Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbology: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Herbology is a comprehensive academic discipline focused on the study and application of time-honored principles from classical Chinese medical texts, particularly the Nei Ching Su Wen, to restore and maintain holistic health. This program equips students with the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to assess, diagnose, and treat imbalances in the body using natural therapeutics, including botanicals, dietary interventions, and herbal formulations rooted in centuries of empirical practice.

Key modules and areas of study include:

• History and Theory of Chinese Medicine: Exploration of foundational texts, philosophical underpinnings such as Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, and the evolution of diagnostic and therapeutic frameworks across dynastic periods.
• Chinese Medical Anatomy and Physiology: A non-Western anatomical model emphasizing meridians, Qi flow, organ systems (Zang-Fu), and functional relationships distinct from Western biomedical models.
• Chinese Herbology: In-depth study of hundreds of medicinal herbs, their properties (temperature, taste, channel affinity), actions, and synergistic interactions within complex formulas.
• Herbal Prescription Preparation: Hands-on training in compounding traditional herbal formulas, including decoctions, powders, tinctures, and granules, with attention to dosage, timing, and patient-specific adjustments.
• Herbal Pharmacology: Scientific analysis of active compounds in herbal substances, mechanisms of action, potential interactions, and evidence-based evaluation of efficacy and safety.
• Chinese Internal Medicine and Gynecology: Clinical training in diagnosing and managing chronic and acute conditions through a Chinese medicine lens, with specialized focus on reproductive health and menstrual disorders.
• Febrile Diseases: Study of patterns and treatments for infectious and systemic conditions, drawing from classical frameworks such as the Six Channel Theory and San Jiao differentiation.
• Food Therapy: Application of dietary principles based on food energetics and therapeutic properties to support health maintenance and disease prevention.
• Practice Management: Instruction in legal compliance, record-keeping, ethical conduct, patient communication, and operational strategies for establishing a professional practice.
• Professional Standards and Ethics: Emphasis on integrity, informed consent, scope of practice, and adherence to regulatory guidelines governing herbal medicine in clinical settings.