online-masters-health-wellness-programs-badge 2023

master of arts health & wellness

Union’s Health & Wellness program accommodates a wide variety of interests and scholarly pursuits. This unique and innovative degree combines a strong foundation in theory and research methods with evidence-based practice, health promotion and public education. You have considerable flexibility in choosing the focus of your study. Examples include complementary and alternative medicine, health education, health and fitness, local or global health challenges, health inequities and mindfulness. You are encouraged to consider additional certifications within or after your studies. Popular examples include qigong, self-hypnosis, herbal medicines, visual imagery, yoga, health coaching and Certified Health Education Specialist (which can be taken at Union). As a graduate, you will be prepared for careers such as health educator, wellness coach, wellness program coordinator, holistic practitioner and many others. You could also go on to pursue a doctoral degree.

36 Total credits
$695 Cost Per Credit Hour
Jan 2 Next Start Date

Union’s Health & Wellness program accommodates a wide variety of interests and scholarly pursuits. This unique and innovative degree combines a strong foundation in theory and research methods with evidence-based practice, health promotion and public education. You have considerable flexibility in choosing the focus of your study. Examples include complementary and alternative medicine, health education, health and fitness, local or global health challenges, health inequities and mindfulness. You are encouraged to consider additional certifications within or after your studies. Popular examples include qigong, self-hypnosis, herbal medicines, visual imagery, yoga, health coaching and Certified Health Education Specialist (which can be taken at Union). As a graduate, you will be prepared for careers such as health educator, wellness coach, wellness program coordinator, holistic practitioner and many others. You could also go on to pursue a doctoral degree.

  • 36 credit hour program
  • Full & part-time options
  • January, May, and August start dates
  • Complete your degree in as little as 16 months

Founded on Interdisciplinary Learning

Online - anytime, any place. Union Institute & University pioneered the concept of individually mentored study rooted in each student’s own community. The Master of Arts program emphasizes the connections between scholarship and real-world application, and is built around your own questions and interests. Our faculty encourages this interplay between education and experience, theory and practice and helps you reflect on the lessons you learn by looking at a question from many vantage points. The program is 36 credits, culminating in a Master’s thesis. You are able to pursue your studies at your own convenience, full-time (9 credits) or part-time (6 credits), and finish in as little as 16 months.

One on one instruction

One-on-One
Instruction

Ethical & Creative Leadership

Focus your entire program on your own interests and professional goals

Educational Studies

Emphasis on becoming a scholar-practitioner

Applying Your Degree to Real-World Experience

Graduates with an MA in Health & Wellness from Union have gone on to become health educators, fitness coaches, wellness managers, and holistic practitioners. Some have also pursued doctoral studies.

What Makes Our Program Unique?

“Our program is offered exclusively online, which allows for the ability for students to attend classes on their time. The small class size allows students to form lasting mentoring relationships with faculty.”

LISA AKERS
Health & Wellness Advisor

Frequently Asked Questions

The Master of Arts program is designed for students to gain expertise in a self-designed field of study, within the larger context of their major. Learning is individualized, with students working closely with their faculty mentor. Students define their own field of study and develop a rigorous course of study in close collaboration with their faculty mentor, so to become Master’s-level experts in their chosen field.

Students begin with two core courses introducing them to graduate-level scholarship. They learn how to be part of a scholarly community, to use online databases for research, track their research, write a literature review and craft a research proposal. Students also begin an inquiry into their field during these courses. The Disciplinary Foundations courses introduce the fundamentals of the major field, including key scholars, questions, issues, methods and theories.

After these core courses, students develop their own Field of Study in collaboration with a faculty mentor with expertise in the field. The Field of Study incorporates students’ previous academic, professional, and personal experience, and combines it with their professional goals or personal curiosity, to develop expertise that is meaningful to the student, as well as to future employers or an academic community.

During Applications courses, students seek out experiential learning opportunities to deepen their knowledge base and apply what they have learned so far. In Advanced Research Methods, students go more in-depth into the methods, theories, and ethics of their Field of Study and write a proposal for their thesis. As a culminating experience, students write a Thesis; producing a scholarly paper on a topic of interest within their field of study. Students also have the option of producing creative work with a contextual essay. The student’s final transcript lists their Field of Study title and Thesis title, so they can demonstrate their expertise within the Major.

This program design is suited to students who know what they want to learn and why. Our instructors work one-on-one with each student to help them obtain the expertise they seek. The online delivery allows students to interact with peers across the globe and develop a supportive learning community.

Hear What Our Students Are Saying

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