Program Overview
The Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching prepares students with advanced skills and expertise to help clients clarify and implement health and wellness goals and sustain life‐changing behaviors. MUIH graduates are eligible for credentialing by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). This online 30‐credit program can be completed in five trimesters.
Program Description
The program provides a comprehensive suite of knowledge in behavior change theories and principles, skills in coaching competencies for individuals, groups, and populations, and evidence informed abilities to help clients adopt individually designed attitudes and lifestyle changes most conducive to their health and wellness. Students develop a broad view of health and wellness that incorporates conventional measures of health from the domains of disease prevention and health promotion, as well as additional measures of health found in complementary and integrative health practices. Students experience peer coaching, mentor coaching, volunteer client coaching, coaching supervision, and coach‐assessor feedback. Finally, students finish their program with a business plan, a professional development plan, or a prospectus describing their interest area or niche to begin their client‐centered health and wellness coaching practice.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education,
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- Resume
- Transcript(s)
- TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (International students)
- Complete essay question(s) in application
Licensure, Certification, and Credentialing
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching and the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching programs offer two professional credentialing pathways. Students who complete these programs are eligible for credentialing by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC).
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching program is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and is embedded in the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching program. Courses in these programs provide the ICF Level 1 coach-specific education and training required to become an ICF certified coach and fulfill the minimum required education and training hours to apply for ICF’s Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. Additional requirements apply for this ICF credential, and requirements beyond coach education and training increase with higher credential levels. Interested individuals are encouraged to check for the most recent requirements with ICF at www.coachfederation.org.
This certification is offered by a non-governmental body and is not subject to the Department of Education’s new federal regulations regarding licensure and disclosure requirements (34 CFR 668.14(b)(32)).
National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching is an NBHWC-Approved Training Program and is embedded in the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching program. Individuals who pass the NBHWC exam will earn the title of National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). Additional requirements may apply for this credential. Interested individuals are encouraged to check for the most recent requirements with NBHWC at www.nbhwc.org.
This certification is offered by a non-governmental body and is not subject to the Department of Education’s new federal regulations regarding licensure and disclosure requirements (34 CFR 668.14(b)(32)).
Program Accreditation
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
MUIH’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching program is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and is embedded in the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching program. ICF sets standards for coaching education and serves as a worldwide credentialing organization for coaching professionals. Additional details are provided above. For more information, contact ICF, 2365 Harrodsburg Rd, Suite A325, Lexington, KY 40504; phone 888-423-3131.
National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
MUIH’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching is an NBHWC-Approved Training Program with the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and is embedded in the Master of Arts in Health and Wellness Coaching program. Additional details are provided above. For more information, contact NBHWC, PO Box 16307, San Diego, CA 92176; phone 866-535-7929.
Program Format
This program is offered in the online format. Click here to view MUIH’s definition of online, hybrid, and on‐campus course and program formats.
Advanced Standing for NBHWC and ICF Certified Coaches Programs
Individuals who are an NBHWC National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach or who are an Associate, Professional, or Master Certified Coach (ACC, PCC, MCC) by ICF are eligible for advanced standing in MUIH’s M.A. Health and Wellness Coaching program. Advanced standing reduces credits, costs, and time to program completion. See the catalog’s Articulations and Advanced Standing section for more details or contact the Health and Wellness Coaching Department at coaching@muih.edu.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:
- Master the professional qualities, relational skills, and behaviors that promote healing presence and a client-centered coaching practice.
- Appraise and apply from a wide range of practice and evidence-informed coaching skills to facilitate sustainable behavior change among diverse individuals, groups, populations, and settings.
- Develop tailored approaches from a wide variety of coaching theories, principles, and practices for use with diverse individuals, groups, populations, and settings.
- Integrate conventional, complementary, and integrative health perspectives into a comprehensive evidence-informed health and wellness coaching approach.
- Develop skills to accurately review and evaluate research literature from the field of health and wellness coaching for application to an evidence-informed coaching practice.
- Demonstrate proficiency in the coaching competencies and Code of Ethics as established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), as well as in the Scope of Practice as established by the NBHWC.
- Create a personalized business plan, professional development plan, and prospectus based upon concepts and principles of an integrative health and wellness coaching practice.