Accredation

The Masters Degree Program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine of the World Medicine Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The World Medicine Institute has been fully accredited since 1991.

Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Maryland Trade Center 3
7501 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 820
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301)313-0855

Length of the Program
The Master's of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program is a 4 year academic program, which may be completed by students with high motivation and commitment in not less than 36 calendar months. Presently, the WMI offers 45 weeks per calendar year, which is divided into three fifteen week semesters (Fall, Spring and Summer) per academic year. Regarding the 36 month accelerated and regular programs, the two programs have the same requirements of didactic hours and clinical training. However to ensure a student may not graduate from the WMI in less than the requisite 36 months they will not be allowed to register for all the courses in each of the eight semesters set out below and must elect to complete at least one course in the semester in which they will be graduating. The maximum time frame to complete the program is no more than eight years.

Semester Registration
Registration occurs one month prior to the start of each semester; at such time, a class schedule and registration form are mailed to all new students. Registration forms are also available at the WMI business office. New students are required to submit a $500 registration deposit, which is applied to the outstanding tuition balance. Registration forms for continuing students must be completed and returned to the WMI two weeks prior to the first day of classes; otherwise a late fee will be charged.

Tuition is due at the time of registration; otherwise, a $20 administrative fee will be due and a 1% administrative charge will be assessed monthly on unpaid balances. All other fees must be paid upon registration or at required times during the semester. All past due balances must be paid in full prior to registration or the student will not be permitted to register for classes.

Education Costs 

                                              
Other potential and variable costs include, but are not limited to: tuition increases, books and educational supplies, State or National licensing and examination fees, and participation in certain student events and activities.

Financial Aid
WMI offers financial aid in the form of Stafford subsidized and un-subsidized student loans. The choice of lender is entirely at the discretion of each student. WMI also has state approval for veterans' benefits (Veterans Administration Education Entitlement VA 21-4255). No person in default on a loan certified by WMI will receive transcripts or records of course work. The financial aid process requires at least two months to complete, so students must complete their Financial Aid application by each semester filing date deadline. Each student that participated in the financial aid program must follow a set of guidelines. These guidelines are available upon request. An exit interview is also required of those who receive financial aid.

Payment Policy
Students must pay for the full 8 semesters of the program, irregardless of hours earned. In the case of a medical or family emergency, students may within the next semester make up the hours without paying for an additional semester.

Full tuition is due two weeks before the first day of the semester, otherwise a $20 administration charge will be due and a 1% administrative charge will be assessed monthly on the unpaid balance. All other fees must be paid at the time required or agreed upon. Any student who has an overdue and outstanding financial obligation to the WMI will not be allowed to register for a new semester of instruction or to participate in clinical training program.

Refund Policy
A percentage of tuition will be refunded to students who formally withdraw, based on the approval date of the formal withdrawal letter. There is an automatic Cancellation and Withdrawal Fee of $35.00 per course. A student who has registered for a course but arrives after one or more classes have been held, may not be granted a refund if the student’s attendance results in that student acquiring credit for that course. Refunds will be issued within 30 business days after the receipt of the formal withdrawal letter.  Less the nonrefundable application fee, the following percentage will be returned:

Students who change their registration from the enrollment level that their award was made may be required to repay all or part of the financial aid received. A recalculation of award based on Federal guidelines will be done to determine if an over award exists. Financial aid over award repayments will be made in accordance with Federal guidelines.

Students who completely withdraw will have all or part of their refund applied first to any Title IV financial aid received in the following order (according to Federal regulation): Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, and other sources of Federal aid. Any remaining funds will be returned to the State, Institution, and student in that order.

Continuing students who withdraw within the tuition refund period will have their refunds calculated according to the Institution Refund Policy listed in the school catalog. Per the 1992 Higher Education Amendments, WMI must calculate a Pro-Rata refund for first time students who received Title IV funds if the student withdraws on or before the 60% point of the enrollment period. To determine the largest refund to the student, WMI will compare the Institutional Refund formula with the Pro-Rata Refund formula (in accordance with federal regulations).

For students whose funding source is the Department of Veteran Affairs, refunds are calculated as the difference between the total tuition and other charges less 10% above the exact pro rata portion of the tuition fees, and other charges that the length of the completed portion of the course bears to its total length. The exact proration will be determined on the ratio of the number of days of instruction completed by the student to the total number of instructional days.

Attendance
Regular and prompt attendance at class and clinic sessions is expected for all courses in which a student enrolls, with attendance worth 10% of the final grade. Students with less than 70% class attendance will receive a grade of "F" for the course. Tardiness longer than 15 minutes will be considered an absence. An absence may be deemed to be an "excused absence", and thus not held against a student, at the sole discretion of the Academic Dean. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange to make up any missed coursework, academic hours, quizzes, and exams.

Grading System
Evaluation of students will be made by letter grade each semester. Semester grades will be based on evaluation of coursework and final course examination or course notebook. Instructors will assign grades as follows:

Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students are responsible for fulfilling the requirements of each course to the satisfaction of the instructor. A grade of at least "C-" must be maintained at all times in each class to remain in good standing. A student who does not meet the "C-" minimum will be required to retake the course for a satisfactory letter grade only; no additional credit towards the degree will be granted. While the school makes every effort to help students who may be experiencing difficulties, a student who does not meet requirements will not be allowed to participate in clinical training programs, and may be terminated from matriculation. The student must wait one semester before reapplying for admission.

Incompletes
WMI does not issue Incompletes for coursework or course grades, except in cases of medical emergencies and/or at the sole discretion of the Academic Dean. All coursework is required to be submitted by the last day of class, except in the case of an agreed Incomplete when the uncompleted portion of the semester's work is required to be submitted by the end of the following semester. All Clinic coursework, observation hours & intern treatments are to be finished by the last day of the semester except when prior arrangements have been made with the Clinic Director. A student who is unable to comply with this policy will receive a grade of 'F' for the course and will be required to retake the course for a letter grade and course credit.

Student Records & Transcripts
The Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 accords to persons who are currently, or were formerly in attendance at WMI as registered students, a right to access their educational records that contain information directly related to them. Persons who unsuccessfully applied for admission to WMI are not covered by the Act. The Act also restricts the persons to whom WMI may disclose a student's education records without the student's written permission.

Student records and transcripts are located in the WMI office. The student file contains application papers, grade reports, and any official action taken by the WMI concerning the student. A student may review the contents of his or her file except for letters of reference, which remain confidential even as to the student. The review of the file must take place in the presence of a designated WMI administrator. Students may not remove records from the office.

All transcript requests must be received from the student in writing. No student may receive a transcript if there is any financial debt to the WMI, including but not limited to tuition, fees, lab fees, lost or overdue books, etc.  No person in default on a financial aid loan certified by WMI may receive transcripts or records of course work. An academic transcript will be provided for the fee of $15 to each student upon completion of the program or withdrawal from the institution, within ten days of the request.

Leave of Absence
Students are permitted to apply in writing for an academic leave of absence of more than one semester from the WMI. Students who are taking a leave of absence must be mindful of the fact that the education and training must be completed within eight years of having commenced education at CAHM. Students are expected to conform to existing curriculum requirements at the time of readmission and must pay a $100 readmission fee. Leave of absence forms are available from the Administrator.
  
Graduation
By the end of the fourth academic year, students have integrated academic learning and clinical training; they have developed sensitivity, awareness of protocol, and professional standards and ethics of professional practice. The spiritual disciplines of Taoism and the practice of chi kung have given them an extra dimensional insight and intuitive awareness into the unique needs of the patients. Within this healing milieu, students have learned how to creatively personalize and tailor therapies for effective case management. Knowledge and its practical application are unified, and the students are ready to graduate and become practitioners.

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