The course aims to provide a thorough and rewarding training in the theory, diagnosis and practice of traditional Chinese acupuncture so as to develop caring, perceptive and effective practitioners.

Our stated course aims are:

• "To educate and inspire professional acupuncturists, who will practise with a clear working understanding of Chinese philosophy, as well as the theory and practice of Chinese medicine"
• "Provide students with the necessary skills to practise acupuncture safely and competently upon graduation. This will include skills for patient assessment and diagnosis, as well as accurate and informed use of acupuncture techniques and massage skills."
• "Provide students with the skills needed to become a competent and effective healthcare practitioner."
• "Provide students with a sound understanding of Western anatomy, physiology and differential diagnosis/pathology."
• "Develop reflective practitioners who are able to identify personal and professional goals for continuing professional development and lifelong learning."
• "Provide students with a sound basis of professional experience and reflection for their responsibilities as practising acupuncturist."

Started in 1972, the College has much to offer to prospective students. Over the years our course has grown and matured, reaching a depth of learning that encompasses all aspects of acupuncture. Teaching material and methods, both for practical and theoretical sessions, are continuously reviewed and enhanced, in order to maximise the whole student experience. As students advance through the course, they experience more practical clinical work and less theory, as they build towards becoming competent and confident practitioners.

Although the College covers the entire spectrum of acupuncture and its related philosophy in great depth, over the years the College has become renowned for its unique understanding of the Stems and Branches, not only theoretically, but especially its practical application.

The Stems and Branches theory is a unique science of understanding the cycles of energetic change through time and their effect on the individual. This is a continuously developing science. This science was taught two thousand years ago only to those apprentices who had many years of practice in Oriental medicine and who were specially chosen for their understanding, approach and outlook on life. They were to become the "more developed and superior practitioners" of the classic Chinese texts.

Knowledge of the Stems and Branches theory enables a student to look at life in general, and at a patient in particular, at a much deeper level. When one masters this unique aspect of Oriental philosophy - which is not taught anywhere else in the world, not even in China anymore - one is able to find the innermost problems of a patient.