Master of Science in Acupuncture (MSAc)

Master of Science in Acupuncture (MSAc)

Join our welcoming community and explore the benefits of Chinese medicine and the kind of care you can provide future patients. Our expert faculty will provide one-on-one support to help you hone this ancient medicine and apply it to modern healthcare. Discover your future career with us.

The purpose of the Master of Science in Acupuncture program is to train practitioners of Acupuncture to function as primary, independent healthcare providers, focusing on Acupuncture and related modalities of Oriental medicine to achieve health and well-being, and most importantly, become an integral part of the modern healthcare system. Students in the MSAc program choose from two curricula, focusing on either classical Chinese medicine, or traditional Oriental medicine.

Following the vision of an “East meets West” environment, students learn and apply the best of Asian medicine with a firm foundation in Western medicine. Students explore physiology, etiology, and the diagnostic and treatment systems of Chinese medicine as they learn to model the use of biomedicine in the modern Oriental medicine practice.

The Master of Science in Acupuncture (MSAc) is a three to four-year graduate program consisting of 156 or 157 units and around 3,000 hours of theory and practice. Graduates are eligible for the New York state licensure exam, as well as the national certification examinations (NCCAOM), which enables students to become licensed in the remaining states that regulate acupuncture and Oriental medicine that use the NCCAOM exam to qualify for licensure, and do not require the study of Herbology.

Some of these courses include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Acupuncture Points
• Tui Na Hand and Structural Techniques
• Needle Technique
• Diagnosis and Treatment of Disease
• Auricular Acupuncture

Graduates of the Master of Science (Acupuncture) program will be able to:

• Understand and demonstrate personal and professional ethical standards.
• Understand the etiology of disease from a traditional Oriental and biomedical perspective, and apply this understanding by recommending disease prevention strategies.
• Evaluate patients exhibiting complaints commonly seen and treated by Oriental medicine, and in a manner that indicates cognizance of all relevant Oriental medical diagnostic paradigms.
• Recognize signs and symptoms necessitating referral to appropriate complementary healthcare providers.
• Formulate treatment principles in a manner that prioritizes treatment procedures for patients that follow logically from the diagnosis.
• Formulate acupuncture and supplemental treatment plans, while providing a logical rationale for such plans.
• Personally administer the designated treatment plan, or use the appropriate support personnel.
• Demonstrate knowledge of clinical sciences from a traditional Oriental and bio-medical perspective.
• Communicate in a professional and knowledgeable manner about Oriental medicine and biomedicine with relevant health

Federal Consumer Disclosure Information About This Program

How can I find out more about this career?
For more information about a career in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, please visit theU.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET website. The Standard Occupational Code (SOC) for the career is 29-1199.01 (Acupuncturists) and the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)code for this program is 51.3301 (Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine).

What is the total cost of the MSAC degree program?
The total current tuition and fees for a student completing the MSAC program in normal time is $73,846 and the total additional cost for books and supplies is $4,952.

What percentage of graduates complete the program in the normal time frame as published in the catalog?
For students who graduated between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, a total of 20 students completed the program, 1 of them finished in the published normal time frame of 36 months (5%), 1 finished within 44 months (5%), and 6 finished within 48 months (30%). Therefore, 8 out of the 20 students completed the program within 48 months (40%). Many students choose to pursue the MSAC part-time.

How much student loan debt does a typical graduate have to repay after graduation?
Of the number of students completing the MSAC program between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, 12 out of 20 students graduated with student loan debt.

The median loan debt for students who graduated between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 was $48,551 for public debt (Title IV loans) and $0 for private debt.

What percentage of graduates found employment related to their field of study?
The most recent annual report to our accrediting agency (Fall 2012), the Accrediting Commission of Career Colleges and Schools (ACCSC), shows that 100% of graduates found employment related to their field of study. This sample of graduates included students who started their programs in the Spring 2006, and Fall 2006, and Winter 2007 semesters. Of the 9 graduates available for employment, 9 are employed in the field. These graduates were tracked using Alumni Department Tracking Forms.