How long until I have a full schedule?
That question usually carries a real worry underneath it — will I be thrown into a full course load on day one, before I know if this is really for me, or before my prerequisites are sorted out? The honest answer is: it depends on which path you choose, and you have real control over the pace.
How long until I have a full schedule?
That question usually carries a real worry underneath it — will I be thrown into a full course load on day one, before I know if this is really for me, or before my prerequisites are sorted out? The honest answer is: it depends on which path you choose, and you have real control over the pace.
Five Branches runs on a trimester system — three 15-week terms per year (as published on the school's Academic Calendars page, checked 08/2026). How fast you reach a "full" schedule depends on which of these you're on:
| Path | Pace | When you're at a full load |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (MAcHM/DAcHM/DAc/MAc) | Follows the published trimester-by-trimester course sequence | Full course load from your very first trimester |
| Part-time | Fewer units per term, spread over more trimesters | You set the timeline — no forced date |
| NDS ("try it first") | At least one course per term | Up to 3 trimesters before deciding whether to go further — this is 中文 available too: 每學期最少選修一門課，最多可就讀三個學期 (Five Branches, checked 08/2026) |
A few things that make this less rigid than it sounds:
- Prerequisites don't have to be finished first. The natural-science courses (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, plus General Psychology) may be taken concurrently with your TCM coursework — missing one or two doesn't hold you back from starting (Five Branches, evergreen policy).
- Class size matters here too: academic classes run about 25 students, and a class under 8 may get postponed a trimester — worth knowing if you're building a part-time plan around a specific course (DAcHM Catalog, checked 07/2026).
- Nothing locks you into full-time forever — NDS students who later want the full degree can convert, with their passed coursework counting toward it.
So: full-time students step into a full schedule right away; everyone else gets to choose their own runway. Are you picturing this as a full-time jump, or trying to figure out how to ease in part-time first?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Clinic Practitioners San Jose checked 2026-08
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