Transfer Students

Students who wish to transfer from another college of Oriental medicine to ACTCM must follow the same application process as entering United States or international students (see above), and must also meet with the Dean of the Masters Program to discuss ACTCM's curriculum requirements.

In addition to undergraduate transcripts, a transfer student must also submit a transcript from the acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine college at which he or she studied previously. For a student wishing to obtain ACTCM transfer credits for work completed at another Oriental medicine college, the college must be ACAOM accredited or in candidacy status or the foreign equivalent. A student who has attended a non-ACAOM approved college in the United States should contact the Admissions Office for information. All transfer credits must be awarded before the student begins classes at ACTCM.

Depending on the amount of acupuncture and Oriental medicine education received at another institution, transfer students may be required to take the first or second level comprehensive exams, challenge exams, and/or placement exams so that the College can develop a course schedule that reflects their level of knowledge. If a transfer student lacks sufficient knowledge in a certain subject, he or she will be required to take a Required Review (see Policies section) or a course for credit in order to reach a level equivalent to other students in the MSTCM program. In general, the placement of transfer students into specific MSTCM classes is based on a review of all previous educational coursework, as well as on the outcomes of exams.

Transfer students are required to meet with the Academic Advisor or the Dean of the Masters Program prior to registration each quarter for approval of their course schedule.

Transfer Credit Policy

Transfer Credit for Courses that Satisfy the General Science Requirements

        Transfer credit will be granted for individual courses that meet ACTCM's general science requirements only if the coursework was completed at a U.S. higher education institution accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency, or at a foreign institution evaluated by an agency approved by NACES and found to be equivalent to an accredited U.S. institution.

        Only courses that are demonstrably equivalent to the Colleges requirements are acceptable. (A course description or syllabus may be required to substantiate equivalency.)

        Transfer credit will be granted only for courses completed with a grade of C (70%) or better.

        Courses taken at another institution more than seven years prior to the application date will be considered for transfer only if the applicant is able to demonstrate current knowledge of the subject matter. The College may require a challenge or placement exam for courses taken more than seven years prior to the application date, or may require the student to retake the course.

        All transfer credit must be awarded prior to a students matriculation at ACTCM.

Transfer Credit for Courses that Satisfy MSTCM Requirements

        Only courses taken at the masters degree level at an accredited U.S. higher education institution or its foreign equivalent may be considered for transfer credit to satisfy MSTCM program requirements.

        Only courses that are demonstrably equivalent to the Colleges requirements are acceptable. (A course description or syllabus may be required to substantiate equivalency).

        Transfer credit will be granted only for courses completed with a grade of C (70%) or better.

        Transfer credit may be granted for up to 100% of the required biomedical courses, and for up to 50% of the required didactic courses in TCM.

        Transfer credit will be granted for clinical courses, with the exception of clinical observation courses, demonstrably equivalent to ACTCMs observation courses. (A course description or syllabus may be required to substantiate equivalency).

        All transfer credit must be awarded prior to a students matriculation at ACTCM.

Nursing Education

Some course titles on nursing program transcripts are non-traditional and do not clearly indicate the subject matter studied. Nurses who wish to transfer in credit based on their nursing education should contact the Dean of the Master's program for guidance.

Placement Exams

ACTCM administers placement exams to entering students who have received credits from an accredited institution or the foreign equivalent when ACTCM wishes to confirm that a student has attained the level of knowledge or skills that ACTCM requires. There is no charge for a placement exam.

Challenge Exams

At its discretion, ACTCM administers challenge exams to entering students who wish to challenge a class in the MSTCM program. To be eligible to challenge a class, a student must have taken an equivalent class at a non-accredited or vocational institution. Challenge exams may also apply to students who have studied Tai Ji or Qi Gong with a qualified instructor for a period of several years. ACTCM retains the right to determine which classes may be challenged. There is a fee for taking challenge exams.

Pass Rate for Comprehensive, Challenge and Placement Exams In order to receive credit, a student must pass a challenge or placement exam with a grade of C (70%) or better. The first level comprehensive exam must be passed with a grade of 70% or better, and the second level comprehensive exam must be passed with a grade of 75% or better.

Residency Requirement

Regardless of the amount of coursework completed previously at other institutions or the amount of transfer credit awarded by ACTCM, all transfer students are required to complete at least 50% of their didactic TCM training and all of their clinical training (with the exception of observation courses) in residence at the College. Students must also be enrolled in Clinical Internship for a minimum of 12 months.