I've taken TCM courses in Taiwan or China — can those credits transfer?
It's a fair worry — foreign coursework often feels like a black box, as if it might just be waved away. It isn't. The credits genuinely can count, but they go through two separate checks: one on the school that taught them, and one on the content of each course.
Can TCM coursework from Taiwan or China transfer to Five Branches?
It's a fair worry — foreign coursework often feels like a black box, as if it might just be waved away. It isn't. The credits genuinely can count, but they go through two separate checks: one on the school that taught them, and one on the content of each course.
Step 1 — Get the coursework itself evaluated
Because it was completed outside the U.S., transcripts must go through a course-by-course evaluation by a member agency of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, naces.org). The evaluation must be sent directly from the agency to Five Branches — not forwarded by the applicant. Source: Five Branches Chinese admissions page, checked 08/2026.
Step 2 — What the transfer policy actually allows
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where it applies | Coursework from a nationally accredited, California Acupuncture Board–approved TCM college |
| Content match | Must be equivalent in content and length to the Five Branches DAcHM/MAcHM course |
| Grade required | C or above |
| Academic course cap | Up to 50% of academic coursework |
| Clinical training cap | Up to 25% of clinical training |
| Not accepted | Tutorial/apprenticeship-based courses; credit for work or life experience |
| If school isn't Board-approved | Still possible, but capped within that same 50% ceiling |
| If a course doesn't qualify outright | A one-time challenge exam (70% to pass) may earn credit, department by department, excluding clinical training |
Source: fivebranches.edu/dtcm-mtcm/admissions-masters/transfer-students/, checked 08/2026.
Structurally, this means at least half your degree is always completed here — no one transfers in "almost done." Nothing is final until Admissions reviews the actual evaluated transcript course-by-course.
What program in Taiwan or China did you study at, and are you also currently in the U.S. or applying from abroad?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Applying To Dtcm Mtcm Or Dac Mac Dual Degree checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — Transfer Students checked 2026-08
Last reviewed: