The Alabama Commission on Higher Education approved a new concentration in integrative health within the Master of Science in health and human performance degree Friday at their regular meeting in Montgomery, officials said.

The proposal for the concentration has been in the works for just over three years, said Chunsheng Zhang, vice provost for international affairs.

Now that the concentration has received approval, the university will begin its search for a faculty member and will begin the program in fall 2013, said Tom Coates, chair of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department.

Integrative health, versus other health programs, seeks to explore the overall health of a person, including mental, physical, and spiritual health, officials said.

Look for a full-length story in next week’s edition of The Flor-Ala.