Type of Degree

Undergraduate Minor

School or College

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Area of Study

Health and medicine

Program Format

On-campus, Full-time

Interested in helping people make healthy lifestyle changes? UVM’s new 15-credit Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching Minor will prepare you to be an integrative health and wellness coach and to work with individuals to promote healthy lifestyle changes.

Program Overview

Program Snapshot

Start Dates: August and January
Duration: 15 Credits
Learning Format: Hybrid

Enroll Now (current UVM students)

Integrative health and wellness coaches work with employee wellness programs, community health teams, youth and families, people recovering from addiction, veterans, people with disabilities, and others.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects high employment growth for integrative health and wellness coaches from 2014-2024, as emphasis on preventative healthcare grows.

What makes it integrative?

Integrative health involves a blend of traditional medical care and complementary care to provide the best individualized whole-person treatment. Taking care of the whole person involves many different aspects of health, including:

  • Food and nourishment
  • Exercise and movement
  • Stress management
  • Work-life balance
  • Healthy environment
  • Sleep and rest
  • Relationships and community
  • Mind-body connection
  • Self-compassion

Curriculum

Requirements (15 credits)

Required courses:

  • HLTH 3859: Health & Wellness Coaching (4)
  • HLTH 3860: Health & Wellness Coaching Advanced (4)
  • HLTH 3910: Professional Prep for the HWC (1)
  • HLTH 3920: Health & Wellness Coaching Practicum (3)

3 credits from the following electives:

  • CSD 3899: Autism Spectrum Disorders: Issues in Assessment and Intervention (3)
  • HLTH 2010: Introduction to Integrative Health (3)
  • HLTH 1980: Restore, Rejuvenate, Energize (1)
  • HSCI 1990: Introduction to Workplace Wellness (1)
  • HLTH 3994: Integrative Health Teaching Assistantship (variable credit 1-3)
  • HLTH 3993: Integrative Health Independent Study (variable credit 1-3)
  • HLTH 3995: Integrative Health Research Assistantship (variable credit 1-3)

Please view the UVM Course Directory for full course descriptions and availability.

Note: UVM is a NBHWC Approved Education Provider. Every student who completes the UVM Certificate or meets the minimal eligibility requirements listed above will be eligible to sit the NBHWC National Certification Exam upon completion of 50 practice session (on your own). The NBHWC requires students have an bachelor’s degree or have completed at least 60 academic credits when applying for the exam. The NBHWC Exam is offered twice a year at testing centers across the U.S.

Admissions

The following are required to apply:

  • 3.0 GPA

This program is available for current UVM students and students new to the University of Vermont. Students new to UVM can apply for credit and non-credit options through Professional and Continuing Education.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this program hybrid?

Yes. This curriculum is offered in a hybrid format. There is a weekend class at the beginning of the curriculum on campus and there is a weekend class at the end of the curriculum on campus. The required classes in between are taught using a hybrid format. Foundational information is presented online and there is a weekly lab offered synchronously online through a video conference platform. The electives vary in how they are offered.

Do I have to take the courses in order?

Yes. HLTH 3859 is generally taken in the first semester. Once completed, HLTH 3860 can be taken in the second semester.

Can a graduate student take integrative health and wellness coaching classes?

Yes, we welcome graduate students and have several who find the skills and professional qualification complement their graduate studies. Graduate students take HLTH 3859 first semester and HLTH 5860 second semester. HLTH 5870, the Practicum, is also approved for graduate credit and many graduate students find this clinical experience and mentoring helpful.

What are the minor requirements?

15 credits are required for completion of the UVM Integrative Health and Wellness minor.

Can I transfer courses in?

Dependent upon the program director’s approval, up to three credits may be transferred if the student completed a course similar in content.

I want to take the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC) national certification exam. Will completing this certificate allow me to sit for it?

Only eight credits from this certificate are required for eligibility for the NBHWC national certification exam (students must take and pass HLTH 3859 and 3860), along with a minimum of 60 University credits total (equal to an associate's degree or higher), and 50 practice coaching sessions in the community. Upon completion of the coursework and passing of the  national certification exam, an individual can use the following credentials: Jane Smith, NBC-HWC (National Board Certified - Health and Wellness Coach).

Where do health and wellness coaches work?

Integrative health and wellness coaches work with individuals and groups to promote healthy lifestyle changes. Integrative health and wellness coaches work in a variety of settings, including: health care clinics, fitness centers, employee wellness programs, community health teams, or in private practice.

About the NBC-HWC Credential (PDF)

For more information

College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Office of Student Services
(802) 656-3858
cnhs@uvm.edu

Video: Integrative Health and Wellness Coaching Info Session