Frequently asked questions

Contact hours vary by programme and are shown on each programme page. As a guide, part-time professional programmes are built around one teaching day or weekend a month plus evening online sessions, with additional study between taught sessions. Exact hours are being finalised: [CONTACT HOURS — TO BE CONFIRMED].

Most of our students do exactly that. The pattern that works is unglamorous: small amounts of regular study rather than occasional heroic effort. The part that cannot be compressed is the practical teaching — the hands-on weekends are demanding, and you need to be present for them. Our article on part-time study sets out what students say about fitting it in.

Teaching is in English. Chinese terminology is taught alongside the English — including the characters and pinyin where meaning would otherwise be lost — but no prior knowledge of Chinese is assumed or required.

Every clinical programme includes supervised practice in the teaching clinic, starting with observation and progressing to treating patients under direct supervision. Students never treat anyone unsupervised at any stage, and every patient is assessed by the qualified supervisor first. Clinical hour requirements differ by programme and are set out on each programme page.

Through a mixture of practical assessments, written work, case records and supervised clinical performance. Assessment criteria are published in advance, work is moderated, and there is an appeals route if you believe a decision was wrong — see the academic appeals section of the complaints procedure.

Theory teaching is available online and in blended formats, and live online sessions suit students across the UK. Clinical practice cannot be done online — point location, needling technique and hands-on assessment have to be taught in person, with a supervisor in the room. The locations page explains what runs where, including our online provision.

Tell us early. There is a named point of contact for academic questions, adjustments can be made for a disability or a health condition, and where circumstances make study impossible for a period, interruption of study keeps your place and your completed assessments. The college would rather adjust the arrangement than lose a student who is capable of finishing.

Yes. There is no charge, nothing to pay on the door and no obligation to book anything further. A consultation lasts about thirty minutes and includes an assessment and general advice. It is a consultation service, not a course of treatment, and appointments are limited, so booking in advance is required. See free community consultations.

No referral is needed to attend the teaching clinic or a free consultation. We do ask what treatment you are already receiving and what medication you take, because that affects what is safe. We would also encourage you to tell your GP that you are having Chinese medicine — not to ask permission, but so that both practitioners are working with the same information.

No, and we do not present it as an alternative. It is not a substitute for emergency care, surgery, antibiotics, vaccination or mental health care, and you should never stop or reduce prescribed treatment because of anything you read here or anything a practitioner tells you. In an emergency call 999; for urgent help that is not life-threatening, call 111. See the health & medical disclaimer.

The supervisor takes a full history, including your medical background and medication, and a student practitioner carries out the assessment under supervision — including tongue and pulse examination. You will be told what the assessment suggests, what treatment is proposed and what the alternatives are, and nothing happens without your consent. Appointments are longer than in a private clinic because teaching is part of what happens in the room.

Yes. We do not treat medical emergencies, and we will refer you elsewhere where conventional investigation or treatment is what you need. Some conditions and some medications mean that particular techniques are contraindicated, and a practitioner will explain if that applies to you. Declining to treat is a clinical decision, not a judgement about you.

A qualified supervisor is present at every teaching clinic session and is responsible for your care throughout, including assessing you before treatment. If you would prefer not to be treated by a student at all, tell us when you book — we would rather know. Our consulting and advisory services are delivered by qualified practitioners.

The main campus is in London, with teaching and community clinics in Birmingham and Manchester, and online provision for theory teaching. Addresses, travel details and opening hours are on the locations page. Specific addresses and transport details are placeholders in this build and are being confirmed: [ADDRESSES AND TRAVEL — TO BE CONFIRMED].

Access differs by site, and some of our community clinics take place at external venues we do not control. Tell us what you need when you enquire — a step-free route, an accessible WC, a hearing loop, a quiet space or materials in advance — and we will check it and confirm in writing before you travel. See the accessibility statement.

Yes. You are welcome to bring a companion, and a chaperone can be provided where personal care is involved. If you would like someone present, or would prefer to be seen by a practitioner of a particular sex, say so when you book.

Not without consent. We do not photograph or film patients, and we ask students and attendees before using any image of them. The photographs currently on this website are stock images used under the Unsplash licence and do not show the college’s staff, students or patients — see the gallery for the full statement.

Tell us directly first — most problems are resolved quickly, and a complaint about teaching, a service or a member of staff can be raised informally or formally under the complaints procedure. Complaints do not sit on a student’s record, and raising one will not affect your marks, your place or your care.

We try to make it so, and we publish how: articles are written or reviewed by someone with relevant expertise, they carry a byline, and corrections are dated and shown rather than made silently. We also say plainly where the evidence is weak or contested. Our editorial statement sets out the standard we hold ourselves to.