Institution
Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, Florida, United States
Contact Details
Academy for Five Element Acupuncture
305 SE 2nd Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
United States
Phone: +1 352 3352332
Fax: + 1 352 3372535
Clinic: +1 352 5482332
E-mail:[email protected]
Website:https://acupuncturist.edu/
Training Therapy
Acupuncture
Level Of Training
Postgraduate
Qualification Awarded
Master of Acupuncture Degree
Duration Of Training
Three years
Entry Requirements
General Education Requirements
Applicants must be able to document a minimum of 90 semester credits (or its equivalent) from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education or an equivalent institution overseas. Official transcripts from this institution must be sent to the Admissions Office as part of the application. The Academy does not assess non-traditional prior learning credits or perform portfolio assessments. Only official transcripts from accredited institutions documenting credit hours (or credit hour equivalency) are accepted for admissions purposes. At least 30 of the 90 required credits must be in general education or liberal arts courses. Only courses that have earned a “C” or higher will count towards the General Education requirement A range of courses from the following categories will satisfy this requirement:
- Humanities/Fine Arts
- Social/Behavioral Sciences
- English/Communications
- Science/Mathematics
Required Prerequisite Courses
In addition to at least 90 semester credits, the following courses are required as prerequisites to the Master of Acupuncture program. As with the General Education courses, students must earn a “C” or higher in their prerequisite courses in order to receive credit. These courses must be completed prior to enrollment:
General Biology: 3 semester credits (45 hours)
General Psychology: 3 semester credits (45 hours)
Human Anatomy & Physiology I: **4 semester credits (60)
Conditional Admission
Applicants who meet the minimum requirement of 90 semester credits from an accredited institution but not the general education requirement may be accepted on a conditional basis. Conditional admission applicants must agree to enroll in the course(s) needed at an accredited institution concurrently with the Academy’s program and earn a “C” or higher in each course. Once official transcripts for the coursework have been received by the Academy, the student is on regular status. Students will not receive the Bachelor of Health Science degree nor the Master of Acupuncture degree without completion of these courses.
International Applicants
Academic Transcript Requirement
International applicants must meet the same academic requirements as applicants from the US. Students who completed their education at non-English-speaking institutions of higher education, or whose final degree, diploma, certificate or transcript is not in the English language, must document credit-hour equivalency by submitting their transcripts to an independent credential’s evaluation service. This applies to students who are now current residents of the US, as well as those international applicants who live abroad. Please contact Admissions for a list of agencies that provide credentialing services.
F-I Student Status
Academy for Five Element Acupuncture is certified by the US Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to issue an I-20 to students seeking F-1 student status. The I-20 proves the academic and financial eligibility of the student to study at a US institution and will be issued once a student has been accepted. Students should review their I-20 paperwork to ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date. Students are then responsible for making an appointment with a US embassy or consulate in their country to apply for an F-1 Student Visa. Both the I-20 and the F-1 Student Visa are required for entrance and continued study in the US. The Visa process can take several months to complete, so we strongly recommend that students apply well ahead of the application deadline. Please contact Admissions for more information regarding the requirements of this process.
English Language Proficiency
All coursework at the Academy is taught in English. A student’s success in the classroom and in the clinic is heavily dependent on their ability to communicate effectively in English. Coursework is highly theoretical, nuanced and idiomatic. It demands an advanced level of comprehension of spoken and written English. Students must also be able to listen, understand, and speak effectively with their patients in the clinic. As a result, the Academy requires a higher standard of English language proficiency than what is required for everyday interaction and for undergraduate study.
All students applying to the Master of Acupuncture program must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Students whose native language is not English must demonstrate this level of proficiency in one of the following ways:
- By obtaining a minimum score of 90 on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Students must arrange to take the TOEFL test and then have an official copy of their results sent to Admissions. Students can go to www.ets.org/toefl for more information on how to register for the test.
- By documenting a minimum of two academic years of full-time study at a regionally accredited or otherwise nationally-approved institution in the U.S. or another English-speaking country.
- By demonstrating proficiency in English during the admissions interview.
Enrollment Time
January and August each year
Learning Outcome
Graduates of the Master of Acupuncture program will be able to:
- Understand the theory and philosophy of Five Element acupuncture, including the roots of Oriental medicine, traditional diagnostic methods (seeing the whole person), meridian pathways, points and pulses, the Five Elements in nature and acupuncture in relation to other healing systems;
- Understand themselves as acupuncture practitioners, using a holistic approach to body/ mind/spirit, appreciating their limits and areas for growth and knowing when to refer to other resources;
- Apply knowledge to patients by recognizing the cause of symptoms through touch, smell, hearing and seeing, accurate pulse taking, treatment planning based on traditional diagnosis, determination of timing and sequence of treatment, as well as safe and competent application of practical techniques;
- Operate a professional office by knowing how to schedule and manage patient records according to the requirements of an acupuncture practice, maintain appropriate office and patient records, abide by legal and insurance requirements of an acupuncture practice, including standards for sanitation, safe needle techniques, emergency procedures and patient safety.
Type Of Attendance
Full Time
Credit Hour
127.75 total credits, 2429 total hours
Semester
Equivalent to 4 years
Theory/Practical
Both components (theory and practical / clinical) will be utilized throughout the course.
Learning Module
Foundation Science Prerequisites
FSC 401 – Principles of Biology / General Biology
FSC 404 / ADJ 404 – General Psychology
PSC 405 – Human Anatomy or Anatomy & Physiology
Academic Program – Year 1 (Months 1 – 12)
Acupuncture Program: Didactic (Intensives 1 – 3)
ACT 401 – Five Element Acupuncture I: Core Concepts & Theory
ACT 402 – Points and Point Location Techniques I
ACT 403 / ADJ 403 – Introduction to Qigong and Thai Ch’i
ACT 410 – Inner Development of the Practitioner
ACT 405 – Year I Directed Study Projects
Acupuncture Program: Foundations of Clinical Training
ACC 451* – Clinical Observation of Patients I: Clinical Theater I
ACC 452 – Private Practice Clinical Observation of Patients I
Biomedical Science
BSC 407 – Medical Terminology
Chinese Herbal Studies: Didactic
CHT 401 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine I
CHT 411 – Eight Principle Overview: Directed Study
CHT 499 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine I: Directed Study
Academic Program – Year 2 (Months 13 – 14)
Acupuncture Program: Didactic (Intensives 4 – 6)
ACT 411 – Five Element Acupuncture II: Preparation for Clinical Work
ACT 412 – Points and Point Location Techniques II
ACT 414 – Spirit of Points I
ACT 415 – Year II Directed Study Projects
ACT 420 – Inner Development of the Practitioner II
Acupuncture Program: Intermediate Clinical Training
ACC 461 – Clinical Observation Patients: Clinical Theater II
ACC 462 – Private Practice Clinical Observation of Patients II
ACC 463 – Internship Preparation I
Biomedical Sciences
BSC 401 – Intro to General & Systems Pathology
BSC 406 – general Pharmacology I
Chinese Herbal Studies: Didactic
CHT501 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine II
CHT 599 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine II: Directed Study
Chinese Herbal Studies: Clinical Training
CHC 551 – Herbal Clinical Observation I
Biomedical Sciences: Corequisites
BSC 405 – Physiology or Anatomy & Physiology II
Academic Program – Year 3 (Months 25 – 30)
Acupuncture Program: Didactic (Clinical Residency)
ACT 670 – Five Element Acupunc. III: Intro to Clinical Seminar
ACT 671 / ADJ 671 – Qigong II
ACT 672A – Practice Management I: Core Concepts
ACT 673 – Introduction to Theories of Counselling & Psychotherapy
ACT 674 – Professional Ethics
ACT 675 – Clinic Office Management Practicum
ACT 676 – Inner Development of the Practitioner III
Acupuncture Program: Advanced Clinical Training
ACC 661 – Internship Preparation II
ACC 671 – Clinical Internship I
ACC 672 – Clinical Internship II
ACC 673 – Clinical Internship III
Chinese Herbal Studies: Didactic
CHT 601 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine III
CHT 602 – Exam Preparation
CHT 603 – Internal Medicine
CHT 699 – Survey of Chinese Herbal Medicine III: Directed Study
CHT 799 – Internal Medicine and Related Topics: Directed Study
Academic Program – Year 4 (Months 31 – 36)
Acupuncture Program: Didactic (Clinical Residency)
ACT 680 – Five Element Acupuncture III: Intermediate Clinical Seminar
ACT 681 – Five Element Acupuncture III: Advanced Clinical Seminar
ACT 682 – Practice Mgt. II: Orientation to Business Ownership
ACT 683 – NCCAOM Boards Examination Preparation
ACT 684 – Introduction to Information Literacy
Adjunctive Studies
ADJ 601 – Alternative Therapies
ADJ 608 – Review of Florida Licensure Rules and Laws
Biomedical Sciences
BSC 603 – Western Clinical Sciences Survey
BSC 606 – General Pharmacology II
BSC 608 – Introduction to Integrative Medicine
Chinese Herbal Studies: Didactic
CHT 701 – Five Element Herbalism
Chinese Herbal Studies: Corequisite
BSC 630 / CHT 630 – Survey of Botany / General Botany
Chinese Herbal Studies: Clinical Training
CHC 751 – Herbal Clinical Observation II
CHC 771 – Herbal Clinical Internship I
CHC 772 – Herbal Clinical Internship II
Biomedical Sciences: Corequisites
BSC 607 – General Nutrition / Nutrition for Health
Biomedical Sciences: Elective Corequisites
BSC 631 – Introduction to Biochemistry
BSC 632 – General Microbiology
BSC 633 – Pathology II: Pathophysiology
BSC 634 – Foundations of Gerontology
BSC635 – Women’s Health
BSC 636 – Biomedical Research Methods
BSC 637 – Understanding Statistical Evidence
BSC 638 – Biology of Cancer
BSC 639 – Immunology
BSC 640 – Principles of Epidemiology
BSC 641 / ADJ 641 – Nutrition in Health and Disease
BSC 642 / ADJ 642 – Psychopathology and Abnormal Psychology
BSC 643 / ADJ 643 – Health Psychology
BSC 644 – Biomedical Science Elective
Teaching Faculty
Acupuncture Department
Source Of Accreditation
Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM)
Graduate Pathways
Graduates of the Academy’s acupuncture are qualified to sit for the national certification examinations in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology which is administered by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Career Opportunities
On completion, graduates can practice as an accredited acupuncturist.
Course Fees
USD 50,000 for tuition fee.
*Information for international students’ fee not available.
How To Apply
Applicants who are interested can apply to the Academy online, or download a copy of the application and mail it to Admissions. To complete the application process, applicant also must pay USD150 one-time non-refundable registration fee, attach admissions essay, official transcripts from all previous undergraduate and graduate study, two (2) letters of recommendation and one current digital photo (head shot) to Admissions. After all supplementary documents have been received, the Admissions Committee Coordinator will contact the applicant to schedule an interview with an Admissions Committee member. Interviews can be conducted in-person, by video conference, or by phone.
Glossary, Abbreviations and Links
- USD – US dollar
- NCCAOM – National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- Online application form – https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=dfa5a3
- Program catalogue – https://acupuncturist.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AF5EA_Catalog-2022.pdf
