Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies

Now Enrolling for September 2013
Online Courses Only

Herbal Studies at Maryland University of Integrative Health

The Herbal Studies program is designed for individuals with a passion for plants and healing who want to understand the scientific evidence about herbs while honoring the wisdom from native traditions. We find that our students include people with backgrounds in horticulture and gardening, culinary arts and nutrition, public health and education, as well as environmental studies and sustainability. Many are parents, grandparents, and caregivers, who are interested in using the healing power of herbs for self-care and to help others.

Program Highlights

For thousands of years, people all over the world have used their vast knowledge of local plants, employing them as allies to tend to their health throughout the change of seasons. With a Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies from Maryland University of Integrative Health, you can recapture that wisdom and create greater health, wellness, and vitality for yourself and others using herbs, food, and an increased awareness of the natural world.

The Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies:

• Has been designed to give you a comprehensive overview of the use of herbs for healing
• Focuses on empowering you with basic knowledge and skills to support self-care
• Combines modern scientific knowledge with traditional herbal wisdom
• Uses the cycles of nature to guide the integration of herbs into daily life
• Emphasizes practical skills so that you learn to how to prepare useful herbal remedies and incorporate herbs into a healthy diet
• Taught by internationally renowned experts and leaders in herbal medicine, health, and wellness
• Offered online which allows people from around the nation and around the globe to participate and draw from their personal environment and resources for learning
• Delivered in 8 months and includes 12 graduate-level academic credits
• Approved for continuing education units toward licensure requirements for select professions
• Eligible for federal financial aid

Course Descriptions

ISci 611: Introduction to Science Writing

This course offers students an introduction to science writing—the writing of factual prose for the general reader or professional scientists. The focus will be on using evidence-based information and data pertaining to herbal therapeutics. Students will turn in writing or editing assignments each class session. The experience will improve their ability to make complex scientific research understandable.
(Note: This course needs to be taken if you take ISci 632a.)

ISci 632a: Foundations of Health and Wellness

This one-weekend intensive course addresses modern, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives on health, wellness, and sickness. Health and wellness of the individual and the community are discussed in a context ranging from the societal to the molecular level. This weekend provides an integrative model for understanding environmental and behavioral impacts on health and wellness.
(Note: This course cannot be taken if you have already taken ISci 632)

HRB 530: Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine: Past to Present & Soil to Clinic

This survey course begins by looking at the history and use of herbal medicine around the world, exploring how these traditional systems influence modern herbal practice in the United States. The second part of this course introduces the foundational sciences relevant to researching and understanding herbal remedies. Students learn taxonomy and hands-on botanical identification during visits to Jim Duke’s Green Pharmacy Garden. Classroom work will provide an introduction to materia medica, phytochemistry, pharmacology, ethnobotany, clinical trials, posology (the study of dosage), herbal preparations, and safety issues.

HRB 622: Herbal Pharmacy: Evaluating and Manufacturing Quality Herbal Products

This is primarily a hands-on course providing techniques for harvesting and drying herbs, and incorporating them into herbal products and medicinal foods. It provides the basic theory and skills required to manufacture high-quality medicinal herb products for oral and topical application. Students learn the foundational principles of extraction, the properties of common solvents (e.g., water, alcohol and oils), and the solubility of various herbal constituents. Students apply their learning by creating herbal foods and extracts for display at a community herbal products show. In addition to making their own kitchen pharmacy preparations, students learn how to evaluate the quality of the wide range of herbal products manufactured by the natural products industry.

HRB 618: Herbs for Home Use: Living in Harmony with the Seasons

This course looks in depth at approximately 30 herbs that are most appropriate for self-care and use in the home. Each herb will be discussed in terms of historical usage, modern research perspectives, and quality assessment. Seasonal influences on health and disease will be explored as students learn to incorporate these 30 herbs into beverages and foods. Traditional herbal formulation also will be covered with a focus on creating seasonal blends. This course provides the student with the necessary skills to effectively research herbs not covered in class.

Weekends in January, February, and March are held Friday through Sunday. Class hours on Friday in January are 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Class hours on Friday in February are 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In February and March, class hours on Saturdays and Sundays are between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. All other weekends from April to August are held on Saturday and Sunday only.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is available for this program. For more information, click here.

Tuition and Fees

Application Fee: $50
Tuition Deposit (due upon acceptance): $500
Tuition: $580 per credit for a total program cost of $6,960