About the College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Founded in 1990 as the Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies, the College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (CACM) provides an integrative approach to the learning of Chinese medicine.  Our degree programs are created to “bridge” the traditional Eastern philosophical teachings of Chinese medicine with current Western biomedical training.  This focus on bridging the two systems of medicine enable our students to approach their professional practice with a truly integrative perspective on health and wellness.

The College offers two graduate degree options, the Master of Acupuncture (M.Ac) and the Doctorate of Chinese Medicine (DCM).

The curriculum for the Doctor of Chinese Medicine program provides more than 3,400 hours of didactic and clinical instruction in acupuncture, Chinese language, Chinese herbology, biomedical sciences, health care systems, advanced laboratory findings, professional development, and related studies.  The program takes just over three years of full-time enrollment to complete.  The doctoral degree program emphasizes the classic medical texts of traditional Chinese medicine and how to apply those concepts in a contemporary medical setting with a solid biomedical background. 

The curriculum for the Master of Acupuncture (MAC) program is similar to the doctoral program; however, it does not include the herbal studies or advanced level training in integrative care.  The Master of Acupuncture includes more than 2,300 hours of instruction and takes two and two-thirds years of full-time enrollment to complete.