Five Branches University is an acclaimed university that has been in the United States for the past 28 years. It has trained students of a...
School Description
The school aims to set the standards for excellence in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and integrative medicine education and healthcare. They are doing their best to develop highly-skilled traditional chinese medicine clinical practitioners who can have an impact in the health of the people around them but also help those who are not able to find solution to their health care problem using conventional medicine.
The Five Branches University as of today has 2 campuses, 12 classrooms, 33 treatment rooms, 100 teachers, 450 dedicated students, 600 alumni, and receive 140 patients a day. They have renowed and respected TCM doctor/teachers that have been working with them for over 20 years.
The name "Five Branches University" comes from the fact that Traditional Chinese Medicine is made of 5 important components, they are: Acupuncture, Herbology, Massage (Tuina), Qigong (energetics and exercise), and Chinese Dietary Medicine. Students willing to get a degree in TCM are required to master those 5 components in order to be recognized.
How long does it take to finish a course?
The school mainly offers 3 types of courses: Masters, Doctorate and Extension course
There are 2 types of Masters program available:
- The Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTCM) program which take about 4 Years (3208 hours) to complete
- The Master of Acupuncture (M.Ac.) Program is designed for students who already have a conventional medical degree and want to add acupuncture as a additional degree to their curiculum. It takes about 2 years to complete.
Apart from the Masters and Doctorate program the Five Branches University is also offering extension courses. One can choose to specialize in massage therapy (about 500 hours training), Medical Qigong (which is about 200 hours) and other certification programs that usually take less than a year to complete.
Is the school accredited?
Yes, the Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTCM) is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). As for the "Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine" (DAOM) program, it is Candidate for Accreditation of Doctoral Degree Program.
National and State ApprovalsFive Branches University is recognized, approved by, or a member of the following national and state associations:
- National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM)
- Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM)
- Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid Program
- U.S. Department of Education
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security approval for foreign students
- Veterans Education
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Member National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA)
- Public Benefit, Non-Profit Corporation
- California Secretary of State
- California State Acupuncture Board
- California State Department of Consumer Affairs
- Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education
- California State Department of Consumer Affairs
For the Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine (MTCM), the 4 year course is known to cost aroud $56 000, which is about $14 000 a year. Elective courses and certificate programs are additional and not included in the total tuition cost. Students are allowed to pay in installement and financial aid is offered to those who qualify.
The Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) program is a 26 months degree that cost about $22 000. Federal financial aid is currently unavailable for the Doctoral program. Students will be able to receive private alternative loans from lenders. These loans are based on the individual’s and/or co-signers’ credit.
The school also offered other minor courses that usually take much less time to complete and also cost much less.
Where is the school located?
The Five Branches University has two different campuses located in California. One is Santa Cruz and the other one in San Jose. Students can choose to attend classes at both campuses since they are only less than 30 minutes apart. The campuses being in the city, the students have access to easy transportation, health care systems and libraries. Both locations offer plenty of sunshine and a diverse and progressive environment in which to live. The city itself is known as a technolgical city with all the major online businesses hosted there (google, ebay, microsoft, dell)
The campuses do not offer dormitories but the university staff is willing to help new students get an appartment before starting the schooling. That requires that the student looking for an appartment should come 6 weeks before the schooling to get the necessary help to get the appartment on time. Usually the appartment are within walking distances to campus.
Career Opportunities
The Five Branches University website has a section about job opportunities and is constantly updated. The school also refers their newly graduated students to successful alumini who have established practices. The school has connections with a lot of different establishments in the fields of acupuncture, acupressure, massage therapy and many more modalities. That enables it to be quickly get updated on any job vacancy around their vicinity and they immediately alert their students about that.
Here are some picture about The Five Branches University (click to view)
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This is an interview with the CEO of The Five Branches University
Here is the school Location on the map
Here is the school Location on the map
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