Master of Acupuncture Program Overview
Become a respected healer in both Eastern traditions and bio-medical best practices. Whether this is your first natural health career or you’re a current health care practitioner looking to add another discipline to your practice, the Master of Acupuncture will provide you with a foundational education and the tools you need to become a highly qualified practitioner. Graduates from this program are prepared to sit for the NCCAOM certification exam and apply for an acupuncture license.
Acupuncture Degree Program Highlights
47
number of states that legally recognize acupuncture
828
Number of total clinical training hours
44
Number of preceptor hours shadowing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine professionals in their private practices
What To Expect: Master of Acupuncture Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Basytr’s graduate degree in acupuncture, students need to complete the following:
- All Required Courses + 4 Elective Credits
- Lab Courses for Hands-on Training Playing the Role of Practitioner and Patient
- Clinical Training
- External Clinic Rotations
- Minimum of 3.0 GPA
In order to receive an acupuncture license and practice in the majority of the states, a student must earn either an MAc or MAcCHM degree, pass the NCCAOM board exams, and meet any additional state requirements. Several states require Chinese herbal medicine training for licensure (e.g., California, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas).
Acupuncture Program Details
The curriculum tables that follow list the tentative schedule of courses each quarter.
Year I
Fall
AM4100 Survey of Organic and Biochemistry (4 credits)
AM4104 Medical Chinese (1 credit)
AM4108 History of Medicine (2 credits)
AM4401 Qi Gong 1 (1 credit)
AM4801 AOM Clinic Entry (2 credits)
AM5100 Meridian and Points 1 Lecture/Lab (3 credits)
AM5101 TCM Fundamentals (4 credits)
AM5109 Case Discussions 1 (1 credit)
BC4102 Living Anatomy for AEAM (4 credits)
BC4107 Medical Terminology (1 credit)
Winter
AM4301 TCM Bodywork: Tui Na (1 credit)
AM5104 Meridians and Points 2 Lecture/Lab (3 credits)
AM5201 TCM Diagnosis 1 (3 credits)
AM5203 TCM Pathology 1 (3 credits)
AM5401 TCM Techniques 1 (2 credits)
BC4104 Microbiology (3 credits)
BC4123 Anatomy and Physiology 1 Lecture/Lab (AEAM) (5 credits)
CH5100 Introduction to Chinese Herbs 1 (1.5 credits)
Spring
AM5106 Meridians and Points 3 Lecture/Lab (3 credits)
AM5202 TCM Diagnosis 2 (3 credits)
AM5204 TCM Pathology 2 (3 credits)
AM5403 TCM Techniques 2 (2 credits)
AM5801 Clinical Observation 1 (2 credits)
BC4105 Introduction to Western Pathology for AEAM (3 credits)
BC4124 Anatomy and Physiology 2 Lecture/Lab (AEAM) (4 credits)
CH5101 Introduction to Chinese Herbs 2 (1.5 credits)
Summer
AM5300 Survey of Western Clinical Sciences 1 Lecture/Lab (3 credits)
AM5308 Clinical Theater - Acupuncture Lab (1 credit)
AM5802 Clinical Observation 2 (2 credits)
PS5205 Patient Communications (3 credits)
Year II
Fall
AM6102 Pharmacology Overview for AOM (4 credits)
AM6109 Case Discussions 2 (1 credit)
AM6301 Survey of Western Clinical Sciences 2 Lecture/Lab (3 credits)
AM6400 TCM Techniques 3 (2 credits)
AM6411 Acupuncture Point Selection Strategies (2 credits)
AM6412 Acupuncture Therapeutics 1 (2 credits)
AM6800 Clinical Observation Theater (2 credits)
*AM6800 may be taken in WI of year one or FA of year two.
Winter
AM6201 Clinical Case Preparation Lab (1 credit)
AM6302 Survey of Western Clinical Sciences 3 (3 credits)
AM6307 Auricular and Scalp Therapy (2 credits)
AM6402 TCM Advanced Techniques Lab (1 credit)
AM6413 Acupuncture Therapeutics 2 (2 credits)
AM6414 Acupuncture Therapeutics 3 (2 credits)
AM6801 Clinical Observation Preceptorship (2 credits)
PS6100 Motivational Interviewing (2 credits)
*AM6801 may be taken anytime after completion of AM5801 or AM6800.
Spring
AM6408 TCM Whole Foods Nutrition (1 credits)
AM6415 Acupuncture Therapeutics 4 (2 credits)
AM6416 Acupuncture Therapeutics 5 (2 credits)
AM6802 AOM Clinic 1 (2 credits)
AM6803 AOM Clinic 2 (2 credits)
AM6804 AOM Clinic 3 (2 credits)
TR6104 Nutrition and Dietary Systems (2 credits)
Summer
AM6311 Public Health Issues in AOM (3 credits)
AM6805 AOM Clinic 4 (2 credits)
AM6806 AOM Clinic 5 (2 credits)
AM6807 AOM Clinic 6 (2 credits)
Year III
Fall
AM7101 Business Fundamentals 1 - Finance and Accounting (1 credit)
AM7109 Case Discussions 3 (1 credit)
AM7804 AOM Clinic 7 (2 credits)
AM7805 AOM Clinic 8 (2 credits)
AM7806 AOM Clinic 9 (2 credits)
BC5140 Research Methods in AEAM (3 credits)
Winter
AM7104 Business Fundamentals 2 - Marketing and Advertising (1 credit)
AM7110 Overview of Pain Management Therapies (2 credits)
AM7125 TCM Medical Classics (2 credits)
AM7320 Clinical Theater Lab (1 credit)
AM7808 AOM Clinic 10 (2 credits)
AM7840 AOM Clinic 11 (2 credits)
AM7841 AOM Clinic 12 (2 credits)
Spring
AM7106 Business Fundamentals 3 - Practice Management and Leadership (1 credit)
AM7126 Jurisprudence and Ethics (1 credit)
AM7301 Trigger/Motor Point Therapy Lecture/Lab (1 credit)
AM7400 Acupuncture Review (2 credits)
AM7842 AOM Clinic 13 (2 credits)
AM7843 AOM Clinic 14 (2 credits)
AM7850 Interim Clinic (1.5 credits)
Students have two entry options for the MAc:
Option 1: Students may enter with a completed bachelor’s degree and the required prerequisite coursework. (see below)
-
Intermediate Algebra - 1 course
-
General Chemistry (allied health-level with lab) 1, 2* - 1 course
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General Biology (allied health-level with lab) 2* - 1 course
-
General Psychology - 1 course
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General Physics - 1 course
Option 2: Students may enter the program without a bachelor’s degree, but must complete the required prerequisite coursework, in addition to the detailed general education requirements, totaling a minimum of 135 quarter credits.
General Education Requirements (if no bachelor's degree)
-
English Literature and Composition - 9 quarter credits
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Speech Communication or Public Speaking - 3 quarter credits
-
Natural Sciences and Mathematics - 9 quarter credits
-
Arts and Humanities - 15 quarter credits
-
Social Sciences - 15 quarter credits
-
Electives - 70 quarter credits
Note: All students must complete a CPR-C level course or equivalent prior to entering clinic.
*1. Survey-level class that covers inorganic chemistry and includes a lab component. Intended for students in allied-health majors.
*2. Science classes must have been taken within seven years of entering the program. If not, additional coursework may be required after the admissions committee review.
View list of prerequisite courses available at Bastyr University.
Bastyr accepts graduate and undergraduate transfer credits earned at accredited colleges and universities. Learn what you need to make this process go smoothly.
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- Licensed acupuncturist (LAc) in private practice or within an integrative clinic
- Additional discipline for a current health care provider to add to their practice
Becoming skilled at something this deeply gave me the ability to be the best acupuncturist in my neighborhood, I wouldn’t have had the ability to catapult my income if it wasn’t for the expertise I learned at Bastyr. It’s the teachers who made me who I am today. I was a blank canvas walking in and walked out an excellent acupuncturist.
Bastyr’s acupuncture program provided me with an education that not only nurtured my innate healer, but challenged me in ways that helped me evolve into a well rounded, integrative healthcare provider upon graduation.
When we began our studies in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), our professors laid out our program as a spiral that builds upon itself, renewing and adding to our knowledge base. In the DAc we went back to the foundations fleshing out concepts we learned in our first quarters even more and in different ways. Then, we built our knowledge of our counterparts and colleges so that we could better refer to their strengths and deal with our weaknesses. This allowing us to advance our profession by integrating with the modern medical field with understanding. The DAc program also brought us the ability to add to our profession's knowledge base by creating professionally scientific, peer reviewed, and TCM-relevant papers to express our practical experiences. After finishing the master's, one might feel they don't need the DAc, but in my experience, it not only enhances our confidence in the practice of medicine but also gives us tools to integrate and expand our profession's horizons as we expand and integrate into our communities as practitioners.
Explore Acupuncture Degrees
Acupuncturists today are highly-trained professionals who have undergone rigorous scientific and clinical training and licensure in order to offer patient solutions that both work with, and in addition to, Western healthcare disciplines. They are breaking barriers between old and new medical traditions and changing the lives of patients across the globe.
Learn more about studying the science of acupuncture, where to go for the best acupuncture education, and how to pursue a career in this exciting field.
Making an Impact Through Acupuncture
Students can rotate through off-site community care clinics that provide affordable health care to diverse populations, including senior, low-income, and immigrant communities.
Faculty
Kathleen Lumiere (adjunct)
DAOM, MAc, LAc
Dr. Lumiere began an acupuncture program for low-income patients at the 45th Street Medical Clinic in 2000. She has taught as an adjunct faculty member and clinical supervisor at Bastyr…
Faculty
Angela Tseng
DAOM, LAc
Dr. Tseng has been an acupuncturist since 1999. After graduating from Bastyr University with her Master of Science in Acupuncture (1999) and Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine (2000),…
