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Requirements
for Admission
Applicants to NESA's degree programs must have a
bachelors level degree* from an institution accredited by an agency
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and must demonstrate:
1.
a genuine and thoughtful interest in the study and practice of
acupuncture;
2.
a record of successful academic performance;
3.
the ability to successfully complete a rigorous three-year academic
program;
4.
maturity and a commitment to ethical and caring
professional behavior; and
5.
strong interpersonal
skills and the ability to work and relate well to others.
* There is an exception for Registered Nurses lacking a bachelor's degree (see below) International students
should refer to the International Students section below.
- Application
and Admissions Procedures
·
Application
Checklist
·
Pre/Co-Requisite Science Courses
·
Part-Time
Study
- International
Students
- English
Language Competency
- Transfer Students
- Registered Nurses
- Course Exemption
Application
and Admissions Procedures
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to visit the
school, observe classes, and receive acupuncture treatments before applying.
Please call ahead to arrange a convenient time for a visit or to register
for an upcoming Open House. In addition, all applicants must have an
admissions interview, which is arranged once NESA receives all application
materials.
Applications for admission to the master's degree
programs are considered on a rolling basis. NESA offers applicants an early
admissions option: applicants who apply by December 1 will receive an
admissions decision by February. All other prospective students are encouraged
to submit applications for admission by May 1. Applications received after
May 1 will be considered as long as space is available, however applicants
are advised that early completion of all application materials and
procedures increase their chance of securing a position in the entering
class.
In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA), enrolled students are allowed access to all documents
submitted in support of their application for admission, except those to
which they have waived right of access. All application materials submitted
become the property of NESA.
Application Checklist
·
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited
college
·
1-2 page statement of purpose
·
Updated resume
·
2 professional or educational letters of
recommendation
·
Official transcripts from colleges attended
·
Application fee
·
2 passport photos
·
Admissions interview
Pre/Co-requisite
Science Courses
NESA
requires that applicants complete the following science courses at NESA or
from an institution accredited by an agency which is recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education, before beginning the program full-time:
- Human Anatomy and Physiology (6 credits/90 hours)
- 2 other sciences from the list below
The
degree programs also require a student to complete the following science
courses at NESA or from an institution accredited by an agency which is
recognized by the U.S Department of Education, either before enrolling at
NESA or concurrently with the master's program:
- General
Chemistry 3 credits/45 hours
- Organic
Chemistry 3 credits/45 hours
- Biochemistry
3 credits/45 hours
- General
Psychology 3 credits/45
hours
- General
Physics 3 credits/45 hours
- General
Biology 3 credits/45 hours
- Microbiology with lab 3 credits/45 hours
Because the NESA curriculum is
demanding, we encourage students to complete as many of these science
courses as possible before entering the program. Applicants should contact
the Admissions Department as early as possible to discuss plans for
completing these science courses. Please see the Course Description and
Curriculum Outline sections of the web site for more information.
Part-time
Study
NESA offers a part-time
study option to a limited number of incoming students each year. Part-time
students must fulfill the degree requirements within six years. A part-time
student must be enrolled at least half-time each term, unless the student
has fewer credits remaining to complete the program or is taking previously
failed or missed courses.
Since the curriculum has been designed as a coordinated
whole, all students take courses in an established sequence and in
specified combinations. Each part-time student meets at least once per term
with an advisor who counsels the student on course selection and other
issues related to the program.
Graduation requirements may change over time in response
to new national accreditation standards, state regulations and other
factors. Part-time students are required to meet the graduation requirements
in effect three years prior to their date of graduation, rather than those
in effect at the time they began the program. For further information
regarding part-time study, prospective students are encouraged to contact
the Admissions Department.
International Applicants
International applicants are encouraged to begin the
application process at least six months prior to the final application
deadline. In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission,
international applicants must also meet the following additional
requirements: Official transcripts of the applicant's academic record,
including course titles and grades, with English translations validated by
an official educational translation service, must be sent to the Admissions
Department. The official translation and evaluation must clearly indicate
hours and credits of student, and that the education is equivalent to a
U.S. Bachelor's degree. Please contact the Admissions Department if you
need to be directed to a recognized translation and transcript evaluation
service.
NESA will issue a Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
SEVIS Form I-20 to international students who are accepted into the
program, and who have provided NESA with evidence (notarized bank statement
or letter) of financial support for at least the first year of study and
living expenses in the United States. As of September 1, 2004, each student issued an initial Form I-20 is required and responsible to pay a SEVIS I-901 fee ($100.00) which is paid to SEVP (Student Exhange Visitor Program) and mandated by Congress. It is the student's responsibility to obtain an F1 visa to study in the United States.
English Language Competency
Applicants whose first language is not English must
demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing and speaking English. NESA
requires a minimum score of 550 (on the paper-based exam) or 213 (on the
computer-based exam) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
and a minimum score of 45 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). This requirement
may be waived if the applicant has received a degree in the U.S. and demonstrates language
proficiency during the admissions interview. However, if English is not
your first language, you will be required to achieve the minimum TOEFL
score for acupuncture and OM licensure in Massachusetts. Information about the TOEFL
and TSE exams may be obtained from:
TOEFL/TSE Services, PO Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey, 08541, USA.
Website: www.ets.org/toefl/
Email: toefl@ets.org
Transfer Students
NESA accepts
transfer credit from an institution accredited by an agency which is
recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Anatomy & Physiology, General Psychology,
General Biology, Microbiology, General Chemistry, Living Anatomy &
Structural Analysis, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, General Physics, Western Nutrition, Research I, and Practice Development & Business Management.
NESA evaluates and compares course work taken at an
accredited acupuncture and Oriental medicine school to the requirements of
the NESA program before awarding transfer credit. For this reason, transfer
students should make sure that their applications and transcripts are
received by NESA at least six months prior to the term in which they seek
admission. There is a $150 fee for the evaluation of transfer applications.
In general, up to one academic year's worth of credit may
be transferred from another ACAOM accredited acupuncture school. All
transfer students will be required to complete the final two academic years
of their acupuncture and/or Oriental medicine education at NESA. Clinical
internship credit is not transferable.
Placement exams may also be required to assess competency
in transferred courses. In some cases, transfer students are required to
begin their study at NESA with tutorials or first year courses which they
did not take elsewhere.
To be eligible for transfer credit, a course must be
passed with a grade of 70% or better, cover equivalent content, and have
the same (or greater) number of hours as the NESA course.
Registered Nurses
Registered nurses who
have graduated from a three-year nursing program of at least 90 academic
credits may be eligible for admission. These applicants also must have
completed additional course work in a related field which, when combined
with the RN program, is equivalent to a bachelor's degree. Registered
nurses who think they meet these requirements may request to have their
credentials reviewed by the Admissions Department.
Course Exemption
For certain courses in the required curriculum, students who
are able to demonstrate mastery- through professional credentials, a review
of academic credentials or through a challenge examination- of course
content may apply for a course exemption. Students may not be exempt from a
portion of a course. Additional information regarding course exemption
policies is published in the NESA Student Handbook. |
