[Admissions

Non-Discriminatory Policy

The College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is an equal opportunity/affirmative action program. We are committed to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, ancestry, gender, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, religion, disability, medical condition, marital/parental status, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era in the administration of educational policies, admission policies scholarships, financial aid, employment, or any other program or activity. Sexual harassment is sex discrimination and is expressly prohibited.  Please contact the Dean of Students directly for information on equal opportunity policies or complaint procedures.

 The College recognizes its obligation to provide overall program accessibility for persons with disabilities. Please contact a member of the College administration directly for information as to the existence and location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

 Educational Requirements

Admission requirements for the Professional Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program include satisfactory completion of at least two academic years (sixty semester credits or ninety quarter credits) at the baccalaureate level in an institution accredited by an agency recognized the U.S. Department of Education.  This education must be appropriate preparation for graduate-level work. Certification in a medical profession requiring at least the equivalent training of a registered nurse or a physician's assistant is also acceptable.  There are no coursework pre-requisites for admission to the College.

 Application for Admissions

Applicants for admission to the program must submit the following documents for consideration:

v       Completed Application for Admission form

v       Resume

v       Personal Essay on statement of purpose

v       One passport-size photo

v        Certificate of Tuberculosis Examination

v        Record of measles, mumps, rubella immunizations (students born before 1957 are exempt)

v       One letter of recommendation

v       Non-refundable application fee of $50

v       Official academic transcripts from each post-secondary school and college previously attended

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Official transcripts must be received by CAHM directly from all colleges previously attended. Foreign student transcripts are evaluated by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), of which CAHM is a member. Official copies of all foreign educational records, including transcripts, grade reports, and diplomas, will be submitted to AACRAO by the College on behalf of the applicant. AACRAO’s referral form and a copy of the student’s application form submitted to the College is sent to the analysts in the Office of International Education Services for either a basic statement of compatibility or a course-by-course evaluation. Please note: the applicant is assessed a fee for this service. 

After submission of all the documents for admission, applicants need to arrange for an interview appointment. In case the applicant is unable to come to the College, the interview may be made by telephone.  Each applicant will be given written notification regarding the admissions decision after all application documentation is received and reviewed.

English Language Competency

English language competency is required of all students seeking admission to the program. This requirement is also clearly stated on the College application form. The College requires all foreign students seeking admission to the program to satisfy this requirement by scoring at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and at least the currently reported mean score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). A student cannot matriculate unless all transcripts of foreign-education are properly evaluated and TOEFL and TSE scores have been obtained for all foreign educated students.

Transfer Credit

The Academic Dean approves all transfer of TCM credits on behalf of transfer students and the Chair of the Department of Biomedicine reviews and approves all transfer of biomedicine credits on behalf of transfer students. The Admissions Auditor reviews all transfer applications, ensuring that transfer credits have been evaluated, approved, and recorded.

 CAHM accepts transfer credits under the following conditions:

At least one academic year must be completed at CAHM in order to qualify for graduation from the program. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine course credits will be considered for transfer only if earned in a program that is accredited or admitted to candidacy by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) and are adjudged to be equivalent to CAHM requirements.

Biomedical Science credits will be considered for transfer only if earned at an institution accredited by or admitted to candidacy by ACAOM or if earned, as upper division credits, in another institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and if adjudged by CAHM to be equivalent to CAHM requirements.

For any credits to be considered for transfer, the applicant must indicate on the application form that transfer of credit is requested. If the applicant, who has been accepted, defers initial attendance and takes one or more courses in the interim for which he or she would like transfer credits, the applicant must make a request for these transfer credits prior to the first day of his or her first attendance at a CAHM class. In either case, the applicant must provide CAHM with the necessary documentation, which shall include an official transcript from the school or college showing the course, credit given, grade received, a syllabus of the course showing what was taught, and a copy of the catalog of the school or college where the course was taken, containing a description of that course.

The decision whether or not to award transfer credit is solely that of CAHM upon an evaluation of the course taken, and the grade received. CAHM may require that the applicant take an equivalency examination to demonstrate mastery of the subject. CAHM’s decision concerning transfer credits will be conveyed to the applicant or the student (if by the time of decision, the student has begun classes) by letter. To receive transfer credits, the student must sign one copy of the letter, which will remain in his or her permanent student file.

          Prior Learning Assessment

A maximum of 30 semester credits (or 50%) of the prerequisite two year education requirement may be earned through prior learning assessment using either or a combination of the following assessment techniques: (1) credit by examination can be earned through successful testing and the recommended college credit equivalencies of the College Scholarship Service’s Advanced Placement examinations, the College Scholarship Service’s CLEP examinations, the American College Testing PEP examinations, PONSI, the USAFI program, and the DANTES tests and/or (2)  credit for military and corporate training assigned according to the recommendations established by the American Council on Education in the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services.  Some state licensing agencies and some institutions may not accept prior learning assessment credits that have been awarded by a non-regionally accredited institution.

Readmission of Dismissed or Suspended Students

Students who have been dismissed or suspended from the program are required to wait one semester before reapplying for admission  In such instances, the dismissed/suspended student must submit an application fee of $50 and a written statement requesting readmission, which illustrates that the cause for suspension or dismissal has been rectified.