Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies
Now Enrolling for January 2012

Program Highlights

For thousands of years, traditional peoples all over the world have had a vast knowledge of their local plants, using them as allies to tend to their health through the changing seasons. With a Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies from Tai Sophia 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.

This one-of-a-kind program combines modern, scientific knowledge with traditional herbal wisdom, using the cycles of nature to guide the integration of herbs into daily life. The program’s emphasis on practical skills ensures that you will learn to incorporate herbs into food preparation and a healthy diet, and prepare simple and useful herbal remedies.

Tai Sophia’s Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies is:

• Designed for individuals who have a keen interest in herbs, wellness, and self care
• Taught by internationally renowned experts and leaders in herbal medicine, health, and wellness
• Focused on empowering you with the basic knowledge and skills to support self care
• Presented in an executive weekend format to accommodate working professionals
• 12 graduate-level academic credits delivered over 9 weekends (approximately one weekend a month for 8 months)
• Approved for continuing education units toward licensure requirements for select professions
• Eligible for federal financial aid
• Easily paired with a Graduate Certificate in Wellness Coaching
• Earns the first twelve (12) credits in the Master's of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism

Course Descriptions

APP 632: Foundations of Health and Wellnessq

This course addresses modern, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives on health, wellness, and sickness. Health and wellness of the individual are discussed in a context ranging from the planetary to the molecular level. Emphasis is placed on understanding the biological basis of health and wellness practices as well as the use of language in creating life-affirming narratives. As part of this course, students will engage in their own health-supportive practices and develop a deeper personal commitment to wellness. 

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 are 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 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.

Why Study at Tai Sophia?

Founded in 1974, Tai Sophia is a premier, accredited educational institution dedicated to the art and science of healing and wellness. For over three decades, Tai Sophia Institute’s pioneering founders, world-class faculty, and exceptional clinicians have redefined health, wellness, relationship, and community, setting the gold standard for relationship-centered care, transformative leadership and social change, and self care.

Each of Tai Sophia’s programs is powerfully rooted in the wisdom of nature, teachings from the world’s great healing and wisdom traditions, contemporary knowledge, and cutting-edge science.

Whether your ultimate goal is to coach your patients and clients toward optimum health and vitality, integrate herbs into your clinical practice or home life, become a master practitioner of acupuncture, or be a more powerful and effective leader on the job or in your community, as a Tai Sophia student you will become a keen observer of your own body-mind-spirit and its innate wisdom, and learn to be a healing and transformative presence through your thoughts, words, and actions.

While you pursue your chosen course of study, in partnership with your classmates and instructors, you will reveal and develop your unique gifts and talents, achieve greater clarity about your passion and purpose, and gain a deeper sense of community and service.

Herbal Studies at Tai Sophia

The Herbal Studies program is designed for individuals with a keen interest in herbs, wellness, and self care. People with a background or interest in horticulture and gardening, culinary arts and nutrition, public health and education, and the environment and sustainability, as well as parents and caregivers, will find the program both relevant and valuable.

Situated just miles from the renowned Green Pharmacy Garden, Tai Sophia’s main campus offers an impressive herbal dispensary, library, and herb garden to support all of its academic programs in herbal medicine.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students must meet the following admission requirements:

• Have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution and submit an official transcript to verify completion.
• Submit official transcript of highest degree earned beyond a bachelor’s degree.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is available for this program. To apply for federal financial aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Tai Sophia Institute’s school code for completing the FAFSA is G25784. A limited number of scholarships are also available. For additional funding options, such as private or alternative education loans, please contact Director of Financial Aid John Gay, Jr., at 410-888-9048 ext. 6628 or .

Tuition and Fees

Application Fee: $50
Tuition Deposit (due upon acceptance): $500
Tuition: $552 per credit for a total program cost of $6,624

Additional Fees: Required materials include: supplies needed for making herbal preparations (teas, lotions, tinctures) for the Fall Herb Show. The cost of the Fall Herb Show can range from $75 to $300. The cost of books required for the program runs between $150 and $215.

To learn more about the Herbal Studies graduate certificate, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at or 410-888-9048 ext. 6647.