You’ll study the Maharishi AyurVedaSM health system, which addresses the body, mind, and environment of an individual to help them become holistically healthy.
Our programs integrate natural techniques with modern medicine to take an integrated and balanced approach to wellness. You’ll study a variety of modalities, including:
Herbal supplementation
Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis
Individualized dietary recommendations
Individualized lifestyle modifications and more
Key questions
With an MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, you have a wide array of opportunities to work or set up a practice. Several paths to consider include private practice; working in wellness centers, spas, integrative health clinics; managing corporate wellness programs; and online health coaching.
The next entry for the MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine is February 2027.
Yes. MIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the same body that accredits major universities in the Midwest.
Can I earn this degree while learning from home?
Our three-year, part-time online MS has a flexible schedule and can be completed with about 8 to 9 hours of work per week. Some students may spend more time on the program, depending on their personal learning styles. You’ll learn without the strain typical of graduate degree programs.
Even though you’ll be studying online, you’ll enjoy connecting with a supportive community of students who share your passion for natural healthcare, as well as professors who are experts in the field.
6 weeks of live clinicals over 3 years
Online or at the MIU campus in Fairfield, IA
Two 90-minute live webinars per week
5-6* hours per week of asynchronous learning (on your own time)
includes videos, knowledge checks, quizzes, and writing assignments
*some students choose to do more
TM – the technique for inner peace & wellness
As a student at MIU, you’ll learn the Transcendental Meditation technique, an evidence-based technique that promotes inner peace and wellness, enhances clear thinking, improves learning ability, and boosts creativity.
“Ayurvedic medicine (also called Ayurveda) is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It originated in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. In the United States, Ayurvedic medicine is considered a complementary health approach.”
Is Ayurveda effective?
“Ayurveda can have positive effects when used as a complementary therapy in combination with standard, conventional medical care.”
How is the program structured?
Throughout the MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, students are requested to take their own pulse several times per day. This is one of the best ways to learn pulse diagnosis since taking the pulse frequently gives differing experiences of pulse that correspond to different activities, such as after meals, after exercise, and after sleep.
At the end of the two courses introducing the principles of Maharishi AyurVeda (PH 500 and PH 501), students will be given three virtual cases. Students will evaluate the virtual patient using a standard case evaluation form. The evaluation will include pulse diagnosis, patient history, and other appropriate means of modern or natural diagnosis. Students will then give their recommendations for the treatment program, which will be evaluated by the faculty.
At the end of each course, there will be an exam to determine understanding of the concepts and familiarity with the preventive approaches and application of the protocols for disorders of that organ system. There will be a variety of written, multiple choice, and other exam questions.
During the final course, course participants will have an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of their knowledge with a final written examination of the principles, diagnostic skills, and therapeutic skills, including sample clinical cases they must solve to the satisfaction of the faculty.
Most courses are 3 months
View course lectures (approximately 2 hours per week)
Complete online learning activities and exams (approximately 4 hours per week)
Two weekly, 90-minute live webinars (3 hours)
Multiple case studies for each course will be evaluated with a standard rubric
Students should expect to spend 8-9 hours per week dedicated to the program. Some students may spend more time on the program, depending on their personal learning style.
The program will apply the principles of Consciousness-Based Education, including the enlivenment of the inner intelligence of the body, through the daily practice of Transcendental Meditation. This is the fundamental approach of Maharishi AyurVeda and a central feature of our programs.
On-campus and online clinical training options are available
Optional: Study in India for two weeks
Each year students will be offered the opportunity to visit Sreedhareeyam Hospital in Kerala, India, where they will engage in a comprehensive learning experience focused on Ayurvedic medicine.
This two-week clinical program includes mastering diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, delving into traditional herbal preparations, and gaining hands-on experience with Panchakarma treatments.
Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about herbal identification, visit a factory where herbals are prepared, and learn pharmacy practices. The course offers practical training in clinical and pulse diagnosis, led by experienced practitioners like Vaidya Manohar Palakurthi. This program is designed to provide an immersive and in-depth understanding of Ayurvedic principles and practices.
Become a wellness professional
As a Maharishi AyurVeda Professional, you will graduate with the practical knowledge and training required to offer wellness consultations and other services through a natural and scientific approach. Our program also offers business electives which are intended to provide real-world business strategies.
Graduates of the MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine are eligible to apply for membership in the Maharishi AyurVeda Association of America (MAAA).
With an MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, you have a wide array of opportunities to work or set up a practice. Here are several paths you could consider:
You can establish your own private clinic offering consultations and treatments in Maharishi AyurVeda. This allows for a personalized approach to healthcare, focusing on individual treatment plans that encompass lifestyle, diet, herbal remedies, and other therapeutic practices.
Many wellness centers and spas seek professionals trained in Ayurveda to offer services such as Ayurvedic consultations, Panchakarma therapies, and lifestyle guidance. Working in such environments can also provide opportunities for collaboration with professionals from other holistic health disciplines.
These clinics combine conventional Western medicine with alternative and complementary therapies. With an MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, you would be well-positioned to contribute your expertise in Ayurveda to a team of healthcare providers.
There’s a growing interest in Ayurveda and integrative medicine worldwide. You could find opportunities teaching these subjects at colleges, universities, or specialized institutes offering programs in holistic health and wellness.
Companies increasingly recognize the importance of employee wellness for productivity and morale. You could work as part of or consult for corporate wellness programs, designing and implementing strategies that include Ayurvedic principles to promote health and wellbeing among employees.
If you have an interest in research, there are opportunities to contribute to the scientific study of Ayurvedic practices and products. This can include working with herbal supplements companies, academic research teams, or governmental health organizations.
The digital age has opened new avenues for health professionals to reach a wider audience. You can set up an online consulting business, offering personalized Ayurvedic lifestyle and dietary advice, virtual workshops, and courses.
With your specialized knowledge, you can write articles, blogs, or even books on vMaharishi AyurVeda and integrative medicine. This can also include creating content for health and wellness websites, magazines, and online platforms.
Ayurvedic retreats and workshops are popular for people looking to immerse themselves in intensive health programs. Your expertise could be valuable in designing and leading such retreats, which often combine Ayurvedic treatments, yoga, meditation, and nutrition.
Non-profit organizations and community health initiatives may benefit from your expertise in Maharishi AyurVeda to address specific health challenges within communities, offering an alternative and holistic approach to healthcare.
Licensure and scope of practice
Ayurveda is not currently a licensed healthcare profession in the United States, and the MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine does not lead to professional licensure. Graduates may provide Ayurvedic wellness education, consultations, and other services within the scope permitted by the laws of the state or country where they practice.
Because laws and permitted services vary by location, students and graduates are responsible for understanding and complying with the requirements in their jurisdiction. This degree does not qualify graduates to practice medicine or another licensed healthcare profession unless they hold a separate, applicable professional license.
Learning community committed to inner growth
During your studies, you’ll meet an online community of students from around the world who are deeply committed to wellness, positive values, and personal inner growth. You’ll participate in online discussions, exchanging experiences and points of view while developing new friendships.
In addition, our hands-on faculty will provide you with the one-on-one attention you need to absorb deep concepts and succeed in your studies.
Get started by contacting Sunita
Sunita Martin is this program’s admissions counselor for US students. Sunita will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with the program director or faculty.
Manohar Palakurthi, BAMS, PhD, is an Ayurvedic physician and currently serves as Clinical Professor of Physiology & Health at MIU. He graduated from India’s Nagarjuna University, has been trained by three of the world’s top experts in Maharishi AyurVeda, and holds 30 years of expertise in the field. He has also received the Dhanavantari award from the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America.
Dr. Manohar practices as an Ayurveda clinical consultant, teacher, and course developer for health professionals and modern physicians, is a teacher and expert clinician in Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis, has training in aromatherapy and Ayurveda Ophthalmology and has presented seminars on Maharishi AyurVeda all over the world.
Principles of Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment in Maharishi AyurVeda
Everything affects our health – our food, our lifestyle, our behavior, and our environment. All these areas are investigated in our foundation courses in the first year. You will learn how to assess balance and imbalance through pulse reading, observation, and interviewing. You will learn how the mind and body work together to maintain health and happiness. You learn about your own mind/body type. And we learn how our diet, lifestyle, and environment impact our health – and what to do about it – including the use of specific diets, herbs, and behaviors that enhance our health. And we will understand that our consciousness is the basis of all elements of health. Physiology is the expression of consciousness.
Musculoskeletal System
This class kicks off your in-depth study of the Ayurvedic approach to the eight organ systems with a focus on the musculoskeletal system. We will understand how the tissues, organs, and organ systems emerge from our food, and how they are impacted by our mind and emotions. You will see how our consciousness impacts all the body processes, including digestion and metabolism of all the different tissues and systems. And you will learn how to apply the modalities of diet, behavior, lifestyle, herbs and other procedures from Maharishi AyurVeda.
Hematologic/Immunologic System
This course presents the anatomy, physiology, and imbalance of the blood and immune system. This system represents the body’s ability to discriminate ‘self’ from ‘non-self’. You will learn how this system can get out of balance, how to assess the level of balance and imbalance, and then how to restore the balance, using diet, lifestyle, behaviors, herbs, meditation, and other modalities of Maharishi AyurVeda.
All courses may include
This course presents the foundations of natural, prevention-oriented health care, including AyurVedic Anatomy, Physiology, Digestion and Metabolism, AyurVedic herbology, pulse diagnosis, and clinical approach to basic common disorders.
This course further develops the understanding of this consciousness-based approach to health care, including research on Transcendental Meditation, the Srota systems (channels) of AyurVeda, herbology, Yoga Asanas; clinical workshops on digestive disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory disorders, women’s health, and heart health. The course also gives an introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Homeopathy.
This course begins the in-depth study of the AyurVedic approach to the eight organ systems. The focus is on the main disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including various muscular pain and myopathies, which are among the most common complaints in modern society. This course also presents an introduction to Other Systems of Natural Medicine: Principles of Osteopathy and Chiropractic Medicine.
This course goes deep into the Total Heart Health program, a comprehensive program to treat and prevent heart disease and its risk factors, including, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and stress. It also covers the main renal disorders, including renal failure, cystitis, kidney stones and urinary tract infections.
The health of the digestive system is critical for immunity, strength and healthy tissues. This course goes deeply into the principle disorders of the digestive system, including indigestion, hyperacidity, GERD, irritable bowel, constipation and others.
The course on the pulmonary system investigates the main disorders of the respiratory system including, common cold, influenza, asthma, COPD and others. The course describes the causative factors, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment from Maharishi AyurVeda as well as an introduction to other systems and approaches to respiratory imbalances. This course also introduces imbalances in ears, nose and throat.
Joint disorders are very common, often debilitating disorders in modern society. This course addresses the different types of arthritis and joint disorders, investigates their causes, symptoms and means of alleviation from Maharishi AyurVeda and other natural systems.
Including: Ob/Gyn, Men’s Health, and Pediatrics. The endocrine system, along with the nervous system, is the master controller of all physiological functions. This course presents the various hormonal and reproductive disorders, including thyroid, adrenal and reproductive problems.
In Maharishi AyurVeda, the health of the blood and plasma is the basis for the nourishment and health of all the other systems. This course presents the common disorders of the cellular components of the blood and immune system; their causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
The nervous system, along with the endocrine system is responsible for controlling every physiological function, as well as our experience in consciousness. The disorders of this critical system are investigated and their treatments presented, along with case studies.
This 4-week course will explore the foundations of Maharishi’s Vedic Science with talks by Maharishi. These talks give a strong foundation in Maharishi’s Science and Technology of Consciousness, the bases of Maharishi AyurVeda. The first half of the course describe Veda as the vibrations of natural law, structured in the Unified Field of all the laws of nature, and how they are cognized by the Vedic Rishis, in their own unbounded self-referral consciousness. The last half present key talks by Maharishi about his Maharishi AyurVeda, and how it is rooted in Veda. Without consciousness, there is no Veda in Ayurveda.
This 4-week course will go deeper into the structure of the 40 aspects of Veda and Vedic Literature and their correlation to human physiology. This is the foundation of Maharishi Sound Therapy and present the profound integration between modern science and ancient Vedic Science.
This course provides the basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology as needed by students in the MS program in Maharishi AyurVeda and Integrative Medicine. It explores the terminology, structure, function, and interdependence of the human body systems and introduces relevant medical terminology. This course provides an understanding of how the body’s structure and function maintain balance and a healthy state. Topics include homeostasis, feedback control, skeletal-muscular system, blood, cardiovascular system, immune system, and digestive system, including gut health. Additional topics include divisions of the nervous system and how they control other organ systems of the body and maintain homeostasis as well as the respiratory system, endocrine system, reproductive system, nervous system, and excretory system. Relevant current scientific research results are discussed as appropriate. Students get an opportunity to explore how human physiology is a replica of natural law as expressed in ancient Vedic Literature discovered by Tony Nader, MD, PhD. Prerequisite: graduate standing
Cost & Aid, 2026-2027
US MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine
This program is three years in length. There are two semesters in one year. The table below is the estimate for a semester during 2026-2027, subject to change in future years. The cost of housing and meals for the residency is included in the tuition.
Cost and Typical Financial Aid
Tuition and fees
$5,000
Federal student loan
$-5,000
Your payment
0
Additional federal loan for cash expenses
$5,000
Additional Financial Aid Information
While attending college, you may have out-of-pocket cash living expenses, including books, supplies, transportation, or other personal costs which could total an estimated $8,500 per semester. You may be eligible to borrow federal student loans to assist with some of these expenses.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for federal student loans.
There are a variety of money-saving tax benefits to assist in reducing the cost of education expenses. More about education tax benefits.
For questions regarding Veterans Benefits, please contact Tal Ron, our Veterans Certifying Official and Director of Financial Aid, at tron@miu.edu or 641-472-1156.
Loan Repayment Options
Payments are a fixed amount that ensures your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Payments may be fixed or graduated and will ensure that your loans are paid off within 25 years.
Payments are lower at first and then increase, usually every two years, and are for an amount that will ensure your loans are paid off within 10 years (within 10 to 30 years for Consolidation Loans).
Your monthly payments will be either 10 or 15 percent of discretionary income (depending on when you received your first loans), but never more than you would have paid under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.
Payments are recalculated each year and are based on your updated income, family size, and the total amount of your Direct Loans. Any outstanding balance will be forgiven if you haven't repaid your loan in full after 25 years.
Your monthly payment is based on annual income, but your loan will be paid in full within 15 years.
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.For more information, contact us at awardofficer@miu.edu for a quick reply — normally one business day — or see more about financial aid.
International MS in Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine
This program is three years in length. There are two semesters in one year. The table below is the estimate for a semester during 2026-2027, subject to change in future years.
Semester Payment
Tuition and fees
$5,000
Your payment
$5,000
Tuition, other fees, scholarships, and financial policies are subject to change prior to the entry date.
What are the entrance requirements?
Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any field
Completion of the MIU admissions process, including submitting official transcripts, a recommendation, all materials, and an interview
Additional requirements
International applicants must submit official English proficiency test scores within the past 2 years from one of the following: at least 110 on Duolingo, 6.5 on IELTS Academic, 58 on PTE, 90-91 [0-120 score] or 4.5 [1-6 score] on TOEFL iBT.
Before your first class
All MIU students practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique. If you have not learned it yet:
Once accepted as a US student, the cost of TM instruction is covered through a grant offered by MIU
Students are required to learn the TM technique before starting the first class
Contact your admissions counselor for details
Find information on the TM technique or search for a TM teacher at TM.org
FAQ
Ayurveda: The traditional system of medicine of India and the East. Based on diet, herbs, mind-body type, and purification therapies.
Maharishi AyurVeda: The modern, scientific revival of complete Ayurveda, including balancing the deepest value of mind – consciousness, which is the basis of balancing the body. This revival by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi incorporates all aspects of mind, body, behavior, and environment in a scientific framework. It also includes a unique system of pulse diagnosis and a host of unique mind/body/environmental therapies.
Our students include licensed professionals such as registered nurses (RN), physical therapists (DPT), massage therapists, yoga therapists, and other allied and complementary health practitioners. This program is designed to help you integrate Ayurvedic principles into your existing practice in a holistic and practical way.
If you are a physician or advanced practice provider, or hold a doctoral-level clinical license, we encourage you to explore our MS Fellowship Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda for Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers, which is designed for deeper clinical application within a medical scope of practice.
Students should have basic knowledge of human anatomy, ideally from a university-level Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) course.However, no specific courses are required.
As part of this program, US students are required to complete 2 weeks of clinical training per year, for a total of 6 weeks. This clinical training can be completed on-campus or online. International students can complete this requirement by giving consultations under the supervision of a Maharishi AyurVeda trained staff member, where 10 consultations are equivalent to one-week clinical training.
This is a three-year, online program. Courses are taught at about one-third the pace of a full-time program so that students can continue their careers while learning.
Courses are a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Students will attend two live webinars each week using Zoom and will access recorded lessons and assignments using the Canvas student online learning platform. Each course includes two weekly live webinars, videotaped lectures, assignments, quizzes, discussion forums, other online activities, and learning tools. Assignments are submitted, and feedback is provided by the instructors through Canvas.
In addition to our engaging online learning platform, this program features extensive collaboration between students and one-on-one interaction between our faculty and each student. The clinical intensive training courses also give students the opportunity to practice conducting consultations under the guidance of faculty and meet their fellow students in person.
Next Steps
Get your questions answered
and download our free booklet.
“Ayurvedic medicine (also called Ayurveda) is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It originated in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. In the United States, Ayurvedic medicine is considered a complementary health approach.”
“Ayurveda can have positive effects when used as a complementary therapy in combination with standard, conventional medical care.”
Sunita Martin is this program’s admissions counselor for US students. Sunita will provide you with all the details of becoming a student, including connecting you with the program director or faculty.
