California Graduate School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Transfer Students

If you are a student at another TCM/Acupuncture school and are considering transferring to Five Branches, you can apply for our Master’s program as a transfer student. Courses from accredited institutions are generally transferrable, if they are equivalent to the courses listed in the Five Branches MTCM catalog. Five Branches may also award transfer credits for Western medicine courses and complementary studies such as Qigong, Taijiquan, and Asian massage courses taken from another school. Only coursework completed prior to enrollment at Five Branches and awarded a letter grade of C or above is transferrable.

Transferring TCM courses

Five Branches University offers one of the best TCM educational programs in the United States. Our transfer policies ensure that a transfer student’s training at another school meets the high standards of the Five Branches program. Transfer credit will be accepted for TCM courses taken from a nationally accredited TCM college, which has been approved by the California Acupuncture Board, if the courses are equivalent in content to Five Branches courses.

TCM-related courses from a TCM college not approved by the California Acupuncture Board will only be accepted within the 50% limitations of the Board. TCM courses from tutorial or apprenticeship programs are not transferrable. Please contact the admissions office for more information.

Transfer Requirements for TCM students

Five Branches prefers to accept transfer students that will be completing at least 50% of their Master’s degree at Five Branches. If you have only one year remaining before graduation from another TCM school, we recommend that you graduate there, if possible.

Applicants who wish to transfer from another TCM college must submit the following materials:

  1. Five Branches University Application, along with the required supporting documents

  2. Cover letter stating your reasons for seeking a transfer and the courses you wish to transfer from another TCM college

  3. A letter of recommendation from a previous TCM/Acupuncture instructor located at the TCM school you attended

  4. Catalog of the TCM college where you studied, stating its approval agencies and accreditation

  5. Syllabus outlining the course content for each course you wish to transfer

Once you are accepted to Five Branches, an evaluation of your transfer credits will be completed by the admissions director. You will then be informed of your placement in the MTCM program. A transfer fee will apply, upon enrollment. An equivalency exam may be required. Contact the admissions office for further information.

Transferring Western Medicine Courses

Western medicine courses taken prior to Five Branches enrollment may be transferred to fulfill part or the entire MTCM Western medicine track, including natural science requirements. If the natural science courses, Biology, Introduction to Physics, Chemistry, Human Anatomy, and Human Physiology have not been taken prior to enrollment at Five Branches, students may take them concurrently, within their first two years of study. These courses can be taken from a community college, a university, or online. Western medicine courses are transferable only from regionally accredited, degree-granting colleges, universities, or TCM schools. Natural science credits from non-accredited or vocational schools are not transferable. A transfer fee will apply to all courses, with the exception of the five natural science courses.

Transferring Complementary Studies Courses

Five Branches accepts the transfer of classes from non-accredited schools or colleges for courses such as Qigong and Taijiquan, if equivalent in content and class hours. A copy of a certificate of completion or diploma, or a letter from a teacher or school will serve as a transcript. A transfer fee will apply.

Transfer Fees

A transfer fee will apply to the evaluation of all courses transferred into the MTCM program. The transfer fee is 15% of the current tuition, per unit, up to a maximum of $200.00. If an equivalency exam is required an additional fee of 30% of the current tuition, per unit, will apply.

If you have any questions or need additional information regarding the transfer student application requirements, our admissions staff is available to assist you.