Locations

Kenmore, Washington campus
San Diego, California campus

General Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Grade C or better in prerequisite coursework
• Concrete exposure to the practice of naturopathic medicine, by job-shadowing if possible, or by interviews with one or more naturopathic physicians.
• While there is no minimum GPA requirement, the historical average GPA for admitted students is 3.3 - 3.4.
• See all prerequisite information for naturopathic medicine program or read about our post-bacc program for completing prerequisites.

Length of Program

• Four years for full-time students
• Five or more years for dual-degree tracks

Tuition and Financial Aid

• Graduate tuition
• Financial Aid for graduate students

Performance Fact Sheet for the California ND Program

Pursuant to the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009, prospective students are encourage to preview Bastyr University California's 2016 Performance Fact Sheet for this program. New students will be required to sign this fact sheet prior to enrolling.

Career Opportunities

• Naturopathic doctor working as a primary natural care physician in private practice or at a clinic dedicated to integrative medicine
• Research scientist studying natural medicine
• Naturopathic consultant/advocate in industry, insurance or the political arena
• Wellness entrepreneur
• Natural medicine spokesperson/advisor
• Rural community doctor
• Dietary supplement entrepreneur or natural products specialist
• Corporate wellness educator
• Public health administrator
• Natural medicine author/public speaker
• Faculty member in naturopathic or conventional medical institution

Where are Naturopathic Physicians Licensed?

Currently, 20 states, five Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have passed laws regulating naturopathic doctors. Learn more about licensure from the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.

Integrated, Hybrid Curriculum Focuses on Real-World Experiences

Naturopathic medicine students immediately gain real-world experience in the classroom as well as in a clinical setting through Bastyr University’s integrated, hybrid curriculum.

In fall semester of their first year, students begin clinical training as observers at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle or Bastyr University Clinic in San Diego, allowing them to bring patient stories and real clinical experiences back to the classroom.

Each year, the case study discussion classes build on prior years by continually bringing in concepts learned earlier. To help students think more like doctors instead of scientists from the start, disciplines such as anatomy and physiology are combined with case study classes and the clinical experience.

Throughout the curriculum, faculty coordinate their lessons to help students learn how the concepts connect and how the disciplines work together to support each body system (i.e. respiratory system, circulatory system, cardiovascular system). This hybrid curriculum encourages a more independent and interactive learning environment with preparatory online coursework, voice-over PowerPoint lectures, webinars and other multimedia, so the classroom discussions can be a case-based application of the course content.

Program Outcomes

A graduate of the Naturopathic medical program at the School of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University will be able to:

• Demonstrate competency in biomedical and clinical sciences in order to practice safely and effectively as a naturopathic physician
• Provide patient-centered clinical services as a naturopathic primary care physician
• Apply the philosophy and principles of naturopathic medicine to efficiently and effectively practice naturopathic primary care
• Uphold ethical standards and demonstrate respect and integrity in professional interactions.
• Apply information literacy skills to efficiently and effectively practice evidence-informed naturopathic primary care.
• Demonstrate cultural humility through self-awareness and a commitment to engage in culturally-responsive naturopathic practice in their communities
• Cultivate the development and dissemination of new knowledge in naturopathic medicine through education, scholarship or research

The following curriculum tables list the tentative schedule of courses each quarter. Next to each course are the number of credits per course (Crdt.), the lecture hours each week (Lec.) the lab/clinic hours each week (L/C) and the total contact hours for the course over the entire quarter (Tot.).

Click here for the curriculum for students starting in Fall 2019. Please note that changes to the curriculum may still occur before the start of the Fall 2019 academic year. For the 2019-2020 course catalog, click here. 

5-Year Extended Track

Students have the option of completing the naturopathic medicine program in a five-year extended-track curriculum, although all students do their first term according to the four-year track schedule. Moving to the five-year track slightly lessens the number of course credits each quarter.  Students can extend the program by stretching out the first two years of their program to three years (referred to as 5XA).

• The first two years of the program averages 25.6 credits per term and includes more basic sciences than clinical sciences.
• This 5-year option allows students to spread this credit load over three years, dropping the average credit load to 21 in the first year, 15.5 in the second year and 16 in the third year.
• The basic science classes are concentrated in your first and second years, with modality classes in your third year.
• Starting the summer of your third year you return to the four-year credit load for your 4/5 (19.75) and 5/5 (13.25) years.
• Clinic Observation 1 is completed in Year 1 and Clinic Observation 2 is completed in Year 3.   You enter clinic as an NMS3 in your 4/5 year.
• You take your Basic Science boards during the summer between your 2/5 and 3/5 year.
• Usually about 20 percent of any class is on the 5-year track.

Students can also extend the program by stretching out the last two years of their program to three years (referred to as 5XB).  Generally, students opt for the 5XA extension during the first year of the program, and the 5XB extension late in the 2nd year of the program.  The extra room in either schedule allows for the addition of a second program.  

Year I

Bastyr University has a well-established residency program at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. In addition, the University has several affiliate residency training programs. The School of Naturopathic Medicine is a recognized sponsor of postdoctoral naturopathic medical education by the Council of Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). 

All these programs are highly competitive and attract graduates from other institutions as well as from Bastyr University. Each residency is a closely supervised program in which a resident progresses from a purely observational role into an independent role over the course of one year. This progression is monitored and facilitated by a faculty mentor and program administrator.

For questions regarding the application process or on the available residency programs, please contact Dr. Gary Garcia, Director of Graduate and Community Medicine at (206) 834-4124 or via email at ggarcia@bastyr.edu.