At the heart of your interest in the study of holistic health and wellbeing is a passion to serve others in body, mind, and spirit. PLNU’s one-year, online Master of Kinesiology in Integrative Wellness will prepare professionals who can improve health in the U.S. through interventions in behavior change, nutrition, and physical activity. 

Corporate wellness program directors can facilitate health change at the workplace and ultimately save their companies money. Personal trainers and other fitness professionals can learn how to better lead their clients along personal journeys toward better health. Registered dietitians, RNs, and medical assistants can use the degree to deliver obesity interventions to patients. 

No matter how the degree is applied, it can become the vehicle that health and wellness professionals will use to apply evidence-based strategies that facilitate sustainable health behavior change that can lead to weight loss, healthy eating, regular physical activity, stress reduction, and overall improvements to health and wellbeing. 

The integration of lifestyle medicine within healthcare systems is not just effective, but powerful and life-changing for individuals and society.

Relevant Experience

Take courses that pair an applied learning approach with the latest industry research and trends, giving you the real-world experience today to be successful tomorrow.

Professional Preparedness

Foster relationships with industry leaders, gain exposure to internship and job opportunities, and learn from faculty and professional colleagues through a robust, flexible curriculum.

Pursue Your Purpose

Develop a deeper understanding of how to faithfully apply your work to the wellness of the whole person — body, mind, and spirit.

Spotlight

Jessica Matthews, DBH, MS, NBC-HWC

With the rise of technology, how is the academic world answering the call to create a trusted bridge between the knowing and the doing when it comes to applying technology and facilitating positive health outcomes?

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PROGRAM OUTCOMES

When you complete the program, you will be able to:

• Apply evidence-based coaching strategies and behavior change techniques to facilitate meaningful lifestyle changes and improved health outcomes.

• Collaborate with colleagues in a wide variety of settings to provide an integrative and holistic approach to healthcare, health education, and health promotion.

• Evaluate the influence of biopsychosocial factors on health, healing, and well-being to design lifestyle interventions to prevent and manage chronic diseases.

Program Start Date(s):

• Fall 2023 – August 28, 2023

Application Deadline(s):

• Fall 2023 – August 9, 2023

Start Application

The Selection Process

The educational context at PLNU will challenge you to live a full life that integrates the pursuit of knowledge with beliefs, values, and actions. While honoring diverse perspectives and beliefs, Christian values and principles are woven into the educational experience. We understand your application is not only a reflection of you as a student; it reflects you as a person. At PLNU, we holistically evaluate your academic history, work and life experience, background, and circumstances to determine admission into a graduate program. Your undergraduate GPA is an important piece of your application, but if you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of a 3.0, you may still be eligible for admission based on your application package as well as the exceptions policy per your particular program.* Therefore, we strongly encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor, who will advise you regarding your qualifications and provide specific information about the admission under exceptions process.

To be admitted into PLNU's MS-KIN, no prerequisite courses are required.  However, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in a health, wellness or fitness related program OR a non-health related baccalaureate degree and a reputable health, fitness, or wellness certification (or equivalent) and a minimum of three years of professional experience in the field of health, wellness, or fitness is required. If you have any questions about your qualifications or the program in general, we encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor.

Application Checklist

Note: The application is completed entirely online with the exception of transcripts, which can be submitted electronically or directly to PLNU, and test scores, which should be submitted electronically.

1. Submit an online application for admissions (including $50 non-refundable application fee, which is waived for PLNU alums, current or former military and their dependents, and PLNU employees).
2. Submit official transcripts with proof of earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.* (If you are a PLNU alumnus, please notify your counselor to have your transcripts retrieved. You do not need to request transcripts from the PLNU Office of Records.)
   
   Official transcripts must be sent to:
   Point Loma Nazarene University
   Office of Graduate Admissions
   3900 Lomaland Dr.
   San Diego, CA 92106
   
   Official electronic transcripts must be emailed to:
   gradprocessing@pointloma.edu
   
   *Please note, official transcripts must be sent directly from the regionally accredited institution.
3. Submit personal essay. Specifically state how you would like to use your master’s degree from PLNU to further your career. Make sure you clearly touch on the three points below:
   • Clarify what job setting you see yourself pursuing upon completing the MS in Kinesiology and specify how this degree program will help you in that setting.
   • Describe what wellness means to you and explain how you intend to provide a whole-person approach to health in your professional practice. 
   • State how your previous education and work experiences have uniquely prepared you for success in this program.
4. Submit a resume/vita.
5. Submit three professional references including name, title, phone, email for each reference.

*Exceptions Policy: If you have below a 3.0 GPA in your baccalaureate degree you will need to speak with your enrollment counselor for more information on the exceptions materials needed for your particular program.

Start Application

State Authorization

State authorization is a formal determination that PLNU is approved to conduct educational activities regulated by that state or U.S. Territory. PLNU is not required to obtain state authorization in every state or U.S. Territory, and the university has opted at this time not to seek authorization in certain states and U.S. Territories. Additionally, PLNU meets the criteria for exemption from authorization in certain states.

At this time, PLNU does not have authorization in Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and the U.S. Territories. 

Authorizations in specific states may change periodically. PLNU recommends contacting PLNU admissions at (800) 733-7770 for the latest information.

Professionals in integrative wellness provide clients with holistic approaches to health and well-being. By gaining your integrative wellness degree at PLNU you’ll learn how to care for others by focusing on the relationship between the provider and client and working toward the goal of achieving optimal health and rehabilitation. 

PLNU’s integrative wellness master's program will prepare you for leadership in a variety of fields:

• Health Coaching

• Dietetics and Nutrition

• Corporate Wellness

• Nursing

• Health Education

• Exercise Science

• Health Promotion

What do integrative wellness jobs look like post graduation?

Integrative health is an $82 billion global industry. As our world continues to become more physically active and medically advanced, the market share of this field is expected to grow at a rate of 22% annually between 2021 to 2028, with more and more individuals seeking this type of integrative health care. 

The following are some career paths you can take with an integrative wellness degree: 

Director of Wellness

2020 Median annual salary: $67,097
Projected growth: 32% from 2020-30

While getting your master’s in kinesiology, there are options to explore an integrative wellness concentration. Wellness directors are responsible for a company’s or organization’s planning and execution of programs centered around health, safety, and well-being. You’d be the go-to person for promotion of overall health — mental and physical wellness — of all staffers, and ultimately save your company money. At its root, integrative wellness aims to apply evidence-based practices into lasting behavioral changes. 

Exercise Physiologist

Estimated total pay in the US: $64,005 
Projected growth: 13% from 2020-30

The main job of exercise physiologists is to analyze patients’ fitness and create a health plan to improve or maintain their health. Some exercise physiologists also help patients who have heart disease and other chronic conditions, working to rehabilitate and help them regain their health as they relearn control over their bodies. Exercise physiologists may also work with amateur or professional athletes hoping to increase their health and enhance their athletic performance.

Health Coach

2021 Median annual salary: $60,600
Projected growth: 17% from 2020-30

Health coaches work alongside their clients to develop an understanding of their own health and how to achieve their health goals – from dietary, strength and conditioning, cardiovascular, sport performance, and more! Health coaches meet with their clients to discuss goals, progress, and challenges. They also act as support and accountability for their clients as they work toward difficult and demanding goals. 

Personal Trainer

2020 Median Annual Salary: $85,665
Projected Growth: 39% from 2020-30

Personal trainers work with individuals or small groups to instruct and implement exercise and general fitness plans. They develop exercise regimens for clients, teach clients how to use complex equipment, and also help develop dietary plans for some clients with specific fitness goals in mind. 

Scholarships

Scholarships ranging from $500-2500 are available to those who qualify. Please contact your Enrollment Counselor for further information.

What inspires me most about working in the field is the privilege of faithfully serving others physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — it's what fuels my passion. This whole-person approach to wellness is not only the cornerstone of the integrative wellness program but it’s the key to positively transforming the health of individuals and society as a whole.

Jessica Matthews, M.S. 
Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology

For information about the courses required for the Kinesiology, M.S., Integrative Wellness program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Course Information