Rutgers Launches Unique Undergraduate Minor in Holistic Wellness

Covering eight dimensions of wellness, the multidisciplinary program equips students with the skills and knowledge to promote wellness in any career path

Hours on the treadmill. Mornings on the yoga mat. For some, “wellness” is a solitary pursuit — a personal quest for physical or mental balance.

At Rutgers University-New Brunswick, students are taking a different approach this semester by learning how to cultivate comprehensive wellness in themselves and in others.

A new undergraduate minor in holistic wellness aims to equip students with the practical skills to design and deliver wellness programs – in their lives and in their careers. The coursework is interdisciplinary and experiential, with classes ranging from nature journaling and personal finance to nutrition and wellness communication. 

Developed by a committee led by ScarletWell, a Rutgers-New Brunswick wellness initiative, and housed in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), the minor differs from programs at other universities, organizers say, by uniting disciplines in mental and emotional health, physical wellness, arts, policy and the environment. Importantly, the minor embraces a broad definition of wellness, expanding beyond the lens of nutrition or fitness used by similar programs.

“Minors elsewhere are mostly theoretical,” said Joshua Langberg, a professor of psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and the university’s chief wellness officer. “Our courses focus more on skills and strategies for deliberately fostering wellness in all areas of our lives.”

After approval by university leaders in spring 2025, the 18-credit minor was launched this fall. One of its first required courses, “Wellness Learning Community,” is co-taught by ScarletWell director Peggy Swarbrick and Amy Spagnolo, ScarletWell’s senior program coordinator.

In the course, students examine wellness across eight dimensions – emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, social, physical and spiritual – a framework that Swarbrick developed.

Swarbrick said one defining feature of the minor is its emphasis on preparing students to foster a culture of wellness, particularly in the workplace. For instance, students learn how to design and implement wellness programs that support both individuals and communities.

“These skills will make Rutgers students more attractive for jobs, regardless of their career or discipline of focus, because they will be able to work with leadership to improve sense of community and belonging and overall health of the workforce,” ScarletWell leaders wrote in a program summary.

The timing couldn’t be better. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. public health experts warned of a “mental health crisis” as stress, loneliness and isolation surged. That crisis coincided with a booming wellness industry – estimated at $480 billion in 2024 and expanding by up to 10% annually, according to McKinsey & Co.

Corporate America is helping to drive that growth, as employers link employee well-being to productivity and retention. A McKinsey Health Institute report from January 2025 estimated that “enhanced employee health and well-being could generate up to $11.7 trillion in global economic value.”

Langberg said these projections will open doors for Rutgers graduates with credentials in holistic wellness. Wellness-specific job opportunities are already popping up in schools and organizations, ranging from universities to police departments. Even Silicon Valley is taking notice.

One of the minor’s most hands-on offerings is “Horticulture Therapy: Concepts and Skills,” an elective taught by Gary Altman in the Department of Plant Biology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). The course explores how nature can be used to promote wellness in personal and professional settings. Students spend time learning how horticulture therapy works, and how to create programs to help others. (SEBS also offers its own minor in horticulture therapy).

“Nature has a rhythm to it, which can provide predictability, especially when you're feeling uncertain or anxious,” said Altman, a teaching instructor. “In horticulture therapy, we can use the predictability and stability of nature, like a garden space, to practice being present and grounded.”

The wellness minor is part of a broader movement to strengthen wellness education and connection across the university, fueled in part by Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway’s commitment to advancing mental and behavioral health resources. 

A small grants program supports student-led and faculty-directed wellness activities — such as pickup basketball and “wellness through clay.” A peer support leader program is training staff and faculty to become wellness advocates who foster a sense of belonging and community within the Rutgers community.

Ultimately, ScarletWell’s leaders hope the minor will serve as both a career credential and a catalyst for culture change.

“Industry is recognizing that the workforce needs to be well, not only for productivity, but to minimize losing qualified workers to burnout and stress,” Spagnolo said. “It’s no longer enough to simply give employees a discount at the gym. Wellness needs to be more.”