Becoming an acupuncturist

Deciding to study acupuncture can be the beginning of an exciting and life-changing journey. Acupuncturists come from all walks of life. Many people choose to study acupuncture as a second career after experiencing the health benefits of acupuncture for themselves.

What does it take to qualify and which course to choose?

You don’t need any previous healthcare experience to study traditional acupuncture on one of the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) accredited courses. What you do need is a willingness to embrace a very different way of looking at health and disease. Acupuncture training demands considerable commitment on your part, not only of time and effort, but also to being open to challenge and growth through self-reflection.

BAAB accredited courses guarantee excellence in training, safe practice and professional conduct. Courses operate at honours degree level. You will be required to attend university or college for practical work and usually for lectures, tutorials and seminars as well, although online learning is also beginning to feature. The criteria by which a course is accredited are available from the BAAB website.

A BAAB accredited course offers a thorough grounding in Chinese medicine theory together with physiology, anatomy and other western medical sciences, in order to provide an integrated understanding of both traditional eastern and modern western approaches to healthcare. Graduates of BAAB accredited courses are automatically eligible to join the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC), the UK’s lead governing body for acupuncture.

During your time as an acupuncture undergraduate the BAcC invites you, at no cost, to become a Student Member.

Find an accredited acupuncture course

Still deciding where to study? Please see information on our accredited college programme

Join student membership

If you are already studying at one of our BAAB accredited colleges you are eligible to register as a student member of BAcC.