Master of Science (Traditional Oriental Medicine)

Master of Science (Traditional Oriental Medicine) (MSTOM)

Impacting others for the better has always been important to you. It’s not about leaving a mark, it’s about improving wellbeing. Explore what being a practitioner of Chinese medicine means to you. With us, you can learn from experts and hone your craft in something ancient and also on the cutting edge of modern-day healthcare. You’ve always been a healer at heart--let us show you the path to becoming one in practice.

The purpose of the Master’s program is to train practitioners of Oriental medicine and to enable them to function as primary, independent healthcare providers, and most importantly, to become an integral part of the modern healthcare system. 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. The program consists of three academic phases that emphasize practicality in both theory and clinical practice.  

The Master of Science (Traditional Oriental Medicine) is a four-year graduate program. With 191 units and over 3,500 credit hours of theory and clinical practice, graduates are eligible for the California, Illinois, and New York state licensure exams, as well as the national certification examinations, which enables students to become licensed in the remaining states that regulate acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Students of the Master’s program are also eligible to enroll in Pacific College’s massage programs, allowing them to earn a massage license and work in the field while completing their Master’s degree.

Some of these courses include:

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

Graduates of the Master of Science of Traditional Oriental Medicine 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, herbal 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 healthcare professionals.

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 the U.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 MSTOM degree program?
The total current tuition and fees for a student completing the program in normal time is $59,348 and the total additional cost for books and supplies is $5,966 (F12).

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 94 students completed the program, 29 (31%) of them finished in the published normal time frame of 44 months. However, an additional 17 (18%) finished within 48 months and an additional 19 (20%) finished within 52 months. Therefore, 65 (69%) out of the 94 students completed the program within 52 months, usually due to deliberate extension in order to coordinate with the timing of the California Acupuncture Licensure Exam. 

How much student loan debt does a typical graduate have to repay after graduation?
Of the number of students completing the MSTOM program between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, 71out of 94 students graduated with student loan debt.

The median loan debt for students who graduated between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 was $105,901 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 (Fall 2012) annual report to our accrediting agency the Accrediting Commission of Career Colleges and Schools (ACCSC), shows that 86% of graduates found employment related to their field of study. This sample of graduates included students who started their programs in the Winter 2006, Spring 2006, and Fall 2006 semesters. Of 77 graduates available for employment, 66 are employeed in the field. These graduates were tracked using Alumni Department Tracking Forms.