Admissions - Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts

EDUCATIONAL ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Prior to acceptance, all applicants must have fulfilled a minimum of 60 semester credits or 90 quarter units of general education from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. All official transcripts must be mailed directly from the college or university to Daoist Traditions.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

If you are considering attending Daoist Traditions, we encourage you to call us to discuss your interests, or if you are in the area, make an appointment to visit the facilities, observe class sessions, and meet the staff.

Application Deadline: April 1
Class size is limited to 20 students.

Download our application here [pdf], or, if you've already downloaded our current catalog [pdf], you can find the application on page 27.

ADMISSIONS

Daoist Traditions has a rolling admissions policy. Application materials are collected and interviews are conducted until the class has reached its maximum capacity of 20 students. Once the class is full, additional applications may be considered and a list of alternates will be selected should another accepted applicant decide not to attend.

Applications for new students enrolling in August or January will be considered upon availability of space. The application deadlines are August 1 and December 1 respectively. Please check with the Admissions office for space availability.

Applicants must submit:

Completed application form
Two current, full face passport size photos
Copy of valid photo identification
Essay (two typed pages, double-spaced) stating how you became interested in Oriental Medicine, what you wish to receive from your studies, and what you are planning to do following graduation
One letter of reference mailed directly to Daoist Traditions
Official college transcripts mailed directly to Daoist Traditions from the institution
Résumé (optional)
$50.00 non-refundable processing fee
$100.00 transfer credit fee (if applicable)

You will be notified of the status of your application, and an interview with a member of the Admissions Committee will be scheduled once your completed application materials have been received. This interview is a crucial part of our college’s admissions procedure because we want to know our students on a more personal level than documentation will provide. Candidates for admission must demonstrate maturity, academic ability, and sincerity to enter the field of Oriental Medicine. In the interview, you will be asked about your interest and experience with Oriental Medicine, outside hobbies and interests, what plans you aspire to after graduation, and what financial resources you have for tuition. You will also be able to ask questions of us.

Once the interview has been conducted and the application has been carefully evaluated by our Admissions Committee, applicants will be notified within six weeks regarding their admission status.

Upon notification of acceptance, the student will be asked to reserve space in the upcoming class by making a deposit of $1000.00 that will be applied toward the first year’s tuition. Should an applicant decide not to join the upcoming class once the deposit has been paid, he or she must submit, in writing, an enrollment withdrawal statement to the Admissions Office no later than August 15.

DELAYED ENROLLMENT

If a student is accepted into the program and chooses not to enroll for that term, the application materials will be held for a one year period. However, the original acceptance is not guaranteed for future academic years. The student must notify the college that they wish to re-activate their application packet and complete an Application for Re-Admission by the application deadline of April 1. At that time, a new admissions interview will be conducted and an admissions decision will be made.

HALF–TIME STATUS

As class size permits, Daoist Traditions will consider students seeking a diploma for half-time enrollment. Students enrolled in half-time study must understand that it will take longer than four years to complete the program. The full program must be completed within six years; therefore, half-time status is limited to two years. Half-time diploma seeking students must follow the same entrance, admissions, course pre-requisites and tuition standards as full-time students.

NON-DIPLOMA SEEKING STUDENTS

As class size permits, Daoist Traditions will consider students with special interests who are not seeking a diploma. Non-diploma seeking students may enroll for up to 9 credits per semester on an audit basis only. Students may not audit clinical courses. All educational requirements of the college and course pre-requisites must be met. Non-Diploma Seeking students do not receive a diploma from Daoist Traditions but receive an official transcript showing class hours that have been attended.

Non-Diploma Seeking Applicants must submit:

Completed Non-Diploma Seeking Student application form
Official college transcripts mailed directly to Daoist Traditions from the institution showing 60 semester credits or 90 quarter units of general education
Copy of valid photo identification
$50.00 non-refundable processing fee
Copy of acupuncture school diploma or acupuncture license (if applicable)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY

Daoist Traditions does not accept international students who have applied from outside the United States.

Applicants with English as a second language must meet all entrance requirements AND must have:

Earned a two-year (60 semester credits or 90 quarter units) baccalaureate level degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education OR
Attained a score of at least 500 on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) AND
Received at least the currently reported mean score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE).

Transcripts from other countries must be translated into English and evaluated by a credential-evaluation service, such as World Education Services, Inc., PO Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, NY, NY, 10113-0745, USA; (212) 966-6311; Email: info@wes.org.

TRANSFER CREDIT

Daoist Traditions may accept up to one year of transfer credits from an Oriental Medicine program which is accredited or a candidate for accreditation with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). In special circumstances, additional transfer credits may be considered.

Although the national guidelines for all acupuncture schools are the same, experience dictates that each program is different academically and clinically. To transfer previous training from any other school requires careful review of the transfer student’s knowledge and, therefore, is granted on an individual basis. All transfer credits must be listed on an official transcript. All subject matter carries a time limit of transferability, no longer than three years for Oriental Medicine coursework and five years for western sciences.

The Admissions Committee and Academic Dean award credit based on approved guidelines and classes must be equivalent to the college’s requirements for graduation.

TRANSFER POLICY FOR ACUPUNCTURE AND ORIENTAL MEDICINE

The course is listed on an official transcript from the college.
The course has been taken within the last three years.
The course meets the hour requirements of the equivalent class at Daoist Traditions.
The completed course grade is “C” or “Pass” or better.
The college does not have the ability to evaluate prior learning experience. If a course is not listed on a transcript, regardless of prior experience, no credit can be awarded.

TRANSFER POLICY FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE COURSES

The course is listed on an official transcript from the college.
The course has been taken within the past five years, unless the applicant can provide acceptable evidence of continuous activity within the last two years in the specific field for which transfer credit is requested, e.g. a physician.
The course meets the hour requirements of the equivalent class at Daoist Traditions.
The completed course grade is “C “or “Pass” or better.
Daoist Traditions does not have the ability to evaluate prior learning experience. If a course is not listed on a transcript, regardless of prior experience, no credit can be awarded.
Transfer credit cannot be awarded twice for the same class; that is, it cannot be used to meet the minimum 60 semester credit/ 90 quarter credit entrance requirement and also count as hours within the program.

TRANSFER PROCEDURES

All transfer credit must be requested and awarded in the first semester of enrollment. Transfer students must first meet the admission requirements of Daoist Traditions. Students may be required to take a placement examination if transfer credit for multiple courses is being requested.

Daoist Traditions will review transfer credits once official transcripts have been received and applicants have completed the following procedures:

Complete and submit an application for admission with the $50.00 application fee.
Include a cover letter stating your intentions and reasons for seeking a transfer.
Include transfer credit fee if applicable (see below).
Include a catalog of the OM college where you previously attended and a syllabus outlining the course content for each course for which you wish to receive transfer credit.

For transfer of one to four courses:
No transfer credit fee is required. There is no reduction in tuition.

For transfer of five or more courses:
Include a $100.00 transfer credit fee. A tuition reduction of $12.00 per class hour will apply.

CHALLENGE EXAMS

Daoist Traditions does not offer Challenge Exams as a means to receive credit toward the program.