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You are here » Home / Faculties & Programs / School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine / Diploma of Acupuncture

Diploma of Acupuncture

Program Overview

The Diploma of Acupuncture is a 3-year (6-semester) program that deeply explores theoretical and clinical concepts of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Students learn foundational philosophies, diagnostic principles and therapeutic techniques of this ancient and powerful system of medicine, and incorporate them with biomedical sciences and other healing philosophies. This 2145-hour program satisfies curriculum requirements of both of the CTCMA of BC and the NCCAOM.

Graduates of the Diploma of Acupuncture program who have completed 60 credits of university-transferable coursework are eligible to sit for the registration exam to become Registered Acupuncturists (R.Ac.) in the province of British Columbia. Based on current reciprocity agreements, this distinction permits registrants to practice acupuncture across Canada. Graduates who have appropriate university prerequisites may also be eligible for licensure in the United States and other countries. See Post-Graduation below for more information.

Curriculum

Below is a list of all courses that must be completed for a student to be eligible for graduation with a Diploma of Acupuncture. Some course prerequisites do exist, and it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they are eligible to enrol in any particular course. The Course Descriptions page indicates course prerequisites. Please see Study Options below for more information on course selection.

Acupuncture		Total Requirements
ACU101/102 ACU111/112 ACU113/114 ACU211/212 ACU321 ACU322 ACU323 ACU324 ACU325 ACU	Meridians and Points I/II Energetics of Acupoints I/II Techniques and Therapeutics I/II Internal Medicine Gynecology Orthopedics and Traumatology Dermatology and External Medicine Pediatrics Ophthalmology and Ears, Nose, Throat Acupuncture Elective	6 credits 6 credits 6 credits 6 credits 3 credits 3 credits 1.5 credits 3 credits 1.5 credits 3 credits	90 hours 90 hours 90 hours 90 hours 45 hours 45 hours 22.5 hours 45 hours 22.5 hours 45 hours



Total		39 credits	585 hours

Biomedical/Biological Sciences		Total Requirements
BMS101/102 BMS103 BMS201/202 BMS221 BMS222 BMS231 BMS BMS	Anatomy and Physiology I/II Surface Anatomy Pathophysiology I/II CPR and First Aid Natural Emergency Medicine Western Diagnosis/Laboratory Tests Biomedical/Biological Sciences Elective Biomedical/Biological Sciences Elective	6 credits 3 credits 6 credits 1 credit 1 credit 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits	90 hours 45 hours 90 hours 15 hours 15 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		26 credits	390 hours

Oriental Medicine		Total Requirements
OM101/102 OM111 OM112 OM113 OM201/202 OM231 OM301 OM302	TCM Foundations I/II Intro to Tai Qi Chuan Intro to Qi Gong Intro to Tui Na TCM Diagnosis I/II Five Elements Comprehensive Review Case Studies	6 credits 1.5 credits 1.5 credits 3 credits 6 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits	90 hours 22.5 hours 22.5 hours 45 hours 90 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		27 credits	405 hours

Professional Development		Total Requirements
PD101 PD301 PD302	Professional Writing Development Ethics Business Development & Practice Management	3 credit 1 credit 3 credits	45 hours 15 hours 45 hours



Total		7 credits	105 hours

Various Topics		Total Requirements
CNS202 MND201 NU201 Elective	Counselling and Patient Communication Medical Mandarin Holistic Nutrition Various Topics	3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 1 credits	45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 15 hours



Total		10 credits	150 hours

Clinical Practice		Total Requirements
CP101 CP102 CP200/300	Clinical Observation Clinical Supervised Practice (Community Clinic) Clinical Independent Practice	8 credits 3 credits 10 credits	120 hours 90 hours 300 hours



Total		21 credits	510 hours

Total Requirements: Diploma of Acupuncture		Total Requirements
	Acupuncture Biological/Biomedical Sciences Counselling Mandarin Nutrition Oriental Medicine Professional Development Various Topics Clinical Practice	39 credit 26 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 27 credits 7 credits 1 credits 21 credits	585 hours 390 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 405 hours 105 hours 15 hours 510 hours



Total		130 credits	2145 hours

Study Options

The School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine offers year-round educational opportunities with an academic calendar based on 3 semesters per year. New students may enrol every January, May and September and students may either choose to pursue year-round studies or to take a semester or more off at their discretion. By choosing their course load each semester, students may complete any semester on a part-time or a full-time basis.

Students who wish not to enrol in any program are also eligible to take individual courses for personal enrichment provided that applicable course prerequisites have been met. Please see Non-Matriculating students below for more information.

Students aiming for Registration in British Columbia must complete the Diploma of Acupuncture program in no less than 2 calendar years and in no more than 5.

What follows represents only a suggested template of courses for students aiming to complete the program in 6 semesters.

Semester One				Semester Two
ACU101/102 BMS101/102 OM101/102 PD101 CP101	Meridians and Points I/II Anatomy and Physiology I/II TCM Foundations I/II Professional Writing Development Clinical Observation	6 cr 6 cr 6 cr 3 cr 4 cr	90 hrs 90 hrs 90 hrs 45 hrs 60 hrs	ACU111/112 BMS201/202 OM111 OM112 OM201/202 CP101	Energetics of Acupoints I/II Pathophysiology Intro to Tai Qi Chuan Intro to Qi Gong TCM Diagnosis I/II Clinical Observation	6 cr 6 cr 1.5 cr 1.5 cr 6 cr 4 cr	90 hrs 90 hrs 22.5 hrs 22.5 hrs 90 hrs 60 hrs
Total		25 cr	375 hrs	Total		25 cr	375 hrs

Semester Three				Semester Four
ACU113/114 BMS103 BMS221 BMS222 MND201 OM113 CP102	Techniques and Therapeutics I/II Surface Anatomy CPR and First Aid Natural Emergency Medicine Medical Mandarin Intro to Tui Na Clinical Practice (Community Clinic)	6 cr 3 cr 1 cr 1 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr	90 hrs 45 hrs 15 hrs 15 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 90 hrs	ACU211/212 ACU322 BMS232 CNS202 NU201 CP200/300	Internal Medicine Orthopedics and Traumatology Western Diagnosis/Lab Tests Counselling Holistic Nutrition Clinical Practice	6 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr	90 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 90 hrs
Total		20 cr	345 hrs	Total		21 cr	360 hrs

Semester Five				Semester Six
ACU321 ACU324 ACU BMS BMS OM231 CP200/300	Gynecology Pediatrics Acupuncture Elective Biomedical Elective Biomedical Elective Five Elements Clinical Practice	3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr 3 cr	45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 90 hrs	ACU323 ACU325 OM301 OM302 PD301 PD302 Elective CP200/300	Dermatology and External Medicine Ophthalmology & E, N,T Comprehensive Review Case Studies Ethics Practice Mngmnt/Business Dvlpmnt Various Topics Clinical Practice	1.5 cr 1.5 cr 3 cr 3 cr 1 cr 3 cr 1 cr 4 cr	22.5 hrs 22.5 hrs 45 hrs 45 hrs 15 hrs 45 hrs 15 hrs 120 hrs
Total		21 cr	360 hrs	Total		18 cr	330 hrs

Clinical Training

Students in the Diploma of Acupuncture program can complete all clinical training in PRC's on-campus Student Clinic, or can participate in our Global Outreach Program, Clinical Externship Program, or with our clinical partner in China, Liaoning University of TCM. Full-time students generally begin clinical training via observation during the very first week of studies.

Please click here for more information on clinical training at PRC.

Post-Graduation

Graduates of the Diploma of Acupuncture program who have completed 60 credits of university-transferable coursework are eligible to sit for the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists (CTCMA) provincial registration exam to earn the title of Registered Acupuncturist (RAc) in British Columbia. This distinction allows acupuncturists to practice throughout Canada.

Graduates who have completed required electives in appropriate disciplines will also meet the professional standards set by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) in the United States. This permits them to sit for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) acupuncture examination and thus be licensed in the majority of US states. PRC graduates aiming for licensure in the United States must have their credentials evaluated by ACCRAO.

Licensing Requirements

The table below outlines the academic criteria set by both the CTMCA and the ACAOM. Please click on the appropriate links for more information on ACAOM standards and CTCMA standards.

Academic Discipline	CTCMA (BC)	ACAOM (USA)	PRC
TCM Principles	360 hours	705 hours	405 hours
Acupuncture-Related Studies	550 hours		585 hours
Biomedical Sciences	250 hours	450 hours	390 hours*






Counselling, Communication and Ethics	NA	90 hours	105 hours
Clinical Practice	450 hours	660 hours	510 hours*
Electives			150 hours
Total	1900 hours	1905 hours	2145 hours

*In order to meet ACAOM requirements, students must complete an additional 60 hours of biomedical electives and 150 hours of clinical practice. These courses are readily available at PRC.

Admissions

Admission into the School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Pacific Rim College is on a competitive basis. Entering students must have a high school diploma or an equivalency test. In addition, all non-native English speaking applicants must demonstrate a mastery of written and spoken English. Any foreign applicant may be required to submit an official score report from an English proficiency exam such as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Test System).

Pacific Rim College is determined to produce only the highest quality health practitioners. As a result, we reserve the right to admit and to retain only students who demonstrate the potential to achieve at the upper-most level. Applicants will be evaluated based on merits such as high academic achievement, emotional maturity, humanitarian activities, morality, community involvement and health-related experience.

To apply for admission into the Diploma of Acupuncture program, please click on the link below. Applicants are encouraged to apply apply no less than 6 weeks prior to the start date of the semester. Applications will still be accepted beyond this point, and will be evaluated, but enrolment space may not be available until the next semester. Upon favourable review of your application by our admissions committee, you may be contacted for an interview, which can be carried out via telephone if a person-to-person interview is not possible.

All successful applicants must submit a non-refundable enrolment deposit of $200, which is credited toward tuition fees. Should a student decide not to enrol for the specific semester of study as stated in the application or registration form, the fee is forfeited and cannot be used to offset any charges that the student may incur. All accepted applicants must submit this deposit within 60 days of the published semester start date, or within 7 days of notice of acceptance if accepted within this time. Enrolment space will not be reserved without this deposit.

Transfer Students

Students who have earned credits in another recognized Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program in North America can easily transfer into the School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at PRC. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine transfer students only need to complete the equivalent of one year of coursework at PRC to be eligible to receive a diploma, and all eligible credits will be transferred for a total transfer fee of only $150. Contact our Admissions Office today for more information.

Students who have completed a 4-year Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program can apply for admission directly into our Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program without needing to transfer any credits.

International Students

International students are welcome to attend Pacific Rim College and are encouraged to apply. Canadian law requires foreign students to have a valid study permit to study in Canada. Pacific Rim College provides international students with the necessary documentation to receive a valid study permit. In some cases students can apply for and obtain a permit upon entering Canada.

Non-Matriculating Students

Students who wish to take courses at PRC without enrolling in any particular program are welcome to do so as non-matriculating students. Any student who pursues this study route must complete a Program/Course Registration Form. Provided that a student has satisfied course prerequisites, he or she is eligible to enrol in virtually any diploma program course. Enrolment priority is given to program students, and full course tuition is due at time of course registration. Any student who has previously been denied admission into any program at PRC must receive written permission from PRC Administration before enrolling as a non-matriculating student. PRC reserves the right to academically dismiss any non-matriculating student who knowingly or blatantly interferes with the learning of program students.

Academic Calendar

	Winter 2012	Summer 2012	Fall 2012
Orientation	January 2	TBA	TBA
First Day of Class	January 3	April 30	September 4
Reading Break	February 27-March 1	July 2-6	October 8-12
Holidays	April 6 (Easter Friday)	May 21 (Victoria Day) July 2 (Canada Day) August 6 (BC Day)	October 8 (Thanksgiving) November 11 (Remembrance Day)
Last Day of Class	April 23	August 20	December 21

Class Schedule

Please click below for the course schedule for the Diploma of Acupuncture.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is based on a per credit system. Although the college provides a template for course completion within each program, ultimately each student determines his or her course load and schedule and thus per semester tuition. Audited credits do not apply towards graduation requirements. All prices listed are in Canadian dollars. For each semester, full tuition payment is due on the first day of class.

CREDITS	$210/credit

AUDITING	$150*/credit

*plus tax

Please click here for a description of Academic Fees in PDF format.

Financial Aid

This program is approved for Canada Student Loans. British Columbia residents can apply for student loans online through StudentAid BC by clicking here. Students can also pick up a paper application from PRC or any other academic institution registered with Canada Student Loans. For non-British Columbia residents, please visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca for information about Canada Student Loans.

For a list of all financial aid programs available to PRC students, please visit our Financial Aid page.