Master of Acupuncture

Bastyr University offers an entry level master’s program for those who strive to have their own acupuncture practice.
Length of Program: 3 years (11 quarters) full time.
Campus: Kenmore, Washington

Quick Facts

Location

Kenmore Campus

General Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or a minimum of 135 credits
Minimum GPA of 2.75
Grade C or better in prerequisite courses

Length of Program

3 years (11 quarters)

Training

165.5 quarter credits (2,354.5 clock hours) of didactic and clinical work including 828 hours of clinical training.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Career Opportunities

Licensed acupuncturist (LAc) in private practice or within an integrative clinic
Additional discipline for a current health care provider to add to their practice

Licensure

Acupuncture is legally recognized in 47 states plus the District of Columbia. *some states do require MSAOM to obtain a license.

Summary

Bridging Eastern and Western healing traditions, Bastyr University offers an entry level master’s program for those who strive to have their own acupuncture practice. The Master of Acupuncture (MAc) program is an ideal choice for current health care practitioners looking to add another discipline to their practice. Students graduate with a foundational education and the tools to be a highly qualified practitioner.

Clinical Training

Becoming an effective practitioner of Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine (AEAM) involves close mentoring and instruction by experienced faculty members in a variety of patient-care settings.

Consistency and Quality in Training

AEAM clinical programs focus the majority of the clinic shifts in the University's Seattle teaching clinic, Bastyr Center for Natural Health.

Bastyr's Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine program is science-based, led by highly qualified and experienced faculty, many of whom have been in practice more than 20 years in the United States and China.

Forty-seven states (and District of Columbia) legally recognize acupuncture. Some states require Chinese herbal training in order to obtain license.

For the latest licensure information, please consult the NCCAOM website.

Diverse Patient Population

During clinical training, students have the opportunity to provide care to a wide range of patients with a variety of medical conditions. There are different types of patient care shifts available to students:

General acupuncture
Integrative Pain Management
Immune wellness care for patients with HIV/AIDS
Integrated acupuncture and naturopathic medicine (for students enrolled in both programs)
Opportunities to rotate through off-site community care clinics that provide affordable health care to diverse populations, including seniors, low-income and immigrant communities.

Training Hours

Students spend 44 preceptor hours shadowing and observing acupuncturist or Chinese medicine practitioner in their private practices.
The Master of Acupuncture contains 828 total clinical training hours.

Accreditation

The following programs offered by Bastyr University are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM):

Master of Acupuncture
Master of Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization (currently named Master of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine)
Doctor of Acupuncture
Including a Doctor of Acupuncture degree completion track
Certificate in Chinese Herbal Medicine
Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Accreditation status and notes may be viewed on the ACAHM Directory. ACAHM is recognized by the United States Department of Education as the specialized accreditation agency for institutions/programs preparing acupuncture practitioners. ACAHM does not accredit any programs at the undergraduate/bachelor level. ACAHM is located at 8941 Aztec Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347; phone 952/212-2434; www.acahm.org

Prerequisites

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)
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.

Intermediate Algebra	1 course
General Chemistry (allied health-level with lab) 1, 2	1 course
General Biology (allied health-level with lab) 2	1 course
General Psychology	1 course
General Physics	1 course

Note: All students must complete a CPR-C level course or equivalent prior to entering clinic.

1Survey-level class that covers inorganic chemistry and includes a lab component. Intended for students in allied-health majors.

2Science classes must have been taken within seven years of entering the program. If not, additional coursework may be required after the admissions committee review

Other requisites

AM4100, BC4104, BC4123, and BC4124 are requisite courses for the master's program. The MAc/MAcCHM curriculum has been designed so students missing one or more of these may take them after matriculating at Bastyr University. Previously completed coursework from other accredited institutions may satisfy these requisites.

Curriculum

The curriculum table lists the tentative schedule of courses each quarter. Next to each course are the number of credits per course. This table reflects a full-time course of study. A part-time option is also available.