As the pioneer and leader of the national Whole Health movement, the pre-requisites NIWH require allow professional learners to integrate whole health knowledge and skills into their current work or practice. At the same time, NIWH learners earn nationally accredited and approved continuing education contact hours necessary to satisfy on-going licensure or recertification requirements.

The entrance requirements for the NIWH 3-in-1 Whole Health Education programs are in keeping with national guidelines for the practice of, and employment in, the fields of medicine, allied health, mental health, wellness education, patient health education and other areas of healthcare.

The criteria is a credential, degree or license, as described in the pre-requisite list below, which allows the learner to incorporate the NIWH Patient Health Education training into their professional scope of practice and allow them to purchase nationally available malpractice insurance for education counseling. These criteria will qualify them for a National Provider Identification (NPI) number as a patient health educator.

HOWEVER, please note, non-credentialed individuals may enroll in the program and take courses with a waiver of understanding that no credential, diploma, NPI number, liability insurance or billing and coding manual will be available to them upon completion of the program. They can at any time complete a prerequisite credential program and then qualify for credentialing. 

“It [Whole Health Education] addresses many of the issues that NCQA [the National Committee for Quality Assurance] sees as central to a more effective health care system.”

– Margaret Kane
Institute of Medicine
President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance
Washington, D.C.

All applicants must meet the minimum requirements for acceptance into the National Institute of Whole Health post-professional Whole Health Education programs. In addition, each Whole Health Education program is open to specific populations of professionals. For example, the Whole Health Educator for Nurses is only open to nurse professionals. The Whole Health Nutrition program is only open to degreed, licensed nutrition professionals or medical professionals whose scope of practice includes nutrition counseling.

• Minimum requirement of a professional license or degree, or graduate level degree, in a related subject from an accredited college, which results in a state or national certification or license. All degrees must be related to the fields of health science, nutrition, psychology, fitness, wellness, education, food science or other related subjects. Examples of appropriate degrees are:
  • Nursing degrees
  • Education and health education degrees
  • Nutrition or RD degrees
  • Mental Health degrees
  • Rehabilitation degrees
  • Respiratory Therapy degrees
  • Physical Therapy Assistant
  • Medical Assistant degrees
  • Dental Hygienist degrees
  • Cardiovascular  Technician
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Audiologist
  • Speech Pathologist
  • Other medical, health education or healthcare related accredited 4 year or graduate level degrees
• Licensure or professional certification in health, education or allied health
• Phone interview required for application submission
• Formal application to NIWH program
• Independent verification by NIWH of license, certificate and/or degree credentials
• Offer of Enrollment from NIWH Registrar’s Office