About the Program
The Integrative Health Care (IHC) program provides a comprehensive understanding of health and wellness through evidence-based teaching and practices that combine the most recent scientific evidence with the oldest of healing traditions, such as botanical and ayurvedic medicines. Students examine the diverse factors that impinge on an individual’s health and well-being, which promotes growth, cultivates wisdom, and teaches discernment of existing paradigms in US Healthcare. Students receive a broad-based understanding of the principles of human health and disease, the theories underlying healing practices, and the scientific research methods needed to evaluate the latest techniques in this dynamic field.
The Integrative Health Care program offers a major, an extended major, and a minor. The major and extended major are designed for students interested in working in the expanding complementary and alternative health care field. The minor is designed for students who recognize the increased emphasis on wellness in several professional fields and/or for health-conscious individuals who wish to establish a self-enhancement program. The minor can complement a major that is relevant to the student’s career goals.
Majors and minors that complement the IHC programs include, but are not limited to: Health Care Management, Nutrition, Aging Services Leadership, Public Health, Lifestyle Medicine, Journalism, Spanish, Marketing, Human Services, Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry.
How will the IHC program impact you?
The baccalaureate Integrative Health Care (IHC) program graduate will be prepared to:
- Demonstrate an attitude of caring, flexibility, and self-confidence in a health care setting.
- Act in an ethical and legal manner in applying the leadership roles of collaborator, resource person, change agent, teacher, and advocate.
- Integrate a variety of communication skills, media techniques, and strategies effectively and appropriately to influence health.
- Assess health situations and recommend appropriate healing practices.
- Evaluate global health systems to identify social and health-care trends in order to anticipate the future of health care.
- Apply scientific method to health-care problems.
Apply knowledge of natural science principles in a healing practice.
Career Opportunities
Earn a degree in Integrative Health Care, and you’ll be ready for a career in a variety of health care fields, from community health and health education to retail. These are some of the areas you could pursue with your B.S. in Integrative Health Care:
Alternative Medicine
- Acupuncture
- Anthropology
- Aromatherapy
- Ayurvedic medicine
- Chiropractic medicine
- Conventional medicine
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Ethnobotany
- Herbal medicine
- Homeopathy
Traditional Medicine
- Wellness Coaching
- Naturopathy
- Nursing
- Occupational therapy
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Osteopathic medicine
- Physical therapy
- Psychology
- Public health
- Social work
IHC prepares students for health care and beyond
If you’re interested in becoming a health care practitioner, the bachelor’s degree program in Integrative Health Care at MSU Denver fulfills most graduate school requirements. MSU Denver graduates of the Integrative Health Care undergraduate degree program have been accepted into the following conventional and naturopathic medical programs:
- Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
- MSU Denver School of Nursing
- Bastyr University
- National University of Natural Medicine
- Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
- University of Colorado School of Medicine
- National University of Health Sciences Chiropractic College
Contact Us to Learn More!
If you are interested in Integrative Health Care but have more questions, please contact us!
You can set up an advising appointment with Dr. Steve Rissman by emailing at [email protected] .
You can also request an advising appointment using the form here.
Integrative Health Care Major, B.S.
The Integrative Health Care Major requires the following courses and electives. In addition to the courses listed below, many courses will require prerequisite courses prior to registration.
Summary of Major Requirements
Required Core Courses: 27-30 Credits
Required Elective Courses: 15 Credits
Required Support Courses: 15 Credits
Total for Major: 57-60 Credits
Course Information
- HCM 3500 – Health Care Research Methods (Credits: 3)
- ITP 1700 – Medical Terminology (Credits: 2)
- ITP 1000 Foundations of Healthcare (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2500 – Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2700 – Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3200 – Ethics in Health Care (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3800 – Stress and Sleep: Impact on Health and Disease (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4600 – Clinical Pathophysiology (Credits: 4)
- ITP 4990 – Internship in Integrative Therapeutic Practices (Credits: 3-6)
- ITP 4999 – Applied Learning (Credits 3) May be repeated multiple times.
- ITP 4950 – Community Coaching (Credits 3) Prerequisites include Wellness Coaching I and II, Lifestyle Medicine.
- ITP 1600 – Herbal Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2800 – Health, Society, and the Environment (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2810 – Men Across Cultures (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2820 – Men and Anger (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2950 – Wellness Coaching I (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3000 – Men’s Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3300 – Homeopathy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3400 – Ayurveda (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3450 – Dynamics of Disease (Credits 3)
- ITP 3500 – Traditional Chinese Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3600 – Energy Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3700 – Physiology of Aging (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3850 – Lifestyle Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3980 – Field Experience (Credits 3)
- ITP 4000 – Pediatric Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4100 – Women’s Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4200 – Aromatherapy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4300 – Botanical Pharmacology (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4400 – Wellness Coaching II (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4700 – Community Health Education and Lifestyle Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4800 – Lifestyle Medicine Across Gender and Lifespan (Credits: 3)
- HCPS 3000- Intro Patient Navigation (Credits: 2)
- BIO 1080 – General Biology I (Credits: 3)
- BIO 1090 – General Biology Laboratory I (Credits: 1)
- BIO 2310 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I (Credits: 4)
- BIO 2320 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II (Credits: 4)
- ITP 1500 – Dynamics of Health (Credits: 3)
Integrative Health Care Extended Major, B.S.
The Integrative Health Care Extended Major requires the following courses and electives. In addition to the courses listed below, many courses will require prerequisite courses prior to registration.
Summary of Extended Major Requirements
Required Core Courses: 29-32 Credits
Required Elective Courses: 33 Credits
Required Support Courses: 15 Credits
Total for Extended Major: Minimum of 62 Credits
Course Information
- HCM 3500 – Health Care Research Methods (Credits: 3)
- ITP 1700 – Medical Terminology (Credits: 2)
- ITP 2000 – Integrative Health Foundations (Credits: 1)
- ITP 2500 – Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2700 – Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3200 – Ethics in Health Care (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3800 – Stress and Sleep: Impact on Health and Disease (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4500 – Professionalism in Integrative Therapies (Credits: 1)
- ITP 4600 – Clinical Pathophysiology (Credits: 4)
- ITP 4991 – Integrative Capstone (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4990 – Internship in Integrative Therapeutic Practices (Credits: 3-6)
- ITP 4999 – Applied Learning (Credits: 3) May be repeated multiple times.
- ITP 1600 – Herbal Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2800 – Health, Society, and the Environment (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2810 – Men Across Cultures (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2820 – Anger In Men: A Whole Approach (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2950 – Wellness Coaching I (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3000 – Men’s Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3100 – Health Education and Counseling (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3300 – Homeopathy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3400 – Ayurveda (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3500 – Traditional Chinese Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3600 – Energy Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3700 – Physiology of Aging (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3850 – Lifestyle Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4000 – Pediatric Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4100 – Women’s Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4200 – Aromatherapy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4300 – Botanical Pharmacology (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4400 – Wellness Coaching II (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4910 – Applications in Wellness Coaching (Credits: 3)
- NUT 2040 – Introduction to Nutrition (Credits: 3)
- BIO 2310 – Human Anatomy and Physiology I (Credits: 4)
- BIO 2320 – Human Anatomy and Physiology II (Credits: 4)
- ITP 1500 – Dynamics of Health (Credits: 3)
- MTH 1210 – Introduction to Statistics (Credits: 4)
OR
PSY 2310 – Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Credits: 3)
Integrative Health Care Minor
The Integrative Health Care Minor requires the following courses and electives. In addition to the courses listed below
Summary of Minor Requirements
Required Core Courses: 9 Credits
Required Elective Courses: 12 Credits
Total for Minor: 21 Credits
Course Information
- ITP 1500 – Dynamics of Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2500 – Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2700 – Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- HCM 3500 – Health Care Research Methods (Credits: 3)
- ITP 1600 – Herbal Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2000 – Integrative Health Foundations (Credits: 1)
- ITP 2800 – Health, Society, and the Environment (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2810 – Men Across Cultures (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2820 – Anger In Men: A Whole Approach (Credits: 3)
- ITP 2950 – Wellness Coaching I (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3000 – Men’s Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3100 – Health Education and Counseling (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3200 – Ethics in Health Care (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3300 – Homeopathy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3400 – Ayurveda (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3500 – Traditional Chinese Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3600 – Energy Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3700 – Physiology of Aging (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3800 – Stress and Sleep: Impact on Health and Disease (Credits: 3)
- ITP 3850 – Lifestyle Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4000 – Pediatric Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4100 – Women’s Holistic Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4200 – Aromatherapy (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4300 – Botanical Pharmacology (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4400 – Wellness Coaching II (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4500 – Professionalism in Integrative Therapies (Credits: 1)
- ITP 4600 – Clinical Pathophysiology (Credits: 4)
- ITP 4700 – Community Health Education and Lifestyle Medicine (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4900 – Theories and Application of Knowledge for Integrative Health (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4910 – Applications in Wellness Coaching (Credits: 3)
- ITP 4990 – Internship in Integrative Therapeutic Practices (Credits: 3-6)
- ITP 4991 – Integrative Capstone (Credits: 3)
- NUT 2040 – Introduction to Nutrition (Credits: 3)
Accreditation
Academic Accreditation is an assurance of the quality of an academic program. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an independent corporation that was founded in 1895 as one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, including Colorado and 18 other states. The mission of the HLC is to serve the common good by assuring and advancing the quality of higher learning. For more information, please visit the Higher Learning Commission.



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The Department of Health Professions is located:
Auraria Campus, West Classroom #239
Mailing Address
Department of Health Professions
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Campus Box 33, PO Box 173362
Denver, CO 80217-3362