New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) Admissions

Requirements for Admission to NYCTCM

Candidates for admission to NYCTCM must demonstrate a sincere commitment to embark on a program to become a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They must possess personal qualities and a level of academic achievement that reflects the skills and aptitude necessary to successfully complete a TCM curriculum.

All applicants must have completed 60 undergraduate credits in an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and must have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Candidates must be at least 18 years of age.

In accordance with New York State guidelines, candidates must hold United States citizenship, be an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the U.S., or hold a valid visa. Alien applicants must provide proper documentation in order for their applications to be considered.

English Proficiency

Citizens of foreign countries, or foreign-born U.S. citizens or residents must be able to demonstrate achievement of English proficiency. This can be done in one of three ways:

1. Proof of at least two years of study (60 credits) at a U.S. college or university (or at a college or university located in another country where English is the primary language and where English was the medium of instruction). These credits cannot include any courses in English as a Second Language.
   
2. Proof of professional licensure in New York State as an M.D., Dentist, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, R.N., Nutritionist, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Psychologist, Veterinarian, or Massage Therapist. Other health-care professionals may submit licensing credentials for review by the NYCTCM Admissions Office in order to support their claim of English language proficiency.
   
3. Score of 61 or higher on the IBT Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or its equivalent on the computer-based or paper-based versions of the test.
   

Admission Requirements and Licensure

Candidates for admission to the school are advised to understand and comply with the licensure requirements of all states in which they intend to become licensed prior to matriculating.

NYCTCM Application Forms

An application form, reference forms, immunization forms and application instructions are available online on our website and through the admissions office.

BioScience Course Prerequisites

New York State requires students to have nine credits of bioscience courses prior to enrolling in NYCTCM, or to complete them concurrently with their first year of study at the college. At NYCTCM Human Biology (3 credits), Topical Anatomy (4 credits), and Chemistry for Health Sciences (2 credits) are bioscience courses that satisfy the prerequisite nine credits of bioscience required for a NYS acupuncture license. These courses enhance students’ understanding of concepts in the biosciences and related acupuncture courses.

Students who lack one or more of these prerequisite courses are required to complete the course(s) concurrently with their first year (three trimesters) of full- or part-time study at NYCTCM. Course transfer credit may be granted for equivalent coursework completed at an institution accredited by an agency acceptable to NYCTCM and the NYS Education Department.

Please see the NYCTCM catalog for Typical Course Sequences for the full time student.

Academic Year

Courses at the acupuncture school and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) school are offered during three 15–week trimesters designated as: Winter (beginning in January), Spring (beginning in April), and Fall (beginning in September)

Applying for Admission

Admission to NYCTCM is considered on a continuous basis. New students are admitted to the College for Fall (September), Winter (January), and Spring (May) trimesters. Prospective students are encouraged to apply for admission well in advance of the start of classes due to limited class size. Students needing financial aid should apply at least 90 days prior to the start of the trimester. Prospective students are invited to attend an NYCTCM Open House for an overview of the programs, a tour of the facility, open discussion, and information on the application process.

Application for admission includes:

1. A completed application form
2. Three letters of professional / personal recommendation
3. Two passport size photos
4. Official transcripts from each school listed on the application
5. Copies of current licenses (for health professionals)
6. Statement of purpose (a short essay on the candidate’s vision of becoming a TCM practitioner and his or her reasons for applying to NYCTCM)
7. A personal interview, suggested, not required
8. Application fee

Applicants who completed their postsecondary education in foreign countries must complete regular application procedures and in addition must provide the following documentation to NYCTCM:

1. Evaluation and certified English translation of educational credentials by an appropriate agency such as WES
2. Certification of English proficiency (via TOEFL and TSE scores)
3. Valid visa (unless a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S.)

NYCTCM Application Forms

An application form, reference forms, immunization forms and application instructions are available online on our website and through the admissions office.

International Applicants

NYCTCM has been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to grant admission to full-time students from foreign countries. Nonimmigrant alien applicants are required to complete the regular application process and, in addition, must submit an I-20 application and an affidavit of financial support verifying that they have adequate resources to cover all expenses for one academic year and, barring unforeseen circumstances, that funds will be available for subsequent years. Permanent residents or refugees should use the regular application and admission procedures.

The I-20 will be issued when the application is complete and the student has been accepted into one of NYCTCM’s programs. Nonimmigrant students transferring from another approved school within the U.S. must also provide a copy of their current I-20, visa, and I-94 card upon application along with the completed school transfer information form. Nonimmigrant students are not eligible for U.S. federal financial aid.

More information on the application process for international students is available from the NYCTCM Admissions Office.

NYCTCM Application Forms

An application form, reference forms, immunization forms and application instructions are available online on our website and through the admissions office.

Selection of Candidates and Notification of Admission

A candidate’s application file is evaluated by the Admissions Manager with input as needed from the Academic Dean. Candidates accepted into a program are notified in writing within 30 days of receipt of their completed application. Upon acceptance a student may defer his/her admission to a subsequent trimester with approval of the Admissions Manager. Candidates not selected for admission may reapply when recommendations made by the Admissions Manager are met.

Conditional acceptance can be granted upon review of unofficial transcript copies submitted with the application form prior to the receipt of official transcripts. This might apply, for example, to candidates accepted for late registration during the first week of a new trimester. Unofficial transcripts will only be accepted from regionally accredited colleges in the U.S.

In order for students granted conditional acceptance to receive course credit as matriculated students for their first trimester and advance to their second trimester they need to be in full compliance with the College’s admissions requirements by the end of their first trimester.

Admission as a Transfer Student

Candidates wishing to transfer from other professional schools of Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine must complete regular application procedures and in addition supply the following documentation to NYCTCM:

• Official transcripts from all graduate and/or professional schools attended
• Complete course descriptions and/or school catalogs from said schools

Prospective transfer students should schedule an interview with the Admissions Manager and/or the Academic Dean to review this documentation as the basis for possible transfer credit. In order to receive a degree in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine from NYCTCM, the final academic year of the program must be completed at NYCTCM.

Transfer Credit Policy

Coursework and clinical hours submitted for transfer credit will be evaluated for applicability to the NYCTCM curriculum and to the professional licensure requirements of New York State. This evaluation will be carried out by the Academic Dean and the Admissions Manager. Granting of transfer credit will be subject to the following guidelines:

1. Course transfer credit may be granted for equivalent coursework completed at an institution accredited by an agency acceptable to NYCTCM.
2. Coursework completed at a nonaccredited institution may be granted course transfer credit with approval of the Academic Dean.
3. Only coursework passed with a “C” grade or better may be evaluated for course transfer credit.
4. Coursework completed more than five years prior to admission may receive course transfer credit with approval of the Academic Dean.
5. Coursework completed at international colleges may receive course transfer credit with approval of the Academic Dean.
6. Assessment of education completed in foreign countries will require submission of documentation to appropriate agencies for evaluation and/or to the New York State Department of Education for review.

In addition to providing documentation of completed coursework, a student may be required to pass an advanced placement examination to receive credit. A grade of 80% on the advanced placement examination is required for course credit. Students scoring less than 80% will have to take the course as required review (see below).

Transfer course equivalence assessments will be completed and credit granted by the end of the first academic trimester.

Students dissatisfied with transfer credit decisions may appeal such decisions to a Transfer Credit Review Committee, which will be comprised of the Admissions Manager, the Academic Dean, and faculty members from the appropriate disciplines. The appeal should be made in writing and should clearly present the case for reconsideration. The Committee will meet within two weeks of receiving notification and will issue its decision in writing.

Prior Learning Assessment

NYCTCM may accept up to 50% of credit towards its admission requirement through Credit by Examination if that assessment was performed and credit was awarded by an institution (other than NYCTCM) accredited by an institutional agency recognized by the Secretary of Education.

Non-matriculated students

Some New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) school courses such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Chinese Language, and History and Philosophy of Chinese Medicine, along with special seminars and short courses are open to enrollment by the general public with no special prerequisites. Students can enroll in these courses without going through the regular application process, there is no application or registration fee, and, upon request, a certificate is issued on completion of the course rather than a full-blown transcript.

Certain other lower-level courses are open to enrollment by non-matriculated students if they satisfy all program entry requirements as well as all prerequisites for the particular desired course. Students who enroll under these conditions must go through the regular application process and pay the normal application and registration fees. Upon completion, a transcript of courses taken will be issued upon request.

As a general rule, students must matriculate for at least their final year of the Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine Program. This means that non-matriculated students will not be allowed to sit for the Clinic Entrance Exam or to embark upon their internship in the clinic. As far as didactic courses are concerned, non-matriculated students will not be allowed to enroll in the Clinical Acupuncture Practice courses, nor will they be allowed to progress past the Herbal Formulas series of courses in the OM Program.

Part-time and Full-time status

NYCTCM encourages the enrollment of part-time students and tries to accommodate their needs. For most classes of students, full-time status is considered to be enrollment in 12 credits or more of courses during any given trimester. However, postgraduate students enrolling in the OM Program are considered full-time if they enroll for 9 or more credits of courses.

Part-time students are not required by NYCTCM to enroll for a specific minimum number of credits, but need to be aware of regulations for maximum program completion times. Financial aid recipients are normally required to enroll for at least 6 credits of courses each trimester. International students attending under the auspices of the federally-administered SEVIS program must also comply with minimum enrollment requirements in order to continue to qualify for their student visas.

Maximum Time Frame to finish NYCTCM's Programs

Students must complete their degree within 6 years for the Acupuncture Program and 8 years for the Oriental Medicine Program. Students are no longer eligible to receive financial aid after they have reached these maximums. In addition, students must show completion of at least 23 credits per year (one-sixth of the total required) in the Acupuncture Program, and also at least 23 credits per year (one-eighth of the total required) in the Oriental Medicine Program.

Program Minimum/Maximum Time Requirements

Students in the Acupuncture Program must be enrolled for at least 30 calendar months in order to graduate. Maximum time allowed to complete the program is six calendar years.

Students in the Oriental Medicine Program must be enrolled for at least 40 calendar months in order to graduate. Maximum time allowed to complete the program is eight calendar years.

Early Acceptance Tuition Credit for new and transfer students.

Apply early and be eligible for a 10% credit on your tuition for your first trimester tuition.

NYCTCM offers an Early Acceptance Tuition Credit to newly matriculated students or transfer students in the amount of a 10% credit applied to their first trimester tuition. The qualifying date for the Early Admission Tuition Credit for Winter 2012 trimester is December 3, 2011.

Qualifying for the Early Acceptance Tuition credit

An Early Acceptance Date is selected each trimester to coincide with the registration dates for enrolled students. To qualify for the Early Acceptance Tuition credit new and transfer students are required to:

Submit an application with admission documentation to support an offer of admissions on or before the designated Early Acceptance Date for the trimester they plan to enroll.

Required Admission Documentation for Early Acceptance Consideration

1. Completed application with the application fee.

2. Transcript documenting 60 undergraduate college credits
3. Citizenship/Visa status documentation
4. Transfer students are required to provide a transcript from their current program with access to course description information.
5. To be eligible for the Early Acceptance Tuition credit for the NYCTCM Winter 2012 trimester the above information must be on file in the NYCTCM Admissions Office on or before TBA, 2011.

A non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 is due at the time a candidate accepts an offer of early acceptance from NYCTCM for Winter 2012 trimester. The deposit is separate and apart from financial aid. The $500 deposit and 10% tuition credit apply to the tuition for a student’s first trimester of study at NYCTCM. Financial aid students will see the adjustment reflected in their first trimester tuition charges. The student who is eligible for the Early Acceptance Tuition Credit must make a full non-refundable deposit of $500, no matter if the student is on financial aid.

NYCTCM online catalog pdf revised 5/12/2012

New York State Department of Health Compliance

New York State law requires students born on or after January 1, 1957 who are enrolled for six or more chargeable credits at a N.Y. State college to provide proof of immunization against two Measles, one Mumps and one Rubella. This proof includes either immunization documentation, serological proof of immunity (copy of the laboratory report) or proof of having had the disease from the treating physician (not acceptable for Rubella).

In addition, students must provide information to their schools concerning their Meningitis vaccination status. New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) requires this documentation as part of the school's application for admission. A student is not required to have the Meningococcal Meningitis vaccine, but the student must fill out and sign the meningitis form that we provide.

Immunization form (for mumps, measles and rubella)

Meningitis form (see above)

Meningitis information (to read)

Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) will provide reasonable accommodations to enrolled students with documented disabilities. Such accommodations will be determined on an individual basis. To accommodate a student under the Americans with Disabilities Act, documentation must be submitted upon acceptance to the program.

For further information on reasonable accommodations, contact: New York State Division of Human Rights, 175 Fulton Avenue, Suite 211, Hempstead, NY 11550, Tel.: 516-538-1360.

NYCTCM Open Houses

Prospective students are invited to attend an New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) Open House for an overview of the programs, a tour of the facility, open discussion, and information on the application process. Visit the NYCTCM Open House page for current dates and times.

Contact Admissions

For more information about New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine educational programs, and the dates for our next Open House, contact:

Gail Auricchio
Admissions
NYCTCM
155 First Street
Mineola, NY 11501
Ph: (516) 739-1545
Fax: (516) 873-9622

email: