Admissions
What are the entering dates? The College operates on a trimester basis. Students are admitted at the beginning of each September and January. (Specific dates vary depending on the academic calendar.)
When should I apply? You should have at least half of your prerequisites completed when submitting an application. Apply to the College nine to 12 months in advance of the term you wish to enter.
What are the prerequisites for admission? In general, completing 2-3 years of undergraduate studies in a life science or health science degree program will enable you to be admitted to the doctor of chiropractic program. Some specific course work applies. See the DC degree on our web page or call the admissions office for exact details.
Do I need to be finished with prerequisites prior to applying? No, if you are finished with at least half of your prerequisites, you can apply for conditional acceptance.
What is "Conditional Acceptance"? If you apply with at least half of your prerequisites completed, you may be conditionally accepted. Full acceptance may be granted after we have all of your application materials in, including an official final transcript listing all of your prerequisites and showing that you've maintained the GPA requirements.
What is the minimum GPA required? 2.50 on a 4.00 scale. All prerequisite courses must be passed with a "C" or better. A grade of "C-" is not accepted if the awarding college computes that grade as below a 2.00 in its GPA calculations. Average cumulative GPAs of entering students is approximately 3.00.
Is a bachelor's degree required? Licensure requirements by state vary somewhat on this point. Most states require the doctor of chiropractic degree only. In most cases, the Admissions Office will have the most current information but licensure information also can be obtained from the board of chiropractic examiners in the state in which you wish to establish a practice. Licensing boards are generally located in the capital city of each state.
Does Northwestern offer a bachelor's degree? Yes. Northwestern has a Bachelor of Science completion degree in Human Biology that students can earn concurrently while earning their doctorate of chiropractic. However, this degree is only for continuing DC students and not a free-standing degree.
Can a bachelor's degree be completed while working on a doctor of chiropractic degree? Yes. A little extra course work is required, but most of the course work is contained in the prerequisites to the College and in selected courses in the main academic program. The bachelor's degree can be completed within the 10 trimesters of the doctor of chiropractic program.
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Program Information
How long is the program? The program is set up for 5 academic years, or ten trimesters (3 trimesters per year), but can be completed in 3 years and 4 months.
Will I be able to take elective classes at Northwestern? There are a variety of electives you can take, including classes in acupuncture, clinical nutrition, chiropractic sports care, Oriental medicine, massage therapy, physical activity and health, occupational health and research.
Program Costs
What is the cost? The estimated tuition cost per trimester for 2007/2008 is $7,510.
Is financial aid available? The College's trimester program (10 terms, five academic years) allows the College to award five academic years of financial aid over a three-year and four-month calendar time period (10 trimesters.) In general, adequate financial aid is available for all persons interested in pursuing a career as a doctor of chiropractic.
Housing
Is there housing on campus? While there is no University-owned housing, a wide variety of housing opportunities and price ranges is available in the immediate area. A copy of the housing newsletter, which provides some basic information on locations, prices and amenities, is available to download at www.nwhealth.edu/housing or call the Office of Admissions at (952/800) 888-4777, ext. 409.
Career Services
Will Northwestern offer assistance in finding a job after graduation? Yes, Northwestern has an excellent Career Services Office, which lists current practices for sale, and different job opportunities around the nation. They also have the most current licensure requirements for the different states.
How many students find jobs after graduation? As doctors of chiropractic, most students enter private clinical practice. Many students enter associate positions with an established Doctor of Chiropractic for a while prior to starting their own practices. Surveys of College alumni show that more than 90 percent are in practice, in patient care.
What is a typical starting income? To a large extent, this will depend on your own individual skills and abilities. A simple rule to follow: If you are helping people, they will come back to see you. Starting income for a person in an associate position in an established Doctor of Chiropractic practice would be $30s-$50s. Persons in their own practices achieve incomes which are multiples of the associate position salary.
I have to change careers. Am I too old to start? The average age of a person entering the Northwestern program is about 25-26 years old. The College has many students in their 30's and 40's, and even a few in their 50's. Where do you want to be three to four years from now?
Area
How is the Twin Cities area for a family? The Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) is consistently rated as one of the top 10 places in the country in which to live. Minnesota has excellent public schools and one of the highest high school graduation rates in the United States. Minnesotans are an "outdoors people" who relish our "theater of seasons." Recreational, cultural, and social opportunities abound.
What are entering dates? The College operates on a trimester basis. Students are admitted at the beginning of each September and January. Transfer students may be allowed to enter in the Summer trimester, which begins in May. (Specific dates vary depending on the academic calendar.)
When should I apply? MCAOM has a rolling application system so there is no particular deadline. However, because it often takes time for the paper work to move through we recommend you apply 6 months before your expected enrollment.
What are the prerequisites for admission? Currently, the prerequisites are 60 semester credits of academic bachelor degree-applicable work. These 60 credits must include 15 credits in Humanities/ Social Science, 6 credits in English/Communication Skills and 3 credits in Psychology.
Do I need to be finished with prerequisites prior to applying? No, if you are finished with at least half of your prerequisites you can apply for conditional acceptance.
What is "Conditional Acceptance?" If you apply with at least half of your prerequisites completed, you may be conditionally accepted. Full acceptance may be granted after we have all of your application materials in, including an official final transcript listing all of your prerequisites and showing that you've maintained the GPA requirements. However, you may not start the program unless all the pre-requisites are completed. You may start with a conditional acceptance if we are waiting for transcripts to arrive. However, if they are not received 30 days into the term, you will be dropped from the program.
What is the minimum GPA required? 2.00 on a 4.00 scale. All prerequisite courses must be passed with a "C" or better. A grade of "C-minus" is not accepted if the awarding college computes that grade below a 2.00 in its GPA calculations.
Program Info
How long is the program? The program length varies depending on the program and schedule you choose. The acupuncture program takes 8 trimesters and the Oriental medicine program takes 9 trimesters.
Will I be able to take elective classes at Northwestern? As an enrolled student, you can take any elective courses offered that do not take place at the same time as a required course.
What is the cost? The estimated tuition cost per trimester credit for 2007/2008 is $298.
Is financial aid available? YES!! The Department of Education recently approved the acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs for federal financial aid. We can now offer a full range of loans — federal, state and private — for acupuncture and Oriental medicine students.
Will Northwestern offer assistance in finding a job after graduation? We have a career services department that maintains a job and opportunity board. They also provide legal and accounting assistance to our graduates for free, regarding setting up a practice or negotiating contracts with potential employers, etc.
What is a typical starting income? The profession is too new in the US to have typical anything. Arrangements fall along a broad spectrum of possibilities. A recent graduate started a full time job with an integrated clinic for $40,000 a year with full benefits. Others set up their own practice and work a "day job" until they build up enough caseload to support themselves.
I have to change careers. Am I too old to start? The founder was nearly 70 when she opened the school. We currently have, and in the past have had, many students in their late 40's and 50's. Older students bring many gifts and talents gained over a lifetime to their education and the profession. Never too late.
How is the Twin Cities area for a family? The Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St.Paul) is consistently rated as one of the top places in the country in which to live. Minnesota has excellent public schools and one of the highest high school graduation rates in the United States. Minnesotans are an "outdoors people" who relish our "theater of seasons." Recreational, cultural and social opportunities abound.
What are entering dates? The School of Massage Therapy operates on a trimester basis. Students may enroll in one of two convenient program options: the day program or the evening program. The day program requires three academic trimesters to complete. The school admits new massage therapy students for the day program in January and September of each calendar year.
The evening program requires four academic trimesters to complete. For the evening program, new students will be admitted in May of each year. The next evening program enrollment period will be May 2008.
When should I apply? Students interested in seeking transfer credit or advanced standing are advised to apply as soon as possible, otherwise you should apply at least two months before the entering date.
What are the prerequisites for admission? Applicants for the massage therapy program must be at least 18 years old at the time of admission, must have a high school diploma, its foreign equivalent or a general equivalency diploma and must pass a background check. For more information, please look under the requirements section in the catalog.
Is a bachelor's degree required? No. A bachelor's degree is not required for the school of massage therapy.
How long is the program? The program offered by the School of Massage Therapy is designed as a continuous enrollment curriculum. The day program takes three trimesters to complete (approximately 11 months). The evening program takes four trimesters to complete (approximately 15 months).
Is financial aid available? YES. We can now offer a full range of loans — federal, state and private — for massage therapy students.
What is a typical starting income? To a large extent, this will depend on your own individual skills and abilities. A simple rule to follow: If you are helping people, they will come back to see you.
I have to change careers. Am I too old to start? In the past decade, more and more people have gone into massage therapy as a change in career or as a second career, as massage therapy has been developing into a profession in this part of the country. If you have the required strength, endurance, etc., you are not too old to start.
Program information
What can this program do for me as a working health professional? The certificate program is for people who want to enhance their careers through additional education and credentialing. A distinguished faculty with both practical and academic experience guides each certificate program to ensure that participants are both challenged and supported.
If I do not have a health care background, where can this education lead me? The certificate program benefits those just entering the field as well as experienced professionals seeking advanced knowledge and skill. The knowledge and skills acquired in the program is applicable to many other areas of life and work.
How long is the program? The program is a five-trimester program, which takes one year and eight months to complete.
When are the classes offered? The program is designed in a one-weekend-per-month format. This allows for working professionals to enhance their education while maintaining their professional careers.
What are the entering dates? The University operates on a trimester basis. Students are admitted in September, January and April/May. (Specific dates vary depending on the academic calendar.)
What are the prerequisites for admissions? The Certificate Program in Integrative Health and Wellness is a graduate-level program. A bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required. For more information, contact the Admissions Office by phone at (952) 888-4777, ext. 409, or (800) 888-4777, ext. 409, or by e-mail at admit@nwhealth.edu.
What is the minimum GPA required? 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the graduate level.
When should I apply? Northwestern Health Sciences University admits students by rolling admissions. Because of our limited enrollment, a good rule of thumb is to apply three to six months in advance of the term you wish to enter.
What is the cost? The estimated tuition cost per trimester credit for 2007/2008 is $300.
Is Financial Aid available? Financial aid is not available for the Integrative Health and Wellness program, however, there may be personal loans that may be available. Contact the financial aid office at (952) 888-4777, ext. 387, or (800) 888-4777, ext. 387, for more information.
In addition, many companies offer tuition reimbursement programs for their employees, contact your human resources department to see is this is an option.
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