The Chinese Herbology Certificate Program is designed for licensed acupuncturists and graduates of acupuncture degree programs who wish to add herbal expertise as a component of their professional practices without having to complete an entire Oriental Medicine degree program.
There are a total of 34 credits (510 hours) of didactic courses and 13 credits (390 hours) of clinical training in the program, offered over a span of five trimesters (one year and eight months). The didactic courses introduce the student to over 400 individual herbs and 250 major formulas, including patent formulas, and move on to herbal treatment strategy, application of the herbal formulas for treatment of commonly seen clinical syndromes, consideration and analysis of specific cases, and toxicity/safe use of herbs.
The clinical progression moves from Observation and Assistantship, where students learn herbal pharmacy skills, to Internship, where students assume responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Certificate Program students will have to take exams to qualify for Junior Internship (focusing on individual herbs), for Senior Internship (focusing on herbal formulas), and for graduation from the program By the end of internship training, students must also submit a minimum of 100 case reports.
NYCTCM's Chinese Herbology Certificate Program meets ACAOM guidelines for Herb Certificate Training Programs and qualifies students to sit for the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology examination. Passing the Chinese Herbology examination will qualify licensed acupuncturists to apply for Diplomate status in Chinese Herbology and (in most cases) Oriental Medicine. Although the practice of herbal medicine is currently not a licensed specialty in New York State, there are legislative initiatives going forward in this area; achievement of certification now in Chinese herbology would be a good way to anticipate future licensing requirements.
Applications are currently being accepted for students who wish to matriculate into the program. Tuition for the entire program is $15,105 ($280 per credit; $530 per credit for internship training). Transfer credit will be given for equivalent prior coursework.
For more information visit New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbal Certificate program.
I entered NYCTCM in 2000 as a non-matriculated student,
intending only to get a foundation in Chinese medicine as a first step to
studying Tibetan medicine and naturopathy. Suffering an accident to my head and
neck shortly after beginning study, I had to take a leave of absence while
recuperating and receiving acupuncture treatments at NYCTCM's clinic. 
