The Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM) curriculum at NUNM is designed for students who want to take their Chinese medicine education to the highest level. The curriculum blends advanced academic coursework, study of classical texts, and extensive hands-on clinical training to prepare you for the highest level of practice within the field of Chinese medicine.
You’ll begin by building a strong foundation in Chinese medicine theory, diagnostic methods, channel theory, and herbal pharmacology. From there, you’ll progress to more advanced work, including herbal formulation strategies, complex case management, biomedical integration, and clinical scholarship.
Throughout the program, you’ll explore key modalities such as acupuncture, moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, Asian bodywork, qigong, and nutrition, all are outlined in NUNM’s Chinese medicine modalities overview. Doctoral coursework places special emphasis on classical medical literature, helping you strengthen your clinical reasoning and approach complex cases with clarity and confidence.
Clinical training is central to the DAaCHM experience. You’ll progress from Clinical Theater observation to mentored skills development and, ultimately, to advanced supervised internships across NUNM’s Health Centers and community practices. As a doctoral intern, you’ll take on increased responsibility, conducting comprehensive assessments, designing individualized herbal and acupuncture treatment plans, preparing formulas, and managing long-term patient care. You’ll also gain experience in case report writing, scholarly inquiry, and integrative clinical communication.
By graduation, you’ll have a strong professional identity, advanced diagnostic ability, ethical grounding, and the skills needed to excel in modern integrative healthcare environments as both acupuncture and highly trained provider of Chinese herbal medicine.
2026-27 DAcCHM Curriculum
Below is the 2026-27 curriculum for the four-year Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization program. For the current curriculum and course descriptions, visit the Course Catalog.
Flexible Pathways to Meet Your Goals
Chart your path to becoming a Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese medicine specialization at NUNM. Choose the program that fits your goals, schedule, and lifestyle, whether that’s our traditional 4-year pathway, or 4-year online-start option. View the PDFs below to see the curriculum pathways.