Programme Structure
The programme runs part-time over three years and is designed for convenience to both national and international participants. On graduation, you will be awarded a Licentiate in Acupuncture (Lic. Ac.).
The course structure allows you continue working and/or meeting family commitments, by having classes 4 days in person, once a month, for Year 1 and 2 (Thursdays to Sundays). Class times will be 9am till 5.30pm with an hour for lunch and breaks during the day.
Year 3/Clinical (when you will be treating patients under supervision) is weekly for 6 months, followed by 4 monthly visits to finish.
Yearly Class Schedules
1st Year: 4 days (Thurs – Sun) in person, once a month with no classes July and Aug. The next Intake starts 6 April 2025.
2nd Year: 4 days (Thurs – Sun) in person, once a month with no classes July and Aug.
3rd Year (Clinical): Weekly in person visits on Saturdays/Sundays to treat patients under Clinical Supervision for 6 months; then monthly visits for 4 months.
Directed Study Outside College Hours
The student will need to devote 10 hours a week to study outside class hours – this will include the study of the theory and practice of Five Element Acupuncture/Pulse Taking/Point Location/Other Relevant Clinical Skills/writing up of organised class notes and Seasons diary.
Students may meet in groups to satisfy this requirement, public health recommendations permitting.
Download the COFEA prospectus
Summary of Course Hours
Year One
307
Class Hours
24
Supervised Clinical Hours
331
Total For Year
780
Directed Study
Year Two
307
Class Hours
48
Supervised Clinical Hours
355
Total For Year
780
Directed Study
Year Three
42
Class Hours
336
Supervised Clinical Hours
378
Total For Year
700
Directed Study
Total
656
Class Hours
408
Supervised Clinical Hours
1064
Total For Year
2260
Directed Study
Programme content:
Five Element Acupuncture
Theory/History/Philosophy and Different Acupuncture Traditions. The course involves the study of the history and philosophy of acupuncture and how the differing traditions of acupuncture evolved. The Dao/Yin – Yang/Traditional Chinese Medicine will be reviewed.
The course then goes on to provide training in the theory and practice of the natural laws that are part of the particular tradition of Five-Element Acupuncture – Laws and Cycles of the Five Elements/Law of Mother and Child/Law of Cure/Law of Midday & Midnight/ Organ/Meridian Theory.
Levels of Energy: Body, Mind, and Spirit; Significance of Symptoms.
Balancing of Energy; Specialized Treatment Patterns and Groupings of Points, including Windows of the Sky, Possession and Use of Internal and External Dragons, Aggressive Energy, Husband/Wife Imbalances, Seas and Oceans, Akabanis, Entry-Exit Blocks.
Energy Transfers; Internal and External Causes of Disease.
Point location and application
The students will be taught how to locate the acupuncture points on the twelve Meridians and the Conception and Governor Vessels. They will learn about the types of points – Source, Junction, Horary, Tonification and Sedation Points, Element Points, Entry and Exit Points, Associated Effect Points, Alarm Points, First Aid Points.
How each person is unique on a physical emotional mental and spiritual level and how this will therefore determine a treatment unique to each person.
Actions of Points and Combinations will be taught.
This requires that the student will have a good knowledge of surface anatomy. Surface anatomy will be taught as an integral part of point location.
Traditional Diagnosis
This is the study of the factors that are essential to make the correct diagnosis in Five Element Acupuncture.
This includes awakening the Students’ Natural Abilities to See, to Hear, to Ask, and to Feel, using the Diagnostic Indicators of Color, Sound, Emotion, and Odor.
Taking Case Histories; Assessing the Causative Factor and Level of Disease; Physical Examination.
Practitioner/Patient Rapport Skills.
Supervised Clinical Practice
This involves the students being supervised while developing their skills in a clinical setting with patients.
This will include supervision of pulse readings and diagnosis; point location; treatment planning; needle technique; rapport skills; touch and physical examination skills.
Treatment Planning
We will help the student develop appropriate principles and priorities in how to plan a treatment.
How to translate a Traditional Diagnosis into an effective Treatment Plan.
How to address the Needs of the Body/Mind and Spirit.
Exploring the differing methods of Treatment.
How to evaluate treatment and determining Future Treatments.
Patient/Practice Management and Ethics
The student will learn about communication skills; Trust; Confidentiality.
Listening and Counselling, Patient Homework, Appropriate Referrals, Finances, Advertising; Public Service; and the standards required of them by the College’s Codes of Ethics and Safe Practice.
Pulse Diagnosis
The course provides a thorough training in pulse taking of the twelve meridians their strengths and qualities. This is a deeper study of how and what pulses can tell us about the patient’s current and previous health status.
Western Medicine
The major clinical aspects of Western Medicine will be covered. This includes investigations and diagnosis/epidemiology/the major causes of ill health including socio-economic factors; medical terminology; pharmacology; physiology and pathology; red flags;
We will cover the main systems of the body – circulatory/lymphatic/respiratory/uro-genital/dermatology/auto-immune/digestive/muscle-skeletal/ endocrine/nervous system/mental health and the red flags in these areas.
Personal and Professional Development
The course emphasizes a self-reflective and self-observational awareness in the students’ personal and professional development throughout the three years.
We will help the students understand that mastery of this healing art requires an understanding of ourselves first. Diagnosing through colour sound odour and emotion will require the student to leave themselves outside the treatment room so that they can truly experience the patient.
In so doing the student will develop themselves as an Instrument of Nature. Trainer State and Roots and Branches 5 Element Qi Gong™ (among many other techniques) will be taught to enhance the students’ self-understanding.
