Master’s Program Admissions Standards
Candidates must be at least 18 years old and must be competent in speaking, reading, and writing English as well as understanding spoken English. Candidates must provide the Institute with all necessary admission documents including official transcripts documenting at least two years of accredited baccalaureate level education (60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits) or its international equivalent. 19 of those 60 credits must be taken in the following four General Education/Liberal Arts areas below, with at least 3 credits in each of the subject areas:
1. Humanities/Fine Arts
2. Social/Behavioral Sciences (Psychology)
3. English/Communications
4. Science/Mathematics
California Acupuncture Board requirement: To meet the educational standards promulgated by the California Acupuncture Board, for those students who haven’t taken any undergraduate course in Psychology as part of meeting the General Education requirement for credits in the “Social/ Behavioral Science” category, such students must demonstrate that they have passed a college-level course in Psychology at an accredited educational institution as a co-requisite to be completed no later than the end of the second academic year of the program. This policy has taken effect since Jan. 1 of 2017.
English Language Competency (Master’s program)English-language competency is required of all students seeking admission to the Master’s program. If ATOM has any concern regarding English language competency, the applicant must successfully meet the requirements of one of the accepted tests of English language competency listed in the table below. All international applicants must meet the requirement of one of the accepted tests of English language competency listed in the table below.
| Assessment Tool | Assessment Tool Acceptable Score | |||
| Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL® iBT) | Total: 61 | |||
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS), | Academic Format Overall band: 6 | |||
| Duolingo English Test | 90 | |||
| China Standard of English Language (CSE) | CSE 6 | |||
| Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) | C | |||
| Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) | C | |||
| Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) | B2 | |||
| B2 Occupational English Test (OET) | 250 | |||
| C Pearson Test of English (PTE) | Academic Overall: 4 | |||
Assessment of Prior Learning (Master’s program)
A maximum of 30 semester credits (50%) of the prerequisite two-year education requirement for admission to the Master of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (MAHM) program may be earned through prior learning assessment using either one or a combination of the following assessment techniques: (1) credit by examination through the use of standardized tests and/or (2) assignment of credit for military and corporate training based on recommendations established by the American Council on Education.
Guidelines are as follows:
- Credit by examination can be earned through successful testing and the recommended college credit equivalencies of the College Scholarship Service’s AP (Advanced Placement) examinations, the College Scholarship Service’s CLEP (College Level Examination Program) examinations, the American College Testing PEP (Proficiency Examination Program) examinations, PONSI (N.Y. State Department of Education Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction), the USAFI (U.S. Armed Forces Institute) program, and the DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) tests.
- Credit for military and corporate training may be assigned according to the recommendations established by the American Council on Education in The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and The Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services.
Provisional Admissions
No student will be admitted unless he/she has successfully completed at least 60 college (semester) credits from an accredited postsecondary institution. As noted in the relevant section of these Policies and Procedures, included within those 60 (semester) colleges credits must be 3 (semester) credits in each of the following subject areas:
1. Humanities/Fine Arts
2. Social/Behavioral Sciences (Psychology)
3. English/Communications
4. Science/Mathematics
From time to time a student meets the 60 college credits requirement yet lacks (3) three semester credits in one of the four above-specified categories. In some limited, special cases, the Admissions Committee may grant Provisional Admission to those students. Provisional status will require the student to rectify any deficiencies in the four specified categories before a Bachelor’s Degree of Health Science or a Master of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (MAHM) can be conferred. The student will be required to earn a minimal grade of 70% in that course in order for the course to be considered successfully completed.
If the student on Provisional Status does not complete the required coursework in the four above specified categories, he or she will not receive a Bachelor’s degree of Health Science or a Master’s Degree of Oriental Medicine. All deficiencies must be completed no later than the end
of the second academic year of the program. Upon such successful completion of all requirements, the student will be placed in Regular Student Status.
Should any student wish to apply for Provisional Status, she/he will be required to execute a written agreement encompassing the above conditions and the student will be required to comply with all other requirements for admission and for continuation as an ATOM student.