Acupuncture MS
Admission Requirements
Program Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (120 completed semester hours) from an accredited institution or recognized international institution
- Required cumulative GPA of 2.9 or higher in the science prerequisites
- Prerequisites completed prior to matriculation:
- Biology with labs - 6 semester hours
- Chemistry with labs - 6 semester hours
- English - 6 semester hours
- Psychology - 3 semester hours
- Social Science - 3 semester hours
Required Materials
- Application
- Official transcripts from all schools attended
- Two recommendation letters
- Letters must come from employers, professors or professional associates
- Personal statement
- In 250-500 words, detail why you are seeking this degree, how you expect to apply your degree to your professional career after graduation and why you seek to pursue your degree through the University of Bridgeport
International Applicants
Please consult the International admission requirements page, or for specific queries, contact your admissions ovvicer.
Deadlines
We review applications on a rolling basis for a fall start term only. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a completed application and all supporting materials by July 15 for priority consideration.
- Spring deadline: December 1
- Summer deadline: April 15
Acupuncture MS Courses
Curriculum requirements for University of Bridgeport's Acupuncture MS degree
Total: 2,648 hours / 118 credits
Suggested Schedule
Semester 1
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS 511 | Anatomy 1 | 72 | 4 |
| ABS 515 | Physiology 1 | 36 | 2 |
| ATD 511 | TCM History/Philosophy | 18 | 1 |
| ATD 512 | TCM Theory | 36 | 2 |
| ATD 513 | TCM Diagnosis 1 | 36 | 2 |
| APT 511 | Point Location 1 | 45 | 2 |
| APT 512 | Meridian Theory | 36 | 2 |
| AMR 511 | Tai Ji Quan 1 | 27 | 1 |
| ACS 511 | Evidence Informed Practices | 18 | 1 |
| AWB 501 | UBAI Clinical Safety Procedures | 9 | 0.5 |
| Total | 333 | 17.5 |
Semester 2
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS 522 | Anatomy 2 | 72 | 4 |
| ABS 525 | Physiology 2 | 36 | 2 |
| ATD 524 | TCM Diagnosis 2 | 36 | 2 |
| ATD 526 | Seminar 1 | 18 | 1 |
| APT 523 | Point Location 2 | 45 | 2 |
| AMR 522 | Tai Ji Quan 2 | 27 | 1 |
| ANT 521 | Western Nutrition | 36 | 2 |
| AWB 521 | TCM Safe Practices | 45 | 1.5 |
| AWB 523 | Pharmacology | 18 | 1 |
| Total | 333 | 16.5 |
Semester 3
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS 611 | Pathology 1 | 36 | 2 |
| ACS 612 | Clinical Diagnosis 1 | 90 | 4 |
| ACS 613 | Lab Diagnosis | 36 | 2 |
| APT 614 | Acupuncture Tech 1 | 72 | 3 |
| AHM 521 | Botanical Medicine | 36 | 2 |
| AHM 612 | Intro Chin Herbal Remedies | 18 | 1 |
| AHM 613 | TCM Dietetics | 36 | 2 |
| AMR 613 | Qi Gong 1 | 27 | 1 |
| ATD 617 | Seminar 2 | 18 | 1 |
| ACS 711 | Preceptorship 1 | 75 | 2 |
| Total | 444 | 20 |
Semester 4
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS 623 | Clinical Diagnosis 2 | 90 | 4 |
| ACS 624 | Pathology 2 | 54 | 3 |
| AWB 621 | Medical Ethics | 18 | 1 |
| APS 621 | Psych Assessment | 36 | 2 |
| APT 625 | Acupuncture Tech 2 | 72 | 3 |
| ATD 727 | Case Studies 1 | 18 | 1 |
| APT 626 | Auricular Acupuncture | 18 | 1 |
| AMR 624 | Qi Gong 2 | 27 | 1 |
| ACS 722 | Preceptorship 2 | 75 | 2 |
| Total | 408 | 18 |
Summer Session
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS 631 | Clinical Education 1 | 245 | 8 |
| APT 637 | Japanese Acupuncture Techniques | 18 | 1 |
| AMR 627 | Tuina 1 | 54 | 2 |
| ATD 711 | Differential Diagnosis & Pathomechanisms | 36 | 2 |
| Total | 353 | 13 |
Semester 5
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATD 618 | Seminar 3 | 18 | 1 |
| ATD 715 | TCM Internal Medicine | 36 | 2 |
| ATD 728 | Case Study 2 | 18 | 1 |
| ATD 729 | Acupuncture Gynecology | 18 | 1 |
| AMR 715 | Tuina 2 | 54 | 2 |
| ACS 712 | Clinical Education 2 | 215 | 8 |
| Total | 359 | 15 |
Semester 6
| Course | Hours | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATD 717 | Advanced Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis | 18 | 1 |
| AMR 726 | Tuina 3 | 54 | 2 |
| APT 718 | Pediatric Acupuncture | 18 | 1 |
| AHM 713 | Patent Remedies | 36 | 2 |
| APP 721 | Practice Management | 36 | 2 |
| ACS 724 | Public Health | 36 | 2 |
| ACS 723 | Clinical Education 3 | 220 | 8 |
| Total | 418 |
18 |
Acupuncture MS Career Opportunities
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are among the most requested forms of treatment in the fast-growing field of complementary and integrative medicine and hold promise as among the key modalities to be used in current and future integrative medical settings.
Acupuncture practitioners can create financially supportive careers with flexible work schedules that are rewarding on many levels. An acupuncture career offers the opportunity for a balanced lifestyle for both the practitioner and her patients.
The acupuncturist is rewarded for helping others get well and stay well. They help people have less pain and more mobility. Patients are viewed from a holistic perspective, taking into account their physical, mental, and emotional health. Acupuncturists are able to spend time developing a collaborative relationship with patients, assisting them in maintaining their health and promoting a consciousness of wellness.
The settings in which acupuncture practitioners work vary from a multi-disciplinary clinic with other health care professionals, to a hospital, to a private practice. Other career options include teaching, translating, publishing, research, or working with an acupuncture supply company.
According to the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (CCAHM), there are approximately 20,000-25,000 AOM licensees throughout the United States. While current data concerning the income of these practitioners nationwide is not available, recent estimates have suggested an annual starting salary range of $55,000-$80,000. It is not uncommon for practitioners to earn in excess of this amount, with reported salaries in some instances exceeding well over $100,000.
Most graduates of acupuncture schools and colleges start private practices and are their own boss. They can choose the work environment that is best for them.
As a result of increasing demand from health group members for alternative care coverage, group health insurance companies such as HealthNet, CIGNA, and Aetna provide varying degrees of acupuncture care coverage. The amount of coverage depends on each individual plan. Some health plan policies require that the individual or employer group purchase an additional “Alternative Medicine Rider” to provide coverage for acupuncture services.
A survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust, published in September 2004, revealed that employer coverage for acupuncture increased 14 percent from 2002 to 2004, making it one of the fastest-growing CAM therapies to be included as a covered service for American workers with health benefits. (Employer Health Benefits 2004 Annual Survey . ISBN #0-87258-812-2. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, Calif., and Health Research and Educational Trust, Chicago, Ill. © 2004.)
University of Bridgeport Acupuncture Institute Licensure of Graduates
Completion of any of the UBAI programs does not guarantee licensure in any state. Most states require passage of some or all of the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) exam modules (www.nccaom.org/certification/nccaom-certification-eligibility/) and the Council of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (CCAHM) Clean Needle Technique (CNT: www.ccahm.org/ccaom/Overview.asp) exam for licensure.
In California you must take a program approved by the California Acupuncture Board (CAB; https://www.acupuncture.ca.gov/) and pass the California Acupuncture exam to qualify for licensure. (See www.acupuncture.ca.gov/students/exam_require.shtml) As of 2021, the only program at UBAI that qualifies a graduate for the California exam is The Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (DTCM) degree. (See www.acupuncture.ca.gov/students/schools.shtml)
Below is a list of those states for whom the various UBAI programs meet licensure requirements. Please note that legislation changes can take place and completing the program does not guarantee state licensure eligibility alone. Many states require a state-specific exam in Jurisprudence or other areas of state-specific laws in additional to the NCCAOM exam modules. Always check state licensure requirements prior to applying for an acupuncture license.
| Program | Meets State Requirements | Additional Training Required |
|---|---|---|
| MS Acupuncture | AK, AZ, CO, CT, GA, IA, ID, IL*, IN, KY, LA, MA*, MD, ME, MI, MN, MD, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH*, OR, PA*, RI, SC, TN, UT, VA, VT*, WA, WI, WV, WY, Washington DC* | *DC, IL, MA, OH, NJ, VT and PA allow for acupuncture only licensure or licensees can choose TCM licensure including TCM Herbs. (Requires TCM degree & passage of the herb module for NCCAOM.) |
| MS Traditional Chinese Medicine (required for licensure) |
Herbal training required: AR, DE, HI, FL**, KS, NM, NV, TX, VT |
**Florida only accepts masters-level degrees in TCM for licensure as of 2021. FL also requires training in injection therapies prior to licensure. |
| MS Traditional Chinese Medicine (optional for licensure) |
|
|
| Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine | California Plus all of the states where MS-ACUP and MS-TCM meets state requirements, except FL. |
California requires passage of the California exam. |
| MS Chinese Herbology | MS-CH does not lead to acupuncture licensure alone. Completion of an acupuncture degree is required | |
| No Acupuncture licensure (2021) | AL, OK, SD |
