Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences

About Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences

ACCHS is a specialized graduate school rather than a conventional comprehensive university. Its mission centers on professional education in traditional Chinese medicine within its cultural context, and the institution traces its establishment to 1982. It operates as a California nonprofit public-benefit corporation with federal 501(c)(3) status. The California BPPE’s 2024 report lists the academy at its current Oakland address, with no branch or satellite locations, and confirms participation in federal financial-aid programs. The academy’s scope is narrow and career-directed. Students pursue acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine through professional graduate curricula, while licensed practitioners can undertake advanced doctoral study. The current 2025–2027 catalog describes both primarily in-person degree programs with some synchronous distance education and an online bridge pathway. English- and Chinese-language study options are available in parts of the curriculum, although applicants should verify the language and delivery format for their specific cohort. Accreditation requires careful reading. ACCHS states that the institution, its Master of Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization, and its Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are accredited by ACAHM. The same August 2025 institutional disclosure says the entry-level DAcCHM is approved to enroll students but is not ACAHM-accredited and offers no assurance that accreditation will be granted. The California Acupuncture Board’s current approved-program list includes the ACCHS MAcCHM as a route that can satisfy an educational requirement for the California licensing examination. Students planning to practice elsewhere should compare the selected degree with that jurisdiction’s rules before enrolling.

Admission depends on the chosen professional pathway. Under the 2025–2027 catalog, MAcCHM applicants need a high-school credential plus 60 semester or 90 quarter credits of undergraduate general education, or an eligible associate’s or higher degree. The entry-level DAcCHM requires 90 semester or 120 quarter undergraduate credits. Both pathways also identify science corequisites covering biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, biophysics, psychology, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology; some may be completed after admission subject to sequencing rules. The application process includes an application, fee, official transcripts, résumé, statement of purpose, and supporting identification. The catalog states a minimum 2.5 GPA across coursework and at least 2.0 in each individual course. Candidates are considered in the order their files become complete, but the catalog does not publish a universal application deadline; applicants should confirm the intended trimester and remaining capacity directly with admissions. International applicants must satisfy the same academic requirements, provide evaluated and translated foreign transcripts where applicable, document finances, and meet an approved language standard unless exempt. For English study, the catalog accepts several tests, including TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS Academic 6, or Duolingo 90. ACCHS is authorized to issue Form I-20 for eligible F-1 students but does not provide visa services. Post-professional routes have separate standards: DAOM applicants generally need relevant master’s preparation and an active acupuncture license, while the bridge pathway requires an ACAHM-accredited acupuncture-and-herbal-medicine master’s degree and specified prior undergraduate credit.

The main entry pathway is the Master of Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. The 2025–2027 catalog describes it as a four-academic-year professional curriculum that full-time students may finish in about 3.3 calendar years. It totals 3,205 clock hours, including 960 clinical hours. Applicants with additional prior undergraduate credit may pursue the dual DAcCHM/MAcCHM curriculum, which awards both degrees and totals 3,385 hours. The catalog describes that pathway as four academic years, or approximately 3.6 calendar years for a full-time student. Coursework integrates traditional Chinese medical foundations with biomedical preparation and clinical practice. The curriculum includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, diagnosis, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, psychology, and medical terminology. Clinical education progresses from observation to pre-internship and internship. The catalog requires master’s and dual-degree students to complete supervised patient care in the academy’s teaching clinic, with an option for an approved portion of training to occur through an externship. Advanced practitioners have two distinct options. The DAOM is a post-master’s clinical doctorate emphasizing classical Chinese medicine, orthopedics, pain management, research, consultation, and clinical supervision; the 2025–2027 DAOM catalog structures it over six trimesters and permits completion in 24 months of full-time study. The DAcCHM Bridge is a shorter doctoral-completion curriculum for qualified master’s graduates and is delivered online, including asynchronous work. Because accreditation and admissions prerequisites differ across these pathways, students should select the degree based on prior education, licensure status, intended state of practice, and the exact accreditation status of the program—not simply the doctoral title.

Key Highlights

• Established in 1982 as a school of traditional Chinese medicine
• Private nonprofit 501(c)(3) California public-benefit corporation
• Single reported location at 1600 Broadway in Oakland
• Master’s and post-professional doctoral programs identified by ACCHS as ACAHM-accredited
• Entry-level DAcCHM disclosed as approved to enroll but not ACAHM-accredited as of August 13, 2025

Student Life & Environment

Student life is organized around a small professional school and teaching clinic rather than residence halls, varsity athletics, or a large undergraduate campus. The 2025–2027 catalog describes in-person attendance two days per week for the principal English- and Chinese-language schedules, with full-time and part-time study options intended to accommodate working adults. Because students in the full-time sequence progress through an intensive professional curriculum together, classroom and clinical collaboration are central to the experience. Facilities include classrooms, a teaching clinic, herbal pharmacy, computer space, student lounges, and a bilingual Chinese-and-English library. The catalog reports more than 4,000 volumes in traditional Chinese medicine and related subjects, reading rooms, computers, and online databases. Lounges provide refrigerators, microwave ovens, and space for individual or group case study. Free academic tutoring and advising are available, while administrators can refer students to outside counseling services when personal support is needed. New students receive an orientation covering the campus and academic system. The academy also describes open houses, demonstrations, seminars, and campus tours for prospective students. Students and their immediate families may use the teaching clinic at a reduced visit charge stated in the 2025–2027 catalog, with herbs charged separately. ACCHS provides no campus housing, so the social experience and daily routine are likely to resemble those of a commuter-oriented professional school.

Location & Surroundings

ACCHS occupies a single reported site at 1600 Broadway, Suite 200, in downtown Oakland. The 2025–2027 catalog places the academy near Oakland City Center and within easy reach of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. Government buildings, cafés, shops, and other downtown services are nearby, while Oakland’s Chinatown—with restaurants, shops, and herbal pharmacies—is described as being within a few blocks. This setting gives students direct access to a culturally relevant commercial district alongside the wider employment and healthcare environment of the East Bay. The academy is across the bay from San Francisco and approximately five miles from Berkeley. There is no institution-operated housing and ACCHS says it does not assume responsibility for arranging accommodation, although it maintains a small electronic board for shared-housing and community listings. The catalog’s quoted rental estimates are not repeated here because local housing prices can change quickly; prospective students should build a current Oakland transportation and housing budget independently. The downtown location may reduce dependence on a car for students living near BART, but clinical placements or personal commitments elsewhere in the Bay Area can alter commuting needs.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For the 2025–2027 catalog period, ACCHS lists estimated total institutional charges of $61,637 for the MAcCHM, comprising $59,637 in tuition and $2,000 in fees. The dual DAcCHM/MAcCHM is listed at $65,345, including $63,345 in tuition and $2,000 in fees. The DAcCHM Bridge is estimated at $7,695.50. These figures exclude variable living, transportation, health, textbook, and miscellaneous expenses. The catalog lists a $100 application fee for U.S. residents and $400 for international applicants, the latter including a deductible registration deposit. DAOM pricing is governed by its separate catalog, so candidates should obtain the applicable enrollment agreement before comparing total costs. Eligible degree-seeking students enrolled at least half time may use federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study after completing the FAFSA. ACCHS does not participate in California state financial-aid programs. Federal aid eligibility is generally limited to U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens, so international students should not assume access to these funds. Installment arrangements are available, but the catalog states that they carry interest and late-payment consequences. The MAcCHM is a professional licensure pathway: the California Acupuncture Board’s current approved-program list includes ACCHS, and completion of an approved program is one way to qualify educationally for the California licensing examination. Licensure is state-specific, and admission or graduation alone does not guarantee a license. Career preparation is concentrated in acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice rather than broad healthcare employment. The 2024 BPPE report associated the master’s program with the occupation of acupuncturist, but its small graduate cohort makes historical placement percentages unsuitable as a prediction of an individual student’s outcome.