Master of Acupuncture
Admissions Requirements

Entrance Requirements

Academy for Five Element Acupuncture is dedicated to upholding a high standard of education to ensure that the public is served by caring, competent and knowledgeable practitioners. The program requires a high level of commitment to learning a number of difficult skills.

Applicants must be able to document a minimum of 90 semester credits (or its equivalent) from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or an equivalent institution overseas. Official transcripts from this institution must be sent to the Admissions Office as part of the application.

The Academy does not assess non-traditional prior learning credits or perform portfolio assessments. Only official transcripts from accredited institutions documenting credit hours (or credit hour equivalency) are accepted for admissions purposes.

At least 30 of the 90 required credits must be in General Education or Liberal Arts courses. Only courses that have earned a “C” or higher will count towards the General Education requirement. A range of classes from the following categories will satisfy this requirement:

  • Humanities/Fine Arts
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences
  • English/Communications
  • Science/Mathematics

The following courses are required as prerequisites to the Master of Acupuncture program. These (10) credits are included as part of the required (90) total semester credits required for admission. As with the General Education courses, students must earn a “C” or higher in their prerequisite courses in order to receive credit. These courses must be completed prior to enrollment:

  • General Biology: 3 semester credits (45 hours)
  • General Psychology: 3 semester credits (45 hours)
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology I: *4 semester credits (60 hours)

If you have not already completed these three courses, please contact Admissions to discuss how you might complete them before you enroll.

*Please note that we require (4) credits of Human Anatomy & Physiology as a prerequisite for admission. In order to fulfill this requirement, you will most likely need to complete a Human Anatomy & Physiology course that is both hands a hands-on lab and a lecture.

International Applicants

International applicants must meet the same academic requirements as applicants from the US. Students who completed their education at non-English-speaking institutions of higher education, or whose final degree, diploma, certificate or transcript is not in the English language, must document credit-hour equivalency by submitting their transcripts to an independent credentials evaluation service. This applies to students who are now current residents of the US, as well as those international applicants who live abroad. Please contact Admissions for a list of agencies that provide credentialing services.

Academy for Five Element Acupuncture is certified by the US Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue an I-20 to students seeking F-1 student status. The I-20 proves the academic and financial eligibility of the student to study at a US institution and will be issued once a student has been accepted. Students should review their I-20 paperwork to ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date. Students are then responsible for making an appointment with a US embassy or consulate in their country to apply for an F-1 Student Visa. Both the I-20 and the F-1 Student Visa are required for entrance and continued study in the US. The Visa process can take several months to complete, so we strongly recommend that students apply well ahead of the application deadline. Please contact Admissions for more information regarding the requirements of this process.

All coursework at the Academy is taught in English. A student’s success in the classroom and in the clinic is heavily dependent on their ability to communicate effectively in English. Coursework is highly theoretical, nuanced and idiomatic. It demands an advanced level of comprehension of spoken and written English. Students must also be able to listen, understand, and speak effectively with their patients in the clinic. As a result, the Academy requires a higher standard of English language proficiency than what is required for everyday interaction and for undergraduate study.

All students applying to the Master of Acupuncture program must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate this level of proficiency in one of the following ways:

  • By obtaining a minimum score of 90 on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Students must arrange to take the TOEFL test and then have an official copy of their results sent to Admissions. Students can go to www.ets.org/toefl for more information on how to register for the test
  • By documenting a minimum of two academic years of full-time study at a regionally accredited or otherwise nationally-approved institution in the U.S. or another English-speaking country
  • By demonstrating proficiency in English during the admissions interview

All international students should visit the Study in the States website to understand all requirements. For additional information about the language requirement, please contact Admissions.

Chinese Herbal Studies
Admissions Requirements

Prerequisite Status

Applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria in order to be considered for admission:

  • Current Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine students. Current 2nd–, 3rd–, or 4th–year students who are enrolled in ACAOM–approved (accredited or candidate) acupuncture or Oriental Medicine programs are eligible for admission. Students enrolled at the Academy may begin the Chinese Herbal Studies program at the end of the first year of the M.Ac. program. In the case of non-Academy students, an official letter or transcript from the school documenting the student’s status are required as part of the application process.
  • Graduates of ACAOM-approved acupuncture or O.M. programs. Graduates of ACAOM approved (candidate or accredited) Master’s level acupuncture or Oriental Medicine programs are eligible. Official transcripts from the institution are required.
  • Licensed Acupuncturists/Oriental Medicine practitioners. Currently state-licensed acupuncturists from any U.S. state that formally licenses acupuncture practitioners are eligible. A copy of the applicant’s current state license must be included in the application.
  • NCCAOM diplomates. Any individual who is a current NCCAOM diplomate in Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbology is eligible. A copy of the current NCCAOM diploma must be included in the application.

Education Requirements

Applicants who are current Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine students enrolled in ACAOM accredited or candidate schools must meet all of the admissions standards for the Academy’s Master of Acupuncture degree program. See the appropriate section of the catalog/website for details.

Applicants from any of the other categories above must be able to document at least 90 semester credits of baccalaureate-level education (or its equivalent) at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or an equivalent institution overseas.

  • This training must be documented via official transcripts, sent directly to the Academy from the institution itself, before a student will be considered for admission.
  • The Academy does not assess non-traditional prior learning credits or perform portfolio assessments. Only official transcripts from accredited institutions documenting credit hours (or credit-hour equivalency) are accepted for admissions purposes.
  • Students who completed their education at non-English-speaking institutions of higher education, or whose final degree, diploma, certificate or transcript is not in the English language, must document credit-hour equivalency by submitting their transcripts to an independent credentials evaluation service.

International Applicants

International applicants must meet the same academic requirements as applicants from the US. Students who completed their education at non-English-speaking institutions of higher education, or whose final degree, diploma, certificate or transcript is not in the English language, must document credit-hour equivalency by submitting their transcripts to an independent credentials evaluation service. This applies to students who are now current residents of the US, as well as those international applicants who live abroad. Please contact Admissions for a list of agencies that provide credentialing services.

Academy for Five Element Acupuncture is certified by the US Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue an I-20 to students seeking F-1 student status. The I-20 proves the academic and financial eligibility of the student to study at a US institution and will be issued once a student has been accepted. Students should review their I-20 paperwork to ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date. Students are then responsible for making an appointment with a US embassy or consulate in their country to apply for an F-1 Student Visa. Both the I-20 and the F-1 Student Visa are required for entrance and continued study in the US. The Visa process can take several months to complete, so we strongly recommend that students apply well ahead of the application deadline. Please contact Admissions for more information regarding the requirements of this process.

All students admitted to the Chinese Herbal Studies program must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language, using the same standards required for admission to the Master of Acupuncture program. For additional questions regarding the language requirement, please contact Admissions.