Overview
Stand out in today’s job market with in-demand health and wellness skills
Learn how to coach individuals and give them the knowledge, skills, tools, and confidence to take responsibility for their diet and lifestyle and reach their health goals using motivational counseling techniques and strategies.
- Gain best-practice knowledge in coaching relationships and the coaching process as it applies to health and wellness
- Study concepts of behaviour change and the effect of lifestyle choices on human wellbeing and chronic conditions
- Master the practical skills to motivate clients for lasting lifestyle changes
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Program highlights Learn More
- Learn health and wellness coaching best practices
- Convenient online courses to fit your life
- Taught by industry experts
Health and Wellness Coaching program features:
- Earn a Diploma upon completion of 8 courses
- Enhance your existing skill set
- Convenient online learning platform
- Learn from experienced instructors
- Connect with learners across various disciplines

What you'll learn Learn More
- Effective coaching and program design in the field of health and wellness
- Motivational counseling, techniques, and strategies
- Nutrition, fitness, and healthy living best practices
Through our Health and Wellness Coaching program, you’ll learn to:
- Identify key nutrients and how they work in the body and discuss nutritional needs throughout the life cycle
- Describe the role of foods and nutrients in energy balance, weight control, and physical activity
- Outline various aspects of wellness (physical, mental, social and environmental, financial, occupational)
- Explain how appropriate physical activity, fitness, and active living strategies and programming impacts the personal and community health, fitness, and well-being
- Explore the social and behavioural factors that contribute to health and wellness decisions and behaviours
- Demonstrate appropriate behaviour change approaches and strategies
- Exhibit motivating and coaching methods to promote health and wellness
- Analyze health and wellness program plans and strategies to support a healthy lifestyle
- Research, plan and design a health and wellness plan and/or program suitable to an individual or group and examine effective program evaluation methods and tools
- Tools and techniques to successfully design and facilitate coaching interventions for individuals and groups
- Establishing the position of health and wellness coaching as a professional career option
Learn more about our Health and Wellness Coaching program
- Individuals seeking to pursue a new career in the Health and Wellness industry
- New Canadians starting a new career or academic program
- Individuals without previous experience seeking to become professional Health and Wellness Coaches.
- Professionals already working in a wellness, lifestyle, or healthcare based field who are seeking to learn the art and science of motivation for behavioral change and expand their scope of work or shift to a different modality. This group of professionals includes, but is not limited to:
- Nutritionists and Dietitians
- Social Workers, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Counsellors
- Massage Therapists, Holistic Wellness Practitioners, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine Practitioners
- Integrative and Functional Medicine practitioners
- MDs, NDs, Registered Nurses, Doctors of Osteopathy and Chiropractic Medicine
- Fitness Professionals – Personal trainers, Pilates instructors, Yoga teachers
- Mind-body medicine practitioners
- Meditation & Mindfulness Teachers, Energy Healers
Earning a Diploma in Health and Wellness Coaching can put you on the path to a wide range of positions in a variety of industries, including:
- Health and Wellness Coaches
- Organizational Health Coaches
- Organizational Wellness Specialists
- Health and Wellness Consultants
- Wellness Program Coordinators
- Wellness Program Facilitators
- Health and Wellness Educators
- Health and Wellness Specialists
- Health and Wellness Program Facilitators
- Health and Wellness Program Managers
- Identify key nutrients and how they work in the body and discuss nutritional needs throughout the life cycle
- Describe the role of foods and nutrients in energy balance, weight control, and physical activity
- Outline various aspects of wellness (physical, mental, social and environmental, financial, occupational)
- Explain how appropriate physical activity, fitness, and active living strategies and programming impacts the personal and community health, fitness, and well-being
- Explore the social and behavioural factors that contribute to health and wellness decisions and behaviours
- Demonstrate appropriate behaviour change approaches and strategies
- Exhibit motivating and coaching methods to promote health and wellness
- Analyze health and wellness program plans and strategies to support a healthy lifestyle
- Research, plan and design a health and wellness plan and/or program suitable to an individual or group and examine effective program evaluation methods and tools
The following objectives will be threaded within each course:
- Demonstrate an awareness of ethical practices and professional standards applicable to standard professional roles within the health and wellness industry
- Exemplify the skills, attitudes and behaviours required to work and collaborate with people and develop personal management skills
- Employ effective communication practices
Check out our latest Program Preview webinar to learn more about the Health and Wellness Coaching program
What our recent graduates say

Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
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Diploma in Health and Wellness Coaching
Diploma in Health and Wellness Coaching
Reinvent your career in health and wellness by earning a Diploma in Health and Wellness Coaching
Explore the requirements below and register today!
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Diploma in Health and Wellness Coaching
Earn your Health and Wellness Coaching Diploma by successfully completing any 8 courses listed below.
Courses (complete any 8)
Health and Wellness Coaching Courses
Health and Wellness Coaching Courses
Advance your career with online Health and Wellness Coaching courses
Explore course options below and register today!
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Health and Wellness Coaching Schedule
Health and Wellness Coaching Schedule
This schedule table displays courses planned to be offered this year and is a guide to planning your courses for the academic year. Please note: Spring term registration opens mid-March and Fall/Winter term registration opens mid-July.
For more information about our learning formats and to choose a format that works best for you, please visit our Learning Formats page.
Course Name (Course Code) | Cost | Units | Fall 2023 | Winter 2024 | Spring/Summer 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Behaviour Change for Health and Wellness (HWC 200) | $771.08 | 3.0 | Sep 11 - Nov 19 Format: Online | Jan 15 - Mar 24 Format: Online | — |
Motivating for Health & Wellness (HWC 201) | TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Jul 14 Format: Online |
Health & Wellness Coaching: Principles and Practices (HWC 202) | $771.08 | 3.0 | Sep 11 - Nov 19 Format: Online | — | — |
Program Design, Delivery and Evaluation (HWC 203) | $771.08 | 3.0 | — | Feb 12 - Apr 21 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Jul 14 Format: Online | |
Coaching Clients with Chronic Conditions (HWC 204) | $771.08 | 3.0 | — | Jan 15 - Mar 24 Format: Online | — |
Nutrition Fundamentals (NHW 100) | $771.08 | 3.0 | Sep 11 - Nov 19 Format: Online | Jan 15 - Mar 24 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Jul 14 Format: Online | |
Nutrition, Fitness and Healthy Living (NHW 102) | $771.08 | 3.0 | Oct 2 - Dec 10 Format: Online | — | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Jul 14 Format: Online | |
Business Foundations (BUS 825) | $730.85 | 3.0 | Sep 11 - Dec 10 Format: Online | Jan 15 - Apr 14 Format: Online | — |
$730.85 | 3.0 | Oct 23 - Jan 28 Format: Online | Feb 12 - May 12 Format: Online | — | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Aug 4 Format: Online | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | Jun 17 - Sep 15 Format: Online | |
Wellness In The Workplace (HRM 941) | $771.08 | 3.0 | Sep 11 - Dec 3 Format: Online | Jan 15 - Apr 7 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 6 - Jul 28 Format: Online |
The schedule table is subject to change. Please visit the course pages to browse classes currently available for registration and the latest cost information.
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
This program is open enrolment, which means there is no formal application or admission procedure. To enrol in a course, simply register online. Our courses can be taken as part of a program or individually.
To enrol in McMaster Continuing Education programs, you must:
- Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent
- Be a mature student as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar of McMaster University or
- Be deemed an exceptional case
To ensure you are successful in your online courses, you are required to have knowledge and skills with general computer applications, such as keyboarding, file management, video conferencing and word processing.
Language Requirements
If your first language is not English, you must meet the University’s English language proficiency requirements. Completion of TOEFL exam with a minimum acceptable score of 20 on each of the four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening), valid for 2 years.
Expandable List
- Visit continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs to find your program of choice
- Click on each tab on the program page to learn about credential options and requirements, schedule and fees, and a list of all courses in the program
- Select a course and then select an available offering, noting important information such as cost, delivery format, and start/end dates; then click ‘add to cart’
- Once you have added your courses, click the shopping cart icon at the top right-hand corner of the page (bottom of the browser screen on mobile)
- Review your cart and, once you’re ready to proceed with enrolment, click ‘proceed to checkout’
- As the next step, you will be redirected to Mosaic – McMaster’s Administrative Information and Enrolment system
- Once you are in Mosaic, select ‘new to McMaster’ or log in with your existing MacID and password (if applicable)
- Complete all required fields and select a program of study when prompted (i.e., a specific program or open studies for standalone courses)
- Finally, payment is required in full to secure a spot in your course(s)
A payment receipt email will be issued to you immediately after registering, and a course confirmation email will be sent to you overnight. Within approximately 24 hours of registering, you will also receive an important email containing credentials used to activate your MacID, which you must do before you can access courses in Avenue to Learn. Please review our Getting Started page to learn more about the next steps for beginning your studies after registration, and our Help Centre for our Refund Policy and other frequently asked questions. Please note that on average, each course requires 6-8 hours of study per week, per course (sometimes more) and some courses may have listed prerequisites. Please plan your schedule accordingly. Most students take 1-2 courses per term across a few different terms and a full-time equivalent course load is typically 3-4 courses per term.
For more information and a walkthrough on how to register, please check out this video.
- Payment must be made in full at the time of enrolment
- Online credit card or debit payments are preferred
- Accepted credit cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express
- Accepted debit cards: Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard
- Google Pay is available for faster checkout
- Payments can be made from a Canadian Financial Institution and can take 2 to 4 business days to arrive in your McMaster student account. Once payment has arrived, you can register for your course. Please note that if the amount of the course fees owing is more than what was transferred to your student account, you will be dropped from the course.
Ready to get started?
Visit the Courses tab to select your course and proceed with the registration steps.