What exactly is the educational bar for admission?
What Five Branches actually requires to get in
The honest answer to "how much school do I need first" is: 90 semester credits (about 3 years) of college, with one specific course inside them, from a regionally accredited institution — not a finished bachelor's degree. That surprises a lot of people who assume a master's-level TCM program demands a four-year degree already in hand.
| Requirement | Detail | Source, as last checked |
|---|---|---|
| General education (DAcHM) | at least 90 semester credits (135 quarter credits), from a regionally accredited degree-granting institution | Five Branches Educational Requirements page, 09/2026 |
| General education (MAcHM) | at least 60 semester credits (90 quarter credits), from a regionally accredited degree-granting institution | same page |
| Minimum GPA | 2.75 cumulative | same page |
| Required course inside those credits | General Psychology (part of the general-education requirement, not a natural science) | same page |
| Natural sciences | General Biology, Chemistry and Physics — each a minimum of three semester credits; may be taken concurrently with TCM studies within the first two years of study, though completing them before entry is highly recommended | same page |
| With only 60 credits (2 years) | You receive the MAcHM master's alone — still enough to sit the California licensing exam and national certification | same page |
| With the full 90 credits | You receive both the DAcHM doctorate and MAcHM master's, dual-degree | same page |
Two things soften that bar considerably. First, the science courses don't have to be done before you start — you can take General Biology, Chemistry and Physics alongside your TCM coursework within your first two years, though completing them before entry is highly recommended, so a missing Chemistry or Physics course doesn't hold up your first term. Second, if your own education was non-traditional — studied abroad, an unconventional path, no bachelor's degree at all — the school will review your unofficial transcripts for a pre-qualification evaluation rather than simply screening you out at the door.
If English isn't your first language, a separate proficiency bar applies (TOEFL 61, IELTS 6, or a few other accepted tests) — waived automatically if you've already done two years of college taught in English.
What's making you ask — are you weighing whether your own transcript already clears this, or sizing up the requirement in the abstract?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Educational Requirements checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — published materials checked 2026-07
- Five Branches University — International Applicants checked 2026-08
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