About Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

The College of Health and Wellness includes programs in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (ACM). The master’s degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Founded in 1990 as the Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies, the ACM programs offered through the College of Health and Wellness, are premier education and clinical services in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Student interns provide acupuncture and Chinese medicine services in the University’s on-campus clinics, as well as in a variety of health care clinics, hospitals and community service agencies throughout the area.

The College offers two ACM graduate programs, leading to the Master of Acupuncture and the Master of Chinese Medicine. The College also offers an Herbal Medicine Certificate for licensed acupuncture practitioners who want to expand their skills in Chinese herbal medicine.

The master’s degree programs in acupuncture and Chinese medicine emphasize the unified understanding of the mind, body and spirit inherent in traditional Chinese medicine. The College has gathered a multi-national faculty committed to academic and professional excellence and to teaching the extensive body of knowledge and skills necessary for safe and effective practice. Our graduates have the education and skills necessary to develop a successful practice.

The curriculum for the Master of Chinese Medicine program provides more than 3,000 hours of didactic and clinical instruction in acupuncture, Chinese herbology, biomedical clinical sciences and related studies. The program takes three years of full-time enrollment to complete.

The curriculum for the Master of Acupuncture program is similar to that of the Chinese Medicine program, but does not include herbal studies. This program includes more than 2,300 hours of instruction, taking two and two-thirds years of full-time enrollment to complete.

The curriculum for the Herbal Medicine Certificate program provides licensed acupuncturists with almost 500 hours of instruction and 240 hours of clinic internship with which to develop the skills necessary for the safe and effective practice of herbal medicine.

The University admits new acupuncture and Chinese medicine students in September, May and January of each calendar year. Transfer students may be admitted at the beginning of any trimester. Students in the Herbal Medicine Certificate program take courses according to the schedule for the Master of Chinese Medicine.