Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU) has announced that it will offer its first Doctor of Chinese Medicine degree to students beginning January 2019. The program will blend an understanding of classic approaches to wellness and healing with modern applications in clinical and hospital settings.

This is the first such program offered in Minnesota at a regionally accredited college or university. The 10-trimester program will focus on acupuncture and traditional herbal medicine, both of which are at the center of Chinese medicine. Students will also earn a Master of Acupuncture degree as part of the program.

“We’re offering this new degree because of marketplace demand from our students and the healthcare industry,” explains Dr. Christian Jovanovic, program director of the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine program. “We’re seeing a great interest in understanding and applying the tools of traditional healing, especially in combination with modern healthcare services offered in clinics and hospitals.”

The new doctoral program is designed to increase the marketability and value that graduates bring to the healthcare industry, including through wider practice opportunities in clinical and hospital settings.

“The approach to health and wellness that Traditional Chinese Medicine has taught for centuries is now generating high levels of interest,” states Dr. Dale Healey, dean of the College of Health and Wellness. “More healthcare providers are understanding that one of the world’s oldest approaches to wellness and healing has high value in the modern world. We’re excited to start working with our first group of students in this program.”

The Doctor of Chinese Medicine program is available to applicants with at least 90 undergraduate credits.

For more than 75 years, NWHSU, based in Bloomington, has provided world-class professional education and research as well as comprehensive health and wellness services. Its more than 130 faculty members annually teach about 6,500 students pursuing degrees and continuing education in accredited programs in chiropractic, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, Chinese medicine, nutrition and other health treatments. NWHSU has more than 7,500 graduates throughout the U.S. and in 21 countries.

For more information, call 952-885-5409 or visit NWHealth.edu.