus making it accessible to students from across the US. 

Certificate Program Program Outcomes

1. Apply evidence-based health coaching strategies, behavior change techniques, and integrative health approaches to facilitate improved health outcomes for diverse individuals.

2. Develop a personal reflection and mindfulness practice to ensure one’s growth and development as a leader in integrative health and wellbeing coaching.

3. Demonstrate proficiency in all coaching competencies while adhering to professional, ethical, and scope of practice standards.

Do I Meet the Requirements?

The graduate faculty have established admission standards for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices-Health Coaching Track.

They include the following:

• a Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) in a health or wellness-related field (including, but not limited to: exercise physiology, health education, nursing, or nutrition) from an accredited US institution or a foreign equivalent; OR
• a Master’s Degree (or higher) in health care administration, naturopathic medicine, medicine, pharmacy, psychology, or public health from an accredited US institution or a foreign equivalent; OR
  • are a board-certified chaplain with a minimum of 3 years in a health care setting; OR
  • are currently enrolled in a health care professional graduate training program at an accredited institution.
• A minimum degree GPA of 2.8 (based on a 4.0 scale)  

Do you have a health-related degree?