A new program from Rutgers University underscores the growing interest in the wellness job market as the industry booms
For students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, wellness has entered the classroom.
While the pursuit of wellness is typically thought of as an individualistic journey realized in the early morning or evening hours, now college students have the opportunity to bring those values into their education with the new undergraduate minor in holistic wellness.
The minor encourages students to cultivate comprehensive wellness in themselves and others by learning practical skills to design and deliver wellness programs.
The coursework is diverse and interdisciplinary, with classes ranging from nature journaling and personal finance to nutrition and wellness communication.
“Minors elsewhere are mostly theoretical,” said professor of psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and the university’s chief wellness officer, Joshua Langberg. “Our courses focus more on skills and strategies for deliberately fostering wellness in all areas of our lives.”
A committee behind the Rutgers-New Brunswick wellness initiative “ScarletWell,” within the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, developed the minor. It aims to expand beyond the traditional perceptions of wellness focused on nutrition and fitness to embody a broader, more holistic approach, by incorporating mental and emotional health, physical wellness, arts, policy and the environment.
The minor was approved in spring 2025 and first launched this fall semester, with required courses such as “Wellness Learning Community,” in which students examine wellness across eight areas: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, social, physical and spiritual.
Another elective course, titled “Horticulture Therapy: Concepts and Skills,” teaches students how nature can be used to promote wellness in personal and professional settings. In the class, they learn how horticulture therapy works and how to create programs for others.
As the wellness market continues on its path of explosive growth (GWI has valued the global wellness economy at $6.8 billion), Rutgers academics are hoping their students will be better equipped — and have the credentials — to enter the industry.
“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 wellness minor is also part of the university’s broader goal to strengthen wellness education and connection.
That initiative includes a small grants program that supports student-led and faculty-directed wellness activities such as pickup basketball and “wellness through clay,” while a peer support leader program trains staff and faculty to become wellness advocates.
Rutgers is a part of a growing trend among American colleges and universities increasing their emphasis on wellness, as several schools have built wellness hubs to appeal to Gen Z’s interest in mental and physical well-being.
