NESA's Academic Program

A Choice of Two Master's Degree Programs

The master's degree programs at NESA offer students the choice of pursuing specific areas of interest. All students complete the core curriculum, which provides comprehensive theoretical and practical training in Chinese acupuncture as well as a foundation in Western sciences and biomedicine, nutrition, Oriental body work, and research. In addition to the core curriculum, all students complete studies in the area of either Japanese Acupuncture Styles, Chinese Herbal Medicine, or Dual (both Japanese Acupuncture Styles and Chinese Herbal Medicine). NESA also offers a varied selection of elective courses to match a student's professional interests.

From the start, NESA's degree programs emphasize extensive, hands-on clinical training. NESA's philosophy is that theoretical material is best learned when taught in careful coordination with corresponding clinical practice. The program culminates in supervised clinical internships, scheduled in a wide range of clinical settings.

Regardless of which track a student selects, the opportunity to specialize gives NESA students a wide range of tools to incorporate into their treatment, thereby enhancing their skills as a healthcare professional.

CORE CURRICULUM

Chinese Acupuncture Studies is the foundation of the core curriculum. This training is based on content currently taught in Traditional Chinese Medical colleges in China . It includes information from the Chinese classics, links from the classics to modern clinical practice, traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture diagnosing and treatment methods, extensive training in hands-on clinical skills, and clinical internship.

JOINT PROGRAM WITH TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

NESA students may apply for admission to the Tufts Master of Science in Pain Research, Education and Policy (PREP) degree program while completing NESA's Master degree program; students who are accepted into both programs have the option of using the PREP coursework as a NESA curriculum track, or completing the PREP program in addition to the JAS, CHM, or Dual tracks. Students attending both Tufts and NESA receive a Master's degree from each institution. For more information on the PREP program, click here.


CURRICULUM TRACKS

The Japanese Acupuncture Track is comprised of a five course series in traditional and modern styles of Japanese acupuncture that are based upon classical theories of Oriental medicine. Japanese acupuncture relies predominantly on palpation skills and addresses both internal and structural imbalances. A minimum of one-third of the hours of the acupuncture clinical internship must be completed in the Japanese Acupuncture clinical rotations. Full-time students complete the acupuncture program requirements for graduation in a minimum of 33 months and receive the Master of Acupuncture degree (MAc).

Chinese Herbal Medicine Track

The Chinese Herbal medicine track provides extensive training in the use of traditional Chinese herbal pharmacopoeia, formulations and prescriptions. Internal Medicine courses enable students to apply this knowledge to specific disease conditions. During the clinical internship, student interns diagnose patients and develop treatment strategies, formulas, and evaluations under the supervision of NESA faculty. Full-time students complete the Chinese Herbal Medicine program requirements for graduation in a minimum of 36 months and receive the Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine degree (MAOM).

Dual Track

Students enrolled in the Dual track fulfill all course requirements for both the Japanese Acupuncture Styles and the Chinese Herbal Medicine track. Full-time students complete the Dual program requirements for graduation in a minimum of 36 months and receive the Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine degree (MAOM).

Due to the structure of the program and the school's accreditation requirements, students cannot complete program requirements sooner than the time periods outlined above.