There is strong demand for alternatives to pharmaceuticals for a variety of common illnesses due to concerns of safety, efficacy, and a desire for more “natural” products. Despite this growing interest, “conventional” healthcare providers may have little to no knowledge about herbal medicines, which is further compounded by the sometimes misleading information in the media and on the internet. This course provides the necessary background for providers to begin to incorporate herbal medicines into their practice, particularly in regards to their therapeutic properties, efficacy (or lack thereof), and safety concerns, including quality control and potential adverse effects.
This course is part of the Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization
Offered By
About this Course
Practicing healthcare professional or healthcare student, but anyone can benefit from this course for personal use.
What you will learn
Discuss the role of herbal medicines in healthcare overall as well as your potential role.
Discuss overall botanical actions and methods for creating botanical preparations.
Assess patients, including potential for herb-drug interactions and other potential contraindications and considerations for special populations.
Educate patients on quality control and safety issues.
Skills you will gain
- herbal preparations
- integrative care
- symptom management
- botanical safety
- evidence-based practice
Practicing healthcare professional or healthcare student, but anyone can benefit from this course for personal use.
Offered by

University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Herbal Medicines in Healthcare
Using Botanicals Safely
How Do Botanical Medicines Work?
Botanical Medicines for Mental Wellbeing, Women's Health, and Musculoskeletal Pain
Reviews
- 5 stars88.06%
- 4 stars10.85%
- 3 stars0.62%
- 1 star0.46%
TOP REVIEWS FROM HERBAL MEDICINE
It's really benefited for me to follow up in the future. I like to suggest elaborating this course by sharing future opportunities and more courses related to this course
this is really a great course especially for those who are really interested in natural practices , a number of botanicals have been introduce to my knowledge through this course.
am very happy for taking this course ,i increaed my information and know alot about herbals and when we can use it, i think this course will benefit me in future
Thanks so much to my Professor and the University fraternity for such an exemplary course. Thanks to Professor Amy Taylor for guiding us through collaboratively.
About the Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization
If you want to help your patients or clients manage conditions or symptoms such as pain and anxiety, this specialization will provide the knowledge and skills needed. In these five courses, you will explore integrative therapies, including herbal medicine, guided imagery, aromatherapy, and mindfulness. For each therapy studied, you will gain skills to: Assess if a therapy is appropriate, Educate patients or clients about benefit and risk, Administer or advise on use, and Evaluate if the therapy was useful (our AEAE approach).

Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
Is financial aid available?
Can I get continuing education (CE) credit for this course?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.