Doctor of Chiropractic

Program Details

SCU’s Doctor of Chiropractic program teaches an evidence-based, whole-person approach to practice. Our University-wide commitment to Interprofessional Education sets our program apart, and our innovative curriculum is built around the educational needs of the modern doctor of chiropractic who works collaboratively with other healthcare professionals and integrates a wide range of therapeutic approaches and interventions to improve the health of their patients.

Program Format – High Residency

Accelerated (8 Terms) | Standard (10 Terms)

The LA program is delivered in a high-residency format designed for students who benefit from consistent, in-person engagement. During the didactic phase, students attend on-campus classes approximately 2–5 days per week, combining live lectures with hands-on laboratory instruction. In the final two terms, students transition to full-time clinical education, applying their knowledge in real-world settings under faculty supervision. Select courses may be offered in blended or online formats to support flexibility, while maintaining a primarily on-campus learning experience.

Each Year at a Glance – Standard and Accelerated Formats

Year 1: The Foundation

Concentrate on the foundational health sciences to understand the human body. Learn how the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology inform the health and function of human tissues and organs. Begin hands-on experience in Chiropractic skills courses in your first term. Prepare for the national licensure examinations Part I.

Year 2: Focus on Clinical Sciences

Learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of health problems using orthopedic, neurology, imaging, and lab diagnosis. Make an evidence-based diagnosis and management plan to support patient care. Go more in-depth and gain critical exposure to other therapeutic options with interprofessional education courses. Prepare to sit for the licensure examinations Parts II, III, and physiotherapy.

Year 3: Putting It All Together

Put foundational health and clinical science knowledge to work as you treat patients under the supervision of licensed doctors and apply your collaborative skills with other healthcare professionals. Gain exposure to a variety of patient populations and conditions in multiple settings. Select a concentration for additional focused areas of skills development.  Complete the licensure examinations and apply for licensure in your preferred state, province, or country.

Concentrations

SCU’s Doctor of Chiropractic program offers concentration pathways that allow students to explore focused areas of practice while completing the core DC curriculum. Concentrations are designed to complement chiropractic education by providing additional perspective, applied learning, and professional context in emerging and in-demand areas of care.

Sports medicine

The Sports Medicine concentration is designed for students interested in working with physically active individuals, athletes, and performance-focused populations. This concentration emphasizes the role of chiropractic care in injury prevention, functional movement, recovery, and performance optimization across a wide range of activity levels. Students learn to work as part of the healthcare team, on and off the field. Students explore how chiropractic principles integrate with sports and movement-based care in both clinical and applied settings.

Students explore how chiropractic principles integrate with sports and movement-based care in both clinical and applied settings. Work with elite faculty like Dr. Joe Horrigan, Conditioning Coach for the LA Kings NHL team. Learn More…

Functional medicine

The Functional Medicine concentration focuses on a whole-person, systems-based approach to health and wellness. Students examine how lifestyle, nutrition, stress, and environment interact with musculoskeletal health and overall function.

This concentration is intended for students interested in integrative, patient-centered models of care that align chiropractic practice with broader wellness and preventive health frameworks.

Women’s Health

The Women’s Health concentration centers on chiropractic care across the female lifespan. Students explore considerations related to musculoskeletal health, wellness, and care coordination for women at different life stages, including pregnancy, perinatal, and pediatric care. This concentration supports students who are interested in patient-focused care models that emphasize education, collaboration, and whole-person health in women’s populations.

Complete Your Bachelor’s While Earning Your Doctor of Chiropractic – No Extra Time Required

SCU offers an embedded bachelor’s degree option for students pursuing the Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). This option allows students who have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree to earn a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) while completing the DC program. The curriculum is designed so that many courses count toward both degrees, enabling students to complete their bachelor’s and doctoral requirements within the same timeline.

Enhanced Licensure Eligibility

The Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences component ensures eligibility for licensure in all jurisdictions*, including states that require a baccalaureate degree for chiropractic practice. This comprehensive preparation provides graduates with maximum flexibility in choosing their practice location. Note: California does not require a bachelor’s degree for licensure. *Exception: The states of RI and WV currently require the completion of a bachelor’s degree prior to starting a chiropractic program.

Turn 48 Credits Into Your Pathway to a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree

With 48 or more credit hours, you can enter the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Chiropractic Sciences concentration. This program fulfills the admissions requirements for the doctoral program and allows you to save time on your journey toward earning the degree. Learn More.

Dedicated Academic Advising, Mentorship, and Tutoring Support

DC students have access to the LACC Academic Advising Office (AAO), which offers both one-on-one advising and group mentoring. The AAO’s mission is to go beyond basic course planning to help students set and reach their academic and professional goals while fostering a collaborative learning environment.

The AAO’s advising approach provides accurate, timely guidance on policies and procedures and supports each student’s academic, professional, and personal growth. Following a learner-centered philosophy, the AAO encourages active student engagement, connects students with resources such as SCU Tutoring Services, and helps build strong relationships with faculty, staff, and peers.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Assessment and Diagnosis: The graduate will be able to utilize appropriate clinical reasoning skills to accurately assess and diagnose patient conditions.
2. Management Plan: The graduate will be able to critically appraise and integrate evidence-based research in developing, implementing, and monitoring an integrative whole person care plan.
3. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: The graduate will be able to apply epidemiological principles to promote health and prevent disease.
4. Communication and Record Keeping: The graduate will be able to communicate professionally.
5. Professional Ethics and Jurisprudence: The graduate will be able to exhibit legal and ethical behavior as a health care professional.
6. Cultural Competency: The graduate will be able to integrate the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of diverse patient populations to provide whole-person care and reduce disparities in healthcare delivery.
7. Chiropractic Manipulation: The graduate will be able to deliver appropriate, safe, and effective chiropractic manipulation.
8. Inter-professional Collaboration: The graduate will have the skills to coordinate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals as a member of an inter-professional healthcare team to plan and manage patient-centered care.

Mission

Los Angeles College of Chiropractic prepares students to become compassionate, evidence-informed chiropractors who improve lives through an integrative, person-centered, outcome-focused approach to health and healing.

Force Sensing Table Technology (FSTT) Laboratory

The Force Sensing Table Technology Lab helps enhance student training, expedite assessment of manual therapy skills, and improve treatment for patients. SCU’s FSTT Lab improves clinician training by providing instant analytical information to students, something that cannot be directly measured from human patients.

The force sensing technology is built into the tables, allowing students to practice adjustments on people, or practice on mannequins.

• The FSTTs pick up the adjustment information and display feedback on a monitor so students can see in real-time, what their adjustments look like in graphical form.
• The mannequins simulate the structure of the human spine, soft tissue and have flexible necks for practicing, training, and evaluation of manual therapy skills.

The FSTTs are tools for chiropractic students to take advantage of and learn early on, where they need to develop. The FSTT shows students where they excel, and where they need to focus more attention. It shows them their speed, pre-load tension, if they recoil (meaning lose pre-adjustive tension) during the thrust, how much force they are delivering, their line of drive, among several other types of helpful feedback. The FSTT Lab helps students create good habits early on in their adjusting careers, which will make them better adjusters, as future chiropractors. This tool has the ability to give students the confidence they need to deliver the best care, through proper, effective adjustments.