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Admission to the College
Northwestern admits individuals qualified by previous education
and experience to meet the school’s academic challenges
and rigor in order to become a practitioner of acupuncture
and Oriental medicine. New students are admitted in September
and January of each academic year. Transfer students may
be admitted at the beginning of any trimester. (See “Transfer
Application” section.)
Applications for admission, as well as current tuition and
fees, are available either online
at www.nwhealth.edu or may be obtained by contacting the Office
of Admissions. The application for admission must be accompanied
by a non-refundable application processing fee of $50 (U.S.
dollars). It is the responsibility of the applicant to read
this catalog and comply with all provisions and instructions.
Entrance Requirements
Admission requirements for the Master of Acupuncture and
Master of Oriental Medicine programs include satisfactory
completion of at least two academic years (60 semester credits
or 90 quarter credits) at the baccalaureate level in an institution
accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary
of Education. This education must be appropriate preparation
for graduate-level work.
The following credits must be part of the 60 semester credits
required for entrance:
| Subject |
Description |
Semester Credits |
| Humanities/Natural Sciences |
History, Political Science, Anthropology, Religion,
Philosophy, Sociology, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Physics |
15 |
English/
Communication Skills
|
Composition, Literature and Speech |
6 |
| Psychology |
General/Principles of/Introduction to Psychology |
3 |
These courses must be passed with a grade of “C”
or better. Applicants must have earned a cumulative G.P.A.
of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants should realize
that this G.P.A. is a minimum. To ensure acceptance, a more
competitive grade point is desirable. Courses in chemistry,
biology, Asian Studies, and Chinese language are strongly
recommended.
Qualifications
Students must demonstrate sufficient maturity to undertake
a health care profession, including the capacity to manage
professional boundaries ethically and responsibly.
A student must possess the following abilities, with or
without reasonable accommodation, for completion of the Master
of Acupuncture or Master of Oriental Medicine degree program.
Accomodation may be deemed unreasonable if it would compromise
essential elements of the curriculum or would require a fundamental
alteration to the nature of the program, service or activity:
- Ability to apply acupuncture and accessory techniques,
such as cupping, moxibustion and tui na, over the full range
of a patient’s body, utilizing appropriate physical
positioning in relation to the patient, for periods of up
to one hour without interruption. Such abilities require
standing, leaning, reaching, stooping, kneading, grasping,
twisting both body and wrists, and applying pressure with
hands;
- Ability to place acupuncture needles precisely in a patient’s
body and manipulate needles within a minute range of motion;
- Ability to perform clinical techniques and procedures
under the direct supervision of instructors, classmates,
patients or families of patients, within fixed time limits
that reflect the patient flow and delivery of services in
a typical clinical environemnt;
- Ability to work cohesively and harmoniously in a team
of two or more students in the performance of assigned class
and clinical activities;
- Ability to see and hear, with or without reasonable accommodation,
in order to interview patients, conduct patient intakes,
elicit necessary diagnostic indicators, maintain patient
records, provide instructions to patients, perform appropriate
examinations, and provide routine patient treatment and
safety services;
- Ability to perform in all laboratory and clinical settings
without posing a threat to herself/himself, to the safety
and well-being of fellow students, or to patients;
- Ability and willingness to receive acupuncture and accessory
treatment. Much of the technical instruction in the programs
requires reciprocal application of the techniques of acupuncture
and Oriental medicine, such as acupuncture needling, moxibustion,
tui na bodywork, etc. Receiving techniques is necessary
in order for the student to learn proper procedures and
to receive and provide learning feedback. Reciprocal application
of techniques is also useful for developing sensitivity
to patient needs. The College may temporarily excuse a student
from receiving acupuncture or other modalities provided
that specific medical contraindication information is provided
by a licensed medical professional.
In addition to the abilities required of students in the
Master of Acupuncture program (stated above), a student must
possess the following abilities, with or without reasonable
accommodation, for completion of the Master of Oriental Medicine
degree program:
- Ability to identify the odors, tastes, colors and
other physical properties of herbs and other organic and
mineral substances utilized in Oriental medical therapy;
- Ability to document and prepare herbal formulae,
in accordance with Oriental medical therapeutic principles,
including but not limited to reading, writing, chopping,
reaching, mixing, and grasping.
All students, with or without reasonable accommodation,
must carry out clinical assignments and diagnostic interpretation.
Qualified persons with disabilities, with or without reasonable
accommodation, must be able to pass oral, written and practical
examinations and meet all of the program’s clinical
requirements.
It is in the best interest of both the student and the
University to assess the degree of limitation caused by disability.
However, the University will make the final determination
of whether or not an individual meets all qualifications
for study at the University.
Persons who have been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor
of a violent or sexual nature may be prohibited from professional
health care practice in many jurisdictions. Northwestern
Health Sciences University will deny admission to applicants
with such convictions. The University reserves the right
to conduct a criminal background check on applicants.
Responsibility of Applicant
It is the responsibility of the applicant to be aware of
the entrance requirements and ensure that those requirements
are met prior to enrollment. If the College determines at
any time that requirements are not met in full, the student
will not be allowed to enroll or to continue at Northwestern.
The Office of Admissions staff
are available to help prospective students plan their pre-ccupuncture
and Oriental medicine curricula.
Minnesota Immunization Requirement
All students born in 1957 or later must comply with the
Minnesota State College Immunization Law (Minn. Stat. 135A.14).
An admitted student must show proof of DPT immunization within
the last 10 years, as well as measles, mumps, and rubella
immunization after his/her first birthday. However, exemptions
are permitted for philosophical or medical reasons. Further
information is included with letters of acceptance to Northwestern.
Some clinical environments outside the University Clinic
system may establish immunization and/or health screening
requirements exceeding the Minnesota State College Immunization
Law. In addition, some clinical environments outside the
University Clinic system may not accept placement of interns
who have not received or are not in the process of receiving
certain immunizations and/or health screenings.
Transfer Application
International Applicants
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