Are there online or hybrid study options?
That question usually comes from two different worries at once — "can I keep my job/family life while I do this? " and "can hands-on medicine really be learned partly on a screen? " Both are fair, and the honest answer depends on which degree track you mean, because they're built very differently.
Are There Online or Hybrid Study Options?
That question usually comes from two different worries at once — "can I keep my job/family life while I do this?" and "can hands-on medicine really be learned partly on a screen?" Both are fair, and the honest answer depends on which degree track you mean, because they're built very differently.
| Program | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MAcHM / DAcHM / DAc / MAc (entry-level) | Campus-based, weekday daytime classes | Supervised patient-treatment hours are inherently in-person; part-time pacing is available to spread the load |
| DAcHM/DAc Bridge (Completion) | 100% online, asynchronous | For those who already hold a field master's (MAcHM/MTCM/MAc) and want to upgrade the title to a doctorate — 1 year, 3 trimesters, 315 hours total |
| DAOM (Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) | Hybrid — about 49% online | Monthly 3–4 day in-person weekend intensives, remainder online; the school's own materials say it's built to be completed in as little as 24 months while you keep running your own practice |
| NDS (non-degree-seeking, "try one course first") | Same schedule as the course you enroll in | A no-commitment way to sample the coursework before deciding on a degree track |
The entry-level clinical hours come from the school's own DAcHM-MAcHM-DAc-MAc Catalog, as we last checked it in July 2026, and the Bridge/DAOM figures come from the separate Postgraduate DAOM Catalog, as we last checked it in July 2026 — worth confirming current details on the program pages directly, since catalogs get revised.
The through-line: the medicine itself (needling, palpation, patient care) is taught hands-on no matter the track — it's the surrounding coursework, and how much of it can flex around a job or a family, that varies degree by degree.
Which of these fits the shape of your life right now — are you starting fresh, or already holding a master's and looking to add the doctorate?
Sources
- Five Branches University, DAcHM-MAcHM-DAc-MAc-Catalog-2026-1, pp. 27-30 (Program Description (www.fivebranches.edu) checked 2026-07
- The school's own published catalog and website checked 2026-07
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