Dual Diplomas of Acupuncture and Phytotherapy

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You are here » Home / Faculties & Programs / School of Western Herbal Medicine / Dual Diplomas of Acupuncture and Phytotherapy

The dual diplomas in Acupuncture and Phytotherapy is a world-first opportunity that allows students to earn diplomas in both of these holistic disciplines. Both 3-year (6-semester) programs can be completed within 5 academic years (10 semesters). By electing a year-round study option, a student can complete both programs in 3.5 years.

Graduates of the Diploma of Acupuncture program are eligible to be 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 may also be eligible for licensure in the United States and other countries. Click here to learn more about the Diploma of Acupuncture.

Graduates are eligible for membership into the BC Herbalists Association (CHA of BC), the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), and the Modern and Traditional Herbalists Guild of BC. Click here to learn more about the Diploma of Phytotherapy.

Please see Post-Graduation below for more information.

Below is a list of all courses that must be completed for a student to be eligible for graduation with dual diplomas in Acupuncture and Phytotherapy. 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 BMS111 BMS112 BMS201/202 BMS211 BMS212 BMS221 BMS222 BMS231 BMS431 BMS	Anatomy and Physiology I/II Surface Anatomy Ethnobotany Botany/Horticulture Pathophysiology I/II Biochemistry Phytochemistry CPR and First Aid Natural Emergency Medicine Western Diagnosis/Laboratory Tests Western Pharmacology Biomedical/Biological Sciences Elective	6 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 6 credits 3 credits 3 credits 1 credit 1 credit 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits	90 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 90 hours 45 hours 45 hours 15 hours 15 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		38 credits	570 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 PD304	Professional Writing Development Ethics Business Development & Practice Management Research Project	3 credits 1 credit 3 credits 3 credits	45 hours 15 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		10 credits	150 hours

Western Herbal Sciences		Total Requirements
WHS101 WHS102 WHS103 WHS111 WHS151 WHS201 WHS202 WHS203 WHS204 WHS301 WHS302 WHS303 WHS305 WHS306 WHS WHS WHS	Intro to Herbal Medicine Materia Medica I Materia Medica II Practical Herbal Pharmacy Energetics of Herbal Medicine Materia Medica III Herbal Therapeutics I Materia Medica IV Herbal Therapeutics II Materia Medica V Materia Medica VI Herbal Therapeutics III Herbal Therapeutics IV Herbal Case Studies Western Herbal Science Elective Western Herbal Science Elective Western Herbal Science Elective	3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits	45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		51 credits	765 hours

Various Topics		Total Requirements
CNS MND201 NU201	Counselling and Communications Elective Medical Mandarin Holistic Nutrition	3 credits 3 credits 3 credits	45 hours 45 hours 45 hours



Total		9 credits	135 hours

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



Total		21 credits	510 hours

Phytotherapy Clinical Practice		Total Requirements
PCP101 PCP102 PCP200/300 PCP200/300 PCP200/300 PCP200/300	Clinical Observation I Clinical Observation II Clinical Supervised Practice I Clinical Supervised Practice II Clinical Independent Practice I Clinical Independent Practice II	3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 4 credits 4 credits	45 hours 45 hours 90 hours 90 hours 120 hours 120 hours



Total		20 credits	510 hours

Total Requirements: Dual Diplomas of Acupuncture and Phytotherapy		Total Requirements
	Acupuncture Biological/Biomedical Sciences Oriental Medicine Professional Development Western Herbal Sciences Counselling Mandarin Nutrition Clinical Practice	39 credits 38 credits 27 credits 10 credits 51 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 41 credits	585 hours 570 hours 405 hours 150 hours 765 hours 45 hours 45 hours 45 hours 1020 hours



Total		215 credits	3630 hours

Both the School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and the School of Phytotherapy offer 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 to be Registered Acupuncturists in British Columbia must complete the Diploma of Acupuncture program in no less than 2 calendar years and in no more than 5.

Students in the Diploma of Acupuncture and Diploma of Phytotherapy programs 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.

Graduates of the Diploma of Phytotherapy program are eligible for membership into the Canadian Herbalist's Association of British Columbia (CHA of BC), the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), and the Modern and Traditional Herbalists Guild of BC.

Graduates may enter directly into a professional career or potentially continue on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Phytotherapy through a pending collaboration between PRC and Edinburgh Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Students who pursue the latter route will be required to complete an additional year of coursework via correspondence. More details will be announced in the Summer 2010.

The following chart compares PRC's Diploma of Phytotherapy with the requirements for professional membership into the American Herbalists Guild.

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.

Acupuncture is a regulated profession in Canada and the United States. The table below outlines the academic criteria set by both the CTMCA of BC and the ACAOM. Please click on the appropriate links for more information on CTCMA standards and ACAOM 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			135 hours
Total	1900 hours	1905 hours	2130 hours

*In order to meet ACAOM requirements, students must complete an additional 60 hours of biomedical electives and 150 hours of clinical practice. The biomedical credits will easily be fulfilled by dual diploma students and the additional acupuncture clinical hours are readily available at PRC.

Admission into both the Diploma of Acupuncture and the Diploma of Phytotherapy at Pacific Rim College is on a competitive basis. Entering students must have a high school diploma or an equivalency test and 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 the dual diplomas study option, please click on the link below. An applicant may choose to begin by applying for one program only, or can apply for admission into both programs. Separate applications are not necessary. 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.

Students who have earned credits in another recognized Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program in North America can easily transfer into the Diploma of Acupuncture program 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.

Phytotherapy students may also apply for transfer credit for prior coursework. Transfer credits that do not overlap with the Diploma of Acupuncture program are subject to a transfer credit fee.

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.

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.

	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

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

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.

American Herbalists Guild Requirements
vs.
PRC's Diploma of Phytotherapy

AHG
(in hours)

Diploma of Phytotherapy
(in hours)

Basic Human Sciences
Botany and Plant Identification
Materia Medica/Therapeutic Herbalism
Pharmacy/Pharmacognosy/Dispensing
Clinical Skills
Career Preparation/Practice Development/Ethics
History and Philosophy/Introduction to Research
Nutrition
Counselling
Ethnobotany

200
60
400
80
400
20
40
0
0
0

510
90
585
112.5
510
120
90
45
45
45

These programs are 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.