Admissions
Admissions FAQ
Browsing the links below you'll find answers to many of the questions most frequently asked by prospective students. If, after reading these answers, you still have questions, please contact the AOMA admissions office by phone (512-492-3017) or by email ().
How long is the program?
Is it possible to go part-time?
When are classes?
How much is tuition?
What are the pre-requisites?
Do I need to have a science background?
I’m just beginning my undergraduate work. Which course of study will best prepare me for acupuncture?
Do I need a Bachelor’s degree?
I’ve been to massage school. Can my credits count?
What general education requirements do I need to fulfill?
How long is the program?
AOMA’s graduate program in acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be completed, on the accelerated track, in three years and three months (since AOMA operates on a quarter system, one term equals three months). Students on the accelerated path average 20 quarter credits (13.2 semester credits) per term and are typically in class 4 days a week.
Many students choose to move more slowly through AOMA’s program and graduate in three and a half to four years. At this pace, students typically enroll in 15 – 18 quarter credits (9.9 – 11.88 semester credits) each term and spend 2 – 3.5 days in class each week.
All AOMA students are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor prior to registration each term. The academic advisor monitors a student’s path through the curriculum, ensures satisfactory academic progress, and gives advice regarding course selection and number of credits.
In order to qualify for federal financial aid, students must complete at least 38 credits in four terms, enrolling in no fewer than 9 credits in any three of those terms and no fewer than six credits in the fourth term. For more information, please contact the office of financial aid.
Is it possible to go part-time?
Please also see the answer to “How long is the program?” above.
AOMA maintains a minimum enrollment requirement of nine quarter (six semester) credits each term. This requirement ensures students will make satisfactory progress toward licensure and also maintains the pedagogical integrity of the program. Students enrolled in nine credits per term typically complete the program in six years and spend one to one and a half days in class each week.
When are classes?
AOMA holds classes in three time blocks each day: in the morning (9:30am – 12:30pm), in the afternoon (2:00pm – 5:00pm), and in the evening (6:30pm – 9:30pm). Each class is three hours long and, in the fall, winter, and spring terms, each class meets once per week. Please note enrollment in some day time classes is required for program completion.
Please browse the following links to view sample schedules:
First-term, accelerated path
First-term, full-time
First-term, part-time
How much is tuition?
For the 2008 – 2009 academic year, tuition is $180 per credit for didactic coursework and $300 per credit for clinical coursework. This is equivalent to $15.00 per clock hour for didactic coursework and $12.50 per clock hour for clinical coursework. Tuition for the entire program is approximately $45,680.
For more information on financial aid, please contact the office of financial aid.
What are the pre-requisites?
For students applying with a bachelor’s degree, there are no prerequisites. Students applying with 90 credits or more (and without a degree) must have completed 30 credits of general education courses in order to be considered for admission. Please see the answers to “What general education requirements do I need to fulfill?” and "Do I need a bachelor's degree?" for more information.
Do I need to have a science background?
AOMA does not have prerequisite courses for students applying with a bachelor’s degree. Please see “What are the pre-requisites?” for more information.
Currently, AOMA does not require nor give preference to students with a background in human biology. We have, of course, found that students who studied human biology in their undergraduate coursework are well prepared for the western science courses included in our curriculum. We have also found that students who studied, for example, anthropology, sociology, and psychology are well prepared for other aspects of our curriculum and equally well prepared for clinical practice.
I’m just beginning my undergraduate work. Which course of study will best prepare me for acupuncture?
This is a wonderful question and one for which there are many answers.
* Certainly pre-med or human biology courses give students a strong foundation from which to study Oriental medicine. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the western medical model within AOMA’s graduate program and studying human biology in undergrad can only deepen that understanding.
* Because the paradigm of Chinese medicine is fundamentally different from the western medical paradigm, studying anthropology with a focus on east Asian culture can help prepare students to make that paradigmatic shift.
* Given the direct physiological effects of acupuncture on the nervous system and the growing body of research demonstrating acupuncture’s efficacy in treating psycho-emotional disorders, undergraduate studies focusing on psychology and neurobiology would also benefit students of Chinese medicine.
* Finally, courses (if not a dedicated course of study) in Mandarin language would greatly benefit students as they begin their studies of Chinese herbal medicine.
Do I need a Bachelor’s degree?
AOMA considers for admission applicants who have completed at least 90 baccalaureate level (i.e. not technical or applied) undergraduate semester credits at a regionally accredited institution. Ninety credits is equivalent to approximately three years of undergraduate work.
Additionally, AOMA will consider for admission transfer students who have completed at least 60 baccalaureate level (i.e. not technical or applied) undergraduate semester credits at a regionally accredited institution AND 30 semester credits at a school for Oriental medicine accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).
Most mainstream “brick and mortar” (i.e. not online) colleges and universities in the United States are regionally accredited. To determine if your undergraduate school is regionally accredited, check the accreditation section on the school’s website, visit one of links below, or contact AOMA’s admissions office.
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (for schools in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands)
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (for schools in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (for schools in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (for schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (for schools in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, Palau, and Northern Marianas Islands)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (for schools in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas)
I’ve been to massage school. Can my credits count?
AOMA can only accept (for transfer or toward meeting admissions requirements) credits from regionally accredited institutions. Although many massage programs are nationally accredited by programmatic accrediting agencies, most are not regionally accredited. For more information on regional accreditation, please see the answer under “Do I need a Bachelor’s degree?”.
What general education requirements do I need to fulfill?
Students applying to AOMA's program with a bachelor's degree do not need to fulfill any general education requirements. Students applying with 90 or more credits, but no degree, must fulfill at least 6 credits in each of the four following areas: Natural Sciences/Mathematics, Social/Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts, and Communications, to a total of 30 general education credits.The following are examples of courses that could fulfill the requirement in each area. Please note this list is not comprehensive. For questions about general education courses, please contact the admissions office.
Natural Sciences/Mathematics
College Algebra; Trigonometry; Math for Business/Economics; Statistics; Calculus; Business Calculus; Biology; Physics; Chemistry; Zoology; Botany; Geology; Astronomy; Life on Earth; Computer Sciences; Anatomy & Physiology.
Social/Behavioral Sciences
Psychology; Anthropology; Archaeology; Economics; Geography; Sociology; History; Government.
Humanities/Fine Arts
English Literature; American Literature; World Literature; Philosophy; Advanced Foreign Language; Logic; Ethics; Art History; Theater; Music Appreciation; Film Appreciation; Visual Arts.
Written/Oral Communications
English Composition; Business Writing; Speech Communication; Public Speaking; Interpersonal Communication; First Year Foreign Language.