Some students who come to the College are already retired and wish to start up a new and exciting second career; some are tired of working for other people and want to enter a profession that offers self-employment. Others are looking for a satisfying and fulfilling career after raising a family. They all share in common the desire to enter a caring profession that will allow them independence, interest, and job security. For more information on the Acupuncture and TCM Profession click here.

There is no upper age limit but applicants must be at least 21 years old. No specific formal academic qualifications are required though all applicants will need to be able to satisfy the College that they are capable of following an intensive and challenging course of study and Clinical practice. It is the policy of the College to accept applicants who will thrive on the academic and practical aspects of the course and who seem suited and committed to following a profession within TCM when they graduate.

The College specialises in turning out fully-rounded professional practitioners, not mere theoreticians. Applicants who already have significant commitments in terms of work or family will need to be able to show that they have the resources and support to sustain them through the course.

Application procedures – Under-graduate level
Applicants wishing to apply for either of the Licentiate programmes must complete an Application form obtainable from The College Secretary. This must be sent, with a covering letter and passport-sized photograph, to the College Registrar. Letters of reference will be taken up for all applicants.

Suitable applicants will be interviewed in the College in Dublin where they will have the opportunity to speak with members of staff and meet other applicants. Those who are accepted for the Lic.TCM or Lic.MQG course will receive detailed information on course venue, dates, times and all other relevant particulars.

Selection procedures
The Irish College selects applicants on an equal opportunities basis. Although no specific formal educational qualifications are required for the under-graduate level programmes, applicants must demonstrate, at interview, that they are fully competent to meet the educational and other demands of the course.

Prospective students must:-

• show themselves to be academically and personally able to successfully undertake professional TCM or MQG training
• be fully committed to a highly intensive and demanding course of theoretical and practical study
• display personal attributes suited, in the opinion of the College Director, to a caring profession
• be over twenty one years of age
• be of mature disposition
• present a wholly professional and sober demeanour.

There is no upper age limit. No western medical training is required. Each applicant will be considered on his or her own merits.

Application procedures – Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma level
These courses are all specifically designed for qualified practitioners of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and/or qualified practitioners of Chinese Herbal Medicine. Practitioners must have a good theoretical grounding in TCM and wish to expand their range of therapeutic options to include either Chinese Herbal Medicine or Medical Qigong.

Applicants will need to meet the following conditions. They must have:

• Good theoretical knowledge of TCM.
• Clinical competence in TCM diagnostics.
• Clinical experience and the ability to communicate with and treat clients in their current TCM specialism
• A good command of English. (Familiarity with the main TCM terminology in Pinyin will be an advantage but not a requirement)
• A willingness to commit to regular practice and study of Medical Qigong. OR
• A willingness to commit to regular study of Chinese Herbal Medicine
• Applicants will be required to provide proof of their TCM practitioner status and qualifications.*

(*Note: Students of Acupuncture, TCM and Chinese Herbal Medicine may be admitted to some modules of the post-graduate certificate programme/s but will generally only be able to complete 2 modules of the Certificate course prior to graduation from their TCM training programme.)

All applicants will be required to complete an Application form and interviews will be conducted as required to assess suitability for the programme.

Application procedures – Master of Medicine Degree
The application procedure will generally be as for the Post-graduate Certificate and Diploma Courses, with some additions. In particular, the applicant must have a Batchelor level Degree in TCM, Medicine or a related Science, or a Batchelor-level equivalent qualification in TCM.

As the Masters qualification is validated by the Government of China, additional requirements may apply and all applicants may be required to complete an entrance Examination set by the Chinese Government for entry to Masters Degrees in China.

Additional information will be provided on this, after application to the Masters Degree programme.

Application procedures – CPD level
In order to benefit fully from the CPD training offered by the College the applicant should be fully conversant with TCM theory and practice and should meet the requirements for applicants applying for a Post-graduate Certificate or Diploma programme. However, interviews will not normally be required.

Anyone converting from a CPD programme to a Post-graduate Certificate or Diploma course will need to supply proof of their TCM practitioner status and qualifications, and will have to attend an interview if required.

Selection Procedures
As for the Under-graduate level programmes above.

Deposits and Fees
Details of the Tuition fees, for any of the Programmes run by the College, can be obtained from the College Secretary.

Fees may be increased to cover necessary improvements in the course. If students get into financial difficulties they should discuss this as soon as possible with the College Registrar.

Courses of one year or more duration
The fees for any one year, two year or three year course can be paid in instalments. Upon acceptance to the College, a prospective student must pay a non-refundable two hundred and fifty Euro (€250), deposit (which will constitute part of the course fee).

The remainder of the annual fee (excluding the deposit) must be paid in two equal instalments, the first of which must be paid by the date specified and no later than a full one week before the commencement of the course. The other instalment must be paid in full on a specified date six months into the course. A late fee will be charged if fees are not paid on time.

Courses of less than one year duration
Deposits and fees must be paid in full by the dates specified. Failure to do so will mean that students will be unable to participate in the course.

Please note that deposits are non-refundable as they secure a place for a person on a particular course. Administrative decisions will sometimes be made on the basis of the number of deposits held. Failure to meet these financial commitments will be cause for immediate exclusion from the course and the College.

Dates – the College calendar
Start dates: The Licentiate courses normally begin in October each year.

The next Licentiate in TCM will begin in October 2006.
The first Licentiate in MQG will begin in October 2006

The first Post Graduate Certificate and Diplomas course in Medical Qigong will start in September/October 2006.

The next Post Graduate Certificate course in Chinese Herbal Medicine will start in February/March 2007.

The Master of Medicine Degree is run jointly with GZUTCM who have a semester-based academic year. Recruitment for this programme will begin shortly and it is envisaged that the first Masters programme will commence in either March or September 2007.

CPD programmes take place throughout the year.