Yo San University Accreditations & Approvals

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its following programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), which is the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the approval of programs preparing acupuncture and Herbal medicine practitioners.

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and its following programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM):

(1) Master of Acupuncture with a Chinese herbal medicine specialization [currently named Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine]

(2) Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Accreditation status and notes may be viewed on the ACAHM Directory.

ACAHM is recognized by the United States Department of Education as the specialized accreditation agency for institutions/programs preparing acupuncture practitioners. ACAHM does not accredit any programs at the undergraduate/bachelor level. ACAHM is located at 500 Lake Street, Suite 204, Excelsior, Minnesota 55331; phone 952/212-2434; www.acahm.org

The Doctor of Acupuncture with Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization program offered by Yo San University is approved to begin enrolling students but is not accredited or pre-accredited by ACAHM. This program is eligible for ACAHM accreditation, and Yo San is currently in the process of seeking ACAHM pre-accreditation/accreditation for the program. However, Yo San can provide no assurance that pre-accreditation or accreditation will be granted by ACAHM. Graduates of an unaccredited program are not considered to have graduated from an ACAHM-accredited or pre-accredited program and may not rely on ACAHM accreditation or pre-accreditation for professional licensure or other purposes.

Public Disclosure Statement Effective as of 25 February 2023

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is approved by the California Acupuncture Board to allow graduates of the University’s Master of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (MATCM) program to sit for the California Acupuncture Licensing Examination (CALE). Acupuncturists are licensed in California by the California Acupuncture Board. Please contact this agency for further licensing information

The California Acupuncture Board also approves Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a provider of continuing education courses for licensed acupuncturists.

Acupuncturists are licensed in California by the California Acupuncture Board. Please contact this agency for further licensing information.

California Acupuncture Board
State of California Department of Consumer Affairs
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-219, Sacramento, CA 95834
Tel: (916) 515-­5200
acupuncture.ca.gov

Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)

Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (YSU) is a private institution licensed to operate by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) under Section 94897 (l) of the State of California Education Code.

Any questions students may have regarding this catalog that have not been satisfactorily answered by the institution may be directed to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education at:

Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)
1747 North Market Blvd., Suite 225
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: (916) 574-8900
Toll Free: (888) 370-7589
Main Fax: (916) 263-1897
bppe.ca.gov

To view the most recent annual report submitted to the BPPE:
2021 Institutional Data
2021 School Performance Fact Sheet
2021 Annual Report MATCM Program
2021 Annual Report DAOM Program

Acupuncture Licensure

Forty-five states and the District of Columbia license acupuncturists. The following information will help you navigate the requirements for practice.

In California, the California Acupuncture Board establishes education requirements, accredits schools, and oversees a licensing examination process. To practice in in California, one must graduate from a state-approved instruction program of at least 3,000 hours and pass the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam (CALE). Training for California licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.s) includes basic Western sciences and Western medicine training as well as acupuncture, herbal medicine and Oriental medical theory. Graduates of a CAB-approved school are also eligible to sit for the national exam and receive national certification. We encourage all prospective practitioners to review the licensing requirements for the state in which they intend to practice.

View Curriculum Requirements of the California Acupuncture Board.

Most other states require acupuncture specialists to have taken the exams of and/or obtained certification from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Practitioners with this certification are granted the title of Diplomate in Acupuncture (Dipl. Ac.), Herbology (Dipl. C.H.), or Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM). NCCAOM develops and administers the exam, while the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) creates the standards of training and approves schools. ACAHM is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit acupuncture training programs. The NCCAOM follows the curriculum requirements set by ACAHM when developing its exams and determining eligibility for applicants. Even with an NCCAOM certification and initials, different states then grant titles such as Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac. or Lic.Ac.), Certified Acupuncturist (C.A.), or Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.). A few states grant titles with wording including the term “doctor” or “physician,” as in “doctor of oriental medicine” or “acupuncture physician.”