Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a form of medical treatment established in China thousands of years ago that has developed into a well-established, effective, and popular form of healing for countless patients around the world for many centuries. In the midst of the opioid crisis, acupuncture has been growing in popularity in the United States. Primarily used for pain management and overall wellness such as immunity enhancement and stress management, this ancient Chinese form of medicine—which involves thin needles inserted into the skin—has gained support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicaid.
Alternative care continues to grow in popularity. As a result, healthcare organizations are actively searching for talented holistic health professionals. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine practitioners use methods such as needling, herbal medicine, and many others to help individuals with a wide variety of conditions.
At SCU, you can study an ancient medicine at a contemporary health sciences university committed to transforming healthcare and healthcare education.
Ready to help others? Join the next generation of healers and leaders in acupuncture at Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). As an SCU acupuncture student, you will learn how to improve patient outcomes by treating the whole person.
In Only Four Months You Can Extend Your Masters and Earn a Doctorate (DACM)
SCU’s designed this program so that upon completion, students can elect to continue their studies for one additional trimester (4 months) and be awarded both the Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (MACM) degree that is required to sit for State and National licensing and certification exams, and earn their doctorate (DACM). Earning this doctoral title and degree provides graduates well-deserved recognition. All other factors being equal, integrative medical settings may prioritize hiring doctors of acupuncture. Medical doctors and other allied health providers may be more likely to refer to a doctor of acupuncture. Completion of SCU’s Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (MACM) degree program makes students eligible for the California state licensure exams as well as the national certification examinations, which enable students to become licensed in the US. A representative from our Office of Admissions would be happy to help you learn more. Request more information or apply now to reserve your seat in the next cohort.Program Length: 9 trimesters | 3 years
Next Start Date: May 10, 2021
Fixed-Rate Tuition: $7,545/trimester*, $67,905 for the entire program (based on 9 trimesters), Cost per unit (credit hour): $371.68
An Interprofessional Learning Experience
Summer Start
Students entering in summer will be starting under a Limited Campus Opening scenario. The plan for new students starting in spring is to offer all required classes through Interactive Online Lectures. SCU will also provide an optional Introductory Clinical Experience course. Interactive Online Lectures: Lecture courses will be taught via synchronous, technology enhanced, and interactive remote learning. Classes are held during scheduled times. Interactive Online classes provide group-based interactive learning through Zoom and/or Canvas. Classes happen in real time with required attendance during a set schedule. Optional Introductory Clinical Experience Course: Students have the option to participate in a clinical observation course at the University Health Center. Click here to learn more.What to Expect?
- New students will get to experience orientation, connect with others, and prepare to make this first step to building a healthier future through our online orientation.
- New students will have a Virtual Orientation before the term starts, where they will receive more information about the program, expectations, and details.
- Students opting to participate in the optional Introductory Clinical Experience course must complete the required forms and follow health and safety protocols.
Attend your class in Zoom or through Canvas
Learn and manage class work in Canvas
Join in class discussions through Zoom chat or Canvas
Learning Temporarily Continues Online
Join the Movement!
Become part of a university committed to transforming and redefining healthcare and healthcare education. SCU recognizes that healthcare should move beyond treating symptoms by understanding personal circumstances leading to better patient outcomes, lower costs, and improved quality of life. SCU’s academic community consists of faculty and staff who value and teach whole-person care and empower our students to become patient-centered practitioners. Learning to understand what matters to the patient and their family, what are their personal circumstances, and what are their recovery goals makes SCU student’s balanced practitioners.Learn to determine what matters to the patient vs. just finding out what’s the matter!
SCU’s unique value-based integrative healthcare model:- Value-based: Value-based: Helping patients improve their health by identifying the right provider for their current need in order to live healthier lives, and to deliver the best outcome for the most efficient cost.
- Integrative: A healthcare perspective that emphasizes understanding personal circumstances leading to better patient outcomes, providing treatments informed by evidence, building a trusted patient-provider relationship, and making use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches and disciplines.
- Interprofessional: Students gain an understanding of other disciplines to broaden treatment options and build collaboration skills that will make them more marketable and effective in the workplace.
Program Facts
11% or Higher Job Growth
Projected employment growth much faster than average and viewed as a “Bright Outlook” occupation.1#1
California is ranked No. 1 for projected job opening 2018-2028 for Acupuncture (part of Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, All Other).193.3% CAB Pass Rate
California Acupuncture Board (CAB) Pass Rate.2 SCU utilizes ExamSoft, the world’s most advanced assessment platform to prepare students for successful test results.100% NCCAOM Pass Rate
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).3 SCU utilizes ExamSoft, the world’s most advanced assessment platform to prepare students for successful test results.Cadaver Lab
SCU is the only acupuncture program in the nation with a cadaver lab. The cadaver lab transforms students’ understanding of the human body. It helps form their new identity as healers-in-training while wielding scalpels to learn lessons that books cannot teach, and technology cannot replicate.Compare the Value
There are a lot of factors to think about when choosing a university, and you want to make sure you’re asking the right questions. That’s why we’ve created this comparison chart, to help you do your homework about what’s included in the cost of your program.
Exclusive Educational Opportunities
On-Campus Health Center with Herbal Pharmacy
Students put foundational principles and clinical science knowledge into practice by consulting on, diagnosing, and treating a variety of basic and complex conditions.Study Abroad
MACM students’ have the opportunity to study abroad at prestigious universities in Taiwan and China to further refine their mastery of acupuncture concepts and gain additional clinical experiences.Classical Acupuncture Texts with Modern Research
SCU’s MACM integrates the study of classical acupuncture texts with modern research as part of a comprehensive curriculum.Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Today’s healthcare system expects students to be skilled at electronic systems in particular electronic health records. EHR contain the medical and treatment histories of patients and is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and can be inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care. EHRs are a vital part of health IT system and SCU students graduate prepared to utilize these systems.On-Campus Herb Garden
MACM students enjoy studying and learning in SCU’s beautiful and peaceful on-campus herb garden.Curriculum Summary
Courses in the areas of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, clinical laboratory diagnosis, pharmacology, nutrition, emergency procedures, traditional Chinese classical medical theory and related techniques, acupuncture and meridians, Chinese herbology, business management, integrative clinical education, and chosen areas of concentration are offered through the program. Upon graduation from SCU, graduates will have gained a unique education based on an innovative approach to patient care through the understanding of integrating classical Chinese medical theories with biomedicine.Year 1Year 2Year 3
Focuses on basic sciences, establishing a wide-ranging and comprehensive foundation of the body’s organization on a cellular, tissue, and organ level, along with regional interrelationships. This learning is accomplished in an interprofessional educational environment in classes with students from a variety of healthcare professions. In addition, students learn traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) foundations, acupuncture needling technique, single herbs, meridian points, and begin clinical observations, integrating classroom learning with clinical skills.
This year builds upon year one by focusing on the ways TCM principles and basic science knowledge related to structure and function translate into the clinical presentation of a patient in both health and disease. Learnings from the first-year progress to an increased level of mastery¬—from single herbs to herbal formulas, meridian points to acupuncture prescriptions, integrative clinical medicine, and many other areas of advanced knowledge. Students begin guided clinical practice treating patients under the supervision of licensed doctors and with peers in other professions in SCU’s on-campus health center.
In year three, students experience a series of business courses such as insurance billing and coding, risk management, and practice management, and further classical TCM texts.. Students continue to implement basic and clinical science knowledge through consultation, diagnosis, and treating more complex conditions in SCU’s on-campus Health Center. Clinical proficiency culminates with off-campus clinical rotations in a specialized setting within one of SCU’s affiliated partners such as Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). The graduate is fully prepared to lead in today’s evolving healthcare environment.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Oriental Medicine Diagnosis: Synthesize etiology and clinical manifestations to construct Oriental Medicine differential diagnoses.
- Acupuncture & Moxibustion Therapies: Prescribe and formulate acupuncture, moxibustion, and related Oriental Medicine therapies.
- Herbal Therapy: Plan and prescribe herbal formulas and modifications.
- Biomedical Diagnosis: Synthesize pathogenesis and clinical manifestations to construct Western Medicine differential diagnoses.
- Evidence-based Practice: Synthesize and apply historical and scientific evidence in clinical practice.
- Business & Clinical Practice: Assess business principles to develop a clinical practice.
- Communication: Effectively communicate verbally, non-verbally, and in written form.
- Professionalism: Demonstrate leadership, integrity, and respect for all, and actively engage in ethical, moral, and legal standards of the profession.
- Interprofessional Collaboration: Collaborate with appropriate professionals to plan and manage patient-centered care.
Request Information Apply Now
(1) Employment growth based on O*Net forecast for Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, All Other (which would include Acupuncturist) 29-1199.01. Projected growth 2018 – 2028.
(2) SCU California Acupuncture Board (CAB) Pass Rates for students taking the test on XXXXX
*Tuition rate reflected above represents the fixed rate for a student entering during the 2020-2021 academic year. Tuition rates are subject to change and may not be reflected on this website or other SCU materials. Please contact us for the most updated information. For a complete listing of SCU fees, please refer to the academic catalog.
**The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) granted accreditation to Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS) professional doctor program in English under applicable ACAOM standards effective 24 February 2018. Accreditation status and notes may be viewed at: http://acaom.org/directory-menu/directory/ ACAOM is the recognized accrediting agency for programs preparing acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners. ACAOM is located at 8941 Aztec Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347; phone (952) 212-2434; fax (952) 657-7068; www.acaom.org