Foundation · Indicative 8–10 weeks part-time
Chinese Health Literacy
中医健康素养 · Zhōngyī jiànkāng sùyǎng
- Level
- Foundation
- Duration
- Indicative 8–10 weeks part-time
- Intakes
- Four start points per year (indicative)
- Study mode
- Online
- On campus
- Workplace group delivery
Overview
About this programme
Most public discussion of Chinese medicine is either dismissive or credulous. Neither helps anyone. This programme exists for people who want to understand the tradition properly: what the concepts actually mean, where they came from, how practitioners reason with them, and what the honest limits of the evidence are.
It is designed as a foundation for the general public, and also for professionals who encounter Chinese medicine in their working lives — journalists, pharmacists, GPs, care home managers, HR and occupational health teams, and wellbeing leads who are asked to make decisions about it.
The course treats the subject seriously in both directions. Students learn the concepts with real fidelity, and they also learn the state of the evidence, including the areas where it is weak or contested. The final unit is about communication: how to describe this material accurately to others, and how to recognise and resist both overclaiming and unfair dismissal.
Fees are available on enquiry. The college publishes fees on request rather than in a table, so that we can explain what each figure covers — tuition, assessment, materials and any clinical costs — and discuss payment by instalments. See Fees & funding or enquire directly.
Who it's for
Is this programme right for you?
- Members of the public considering treatment who want to understand it first
- GPs, pharmacists, nurses and allied health professionals
- Journalists, editors and science communicators
- Occupational health, HR and workplace wellbeing leads
- Care home and community health workers serving diverse communities
- Students considering a career in Chinese medicine
Learning outcomes
What you will be able to do
- Explain the core concepts of Chinese medicine — qi, yin and yang, the five phases, the organ networks, the channels — in accurate, plain English
- Describe how a Chinese medicine practitioner takes a history and arrives at a pattern differentiation
- Outline what acupuncture, herbal medicine, Tui Na and food therapy each involve, and what a session is actually like
- Summarise the current evidence base for the main modalities, including where it is uncertain or contested
- Describe the UK regulatory and professional landscape for these practices
- Recognise misleading health claims, and explain precisely why a given claim is misleading
- Discuss Chinese medicine with patients, colleagues or readers without either overclaiming or dismissing it
Curriculum
Programme structure
| Stage | Module | Format | Indicative hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1–2 | Core conceptsQi, yin and yang, the five phases and the organ networks — taught as a coherent system of thought rather than a list of exotic terms. | Online | Indicative [X] hours per week |
| Week 3–4 | How a practitioner reasonsThe four examinations, tongue and pulse observation, and pattern differentiation, illustrated with worked examples. | Online + optional observation visit | Indicative [X] hours per week |
| Week 5–6 | The four main modalitiesAcupuncture, herbal medicine, Tui Na and food therapy: what each involves, what a session is like, and what training a practitioner should have. | Online + optional campus practical | Indicative [X] hours per week |
| Week 7 | Evidence and regulationThe current research picture across the modalities, the UK regulatory position, professional registers, insurance and how to check a practitioner's credentials. | Online | Indicative [X] hours |
| Week 8–10 | Communicating and evaluating claimsA practical unit on health claims: how to read them, how advertising rules apply, why some claims are prohibited, and how to write or speak about this subject responsibly. | Online, workshop | Indicative [X] hours per week |
Admissions
Entry requirements
- Open to all adults aged 18 or over
- No prior knowledge assumed
- Suitable for workplace cohorts — the college can deliver this in-house
Full details, including how to evidence each requirement and how we handle applications from outside the UK, are on the entry requirements page.
Assessment
How you will be assessed
- Short weekly knowledge checks (not graded, for consolidation)
- A final written piece: explain one Chinese medicine concept accurately to a general reader
- An optional workplace presentation for students taking the course through an employer
What you can do afterwards
- Chinese Diet & Lifestyle Therapy
- Tui Na — Chinese Therapeutic Massage
- Acupuncture & Meridians, for those who decide to train professionally
Next steps
Applying for this programme
Step 1
Enquire or attend an open day
Ask us anything before you commit. Our open days include programme talks and a visit to the teaching clinic.Step 2
Check the entry requirements
Make sure you can evidence each requirement. If you are unsure about a qualification, ask us before applying — we assess prior experience as well as formal certificates.Step 3
Complete the online application
Applications are made through our online form. You will be asked for your details, your prior study, and a short statement about why you want to study this programme.Step 4
Conversation and offer
Most applicants are invited to a short conversation, in person or online. Offers are made after that, and include the fee schedule and payment options.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is this course for or against Chinese medicine?
Neither. It is for understanding it. We teach the concepts with fidelity because they are not nonsense, and we teach the evidence honestly because some claims are better supported than others. Students who arrive wanting validation and students who arrive wanting ammunition tend to leave with a more complicated and more useful view.
Will this qualify me to practise?
No, and it is not intended to. This is a literacy course. Practising any of these modalities requires a substantial professional training programme, and our diploma programmes are the route to that.
Can our organisation run this for staff?
Yes. We deliver this programme in-house for workplace cohorts, including for clinical teams and for occupational health and wellbeing functions. Please contact us to discuss numbers and scheduling.
How much time does it take each week?
Indicative [X] hours per week, mostly self-paced with optional live discussion sessions. The exact figure will be confirmed when the timetable is published.
Related study
You may also be interested in
Chinese Diet & Lifestyle Therapy
A practical study of Chinese food therapy and yang sheng — the traditional approach to eating, seasonal adjustment and daily habits — taught as cultural and educational knowledge.
View programme
Tui Na — Chinese Therapeutic Massage
A practical programme in Chinese therapeutic massage: the hand techniques, the channel and joint work, and the clinical reasoning that turns a sequence of movements into a treatment.
View programme
Enquire
Ask about Chinese Health Literacy
Educational content notice
Content on this website describes Chinese medicine as it is taught and practised historically and is provided for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own health, and never delay or stop conventional treatment because of something you have read here.
Placeholder information
Fees, exact dates, contact hours, module titles and the awarding arrangement for this programme are pending confirmation and are marked as placeholders throughout this site. Nothing on this page should be relied upon as a contractual commitment until the college publishes its validated programme specification.
Ready to apply for Chinese Health Literacy?
Applications are open for the next intake. If you would rather talk it through first, we are happy to do that too.