FAQs

1) What are the entry requirements for your courses?

2) I am an overseas student, is there anything else I need to consider?

3) Can I get any financial help with the course fees?

4) Who teaches the courses?

5) I want to retrain for a career in Oriental medicine, but I still need to earn a living. Is this possible?

6) I've heard about TCM and 5 elements. I want to be sure I'm making the best choice by studying at LCTA. What do you teach?

7) Is the Patient/Practitioner relationship important?

8) Will I change as a person?

9) Will I be able to make a living when I graduate?

10) What is the government’s view of Chinese medicine?

11) I have covered part of your course elsewhere, can I claim exemption?

12) Can I buy any books through the College?

13) What support is there for me as a student at LCTA?

14) What about assessment?  Will I have to sit lots of written exams?

Q: What are the entry requirements for your courses?
A: Although, strictly speaking, our entry requirements for our undergraduate programmes in Acupuncture and Tui Na are Grade C or above in English GCSE and 240 points at 'A' level (or equivalent), we are much more interested in your life experiences and dedication to the subject. Regardless of your educational qualifications you are strongly encouraged to apply and will be considered on the basis of your work and life experience. Although the average age of our students are aged is 35 we have qualified students well outside that age range.

To join our postgraduate courses in Tui Na or Oriental Herbal Medicine, a previous TCM qualification is needed. For the course in Nutrition, a previous healthcare related degree qualification is needed.

Applicants may already have significant commitments to work or family and will need to be able to show that they have the practical resources and support to sustain them through the course.

We have a commitment to selecting our students on an equal opportunities basis: students are selected for their suitability as individuals, not for their membership of any particular group.

To find out more, or to apply for one of our courses contact the College on 020 8446 3332.

Q: I am an overseas student, is there anything else I need to consider?
A: When you have an offer of a place on one of our courses it is then your responsibility to organise visas, work permits and so on before the start of term. LCTA is registered with the Department for Education and Skills on its Register of Education and Training Providers. The Register is a list of genuine education and training providers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Register does not quality
assure or accredit in any way the learning provision of any registered provider.

If English is not your first language you will need to satisfy the College that you are capable of undertaking degree-level study in English. In general we ask that you achieve band 6.5 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For Masters level courses we ask for band 7.

Q: Can I get any financial help with the course fees?
A: Yes, although we are not a state-funded/UCAS College there are still numerous sources of funding to turn to when financing a course.

For information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact 0800 100 900.

Professional Studies Loans (PSLs)
Some banks offer this loan if you are studying for a specific profession. The terms of the loan are quite flexible, but the amount being lent can vary along with the repayment schedule. Most PSLs have a deferred repayment period during the training course and a relatively low interest rate.

Third Party Loans
The terms offered can vary significantly, with some bigger lenders being prepared to lend on individual merit and on an unsecured basis.

Credit/Debit cards
The College is able to accept payments by both credit and debit cards, but please note that there is a 3% charge for using this facility if you wish to pay by credit card.

Employer-funded study
If your course ties in closely with your current career path then you may find that your employer will be willing to fund your studies. You will need to be able to convince your employer that it is worth investing in you and be aware that they may ask you to sign an agreement tying you to them for a specific period once you have finished the course.

Charities, grants and government support
Nowadays, funding from these sources is very limited. However some students have obtained funding in support of part of the course fees. This support is usually made on a discretionary basis, agreed annually in advance and may be conditional.
Local authorities are empowered to give discretionary grants to students who are following any of our full-time courses. Such grants are very rare and cannot be counted on. However it is certainly a route worth pursuing because the funding does not usually have to be repaid. You should ask your own authority for more information.
In many areas there are local charities and trusts that may be able to help you with your course expenses and your Citizens Advice Bureau will have a database of these organisations. The Education Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) can also offer advice and guidance on funding including loans, grants, benefits, access funds, hardship funds, bursaries and charitable trusts.

Useful websites:
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.egas-online.org/fwa
www.scholarship-search.org.uk

Q: Who teaches the courses?
A: In order to integrate the many strands of Oriental medicine in teaching, we work with teachers who not only come from all over the world, but are trained all over the world. Our teaching team is unique, special and dynamic. We have a group of teachers with enormously varied qualifications and experience, many of whom have been with us since our inception. Our lecturers’ knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject goes a long way towards producing the approachable, stimulating atmosphere that students immediately notice between students and staff. Graduates tell us that this opportunity to access teachers' combined wisdom and skills is invaluable to them in developing their own expertise and individual approach to practice. To find out more about the teaching team and why we are so proud of them check out the staff biographies.

Q: I want to retrain for a career in Oriental medicine, but I still need to earn a living. Is this possible?
A: Yes, many of our students work and study at the same time, and with our wide range of study options your decisions are never set in stone.

• We have a variety of study options for our undergraduate courses. You can usually choose whether to study full time or part time and whether you want to study during weekdays or at weekends and many have intakes in both September and March. The course units are exactly the same, regardless of which format you choose.
• Courses normally operate over 'school' terms, so holidays are at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. Timetables are issued on enrolment but can normally be given earlier on request.
• Study consists of lectures and seminars, clinical and practical experience, and home study. There is quite a high proportion of home study in all our courses, for more information on the amount of home study required see above.
• The College day runs from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm, with a further half an hour at the end of the day for tutorial sessions. Clinical sessions, however, are often run outside these hours.

Q: I've heard about TCM and 5 elements. I want to be sure I'm making the best choice by studying at LCTA. What do you teach?
A: People are often confused by these two terms. The terms TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Five Elements come from popular understanding and tend to be misleading and simplistic when used on their own. TCM is what you may have heard as the more physical, mechanistic side of Chinese medicine. The Five Elements, on the other hand, are what some people describe as the best tool to use when treating emotionally based conditions.

Our view of this subject, however, is rather different. A better way to describe Chinese medicine, as it has traditionally been used in China, is to see it as made up of a range of tools, suitable for diagnosing and treating all sorts of different patients and different conditions. So, for example, the Four Levels or the Six Divisions look at how deeply into the body (to what “Level) a disease has penetrated. You can also look at whether a person’s Yin/Yang balance is upset, or whether they are showing imbalance in one or more of the Five Elements. Whichever tool you use, you would take into account your patient’s physical condition and their constitution, as well as their emotional responses.

This description highlights only a small number of ways of using Chinese medicine but, if you think of it as a toolbox, what is important is to be able to use all the tools in your toolbox skilfully. In its more authentic form, Chinese medicine uses many tools, as and when they are called for and without conscious separation. This, therefore, is how we teach them. This skill is an essential starting point (the core, if you like) if you want to go on and study more than one discipline in Chinese medicine, as a high proportion of our students do.

Rest assured – at LCTA you will learn how to use all the tools in your toolbox, not just one or two, and you will be fully equipped to take your practice and your further study forward in whatever direction you chose.

Q: Is the Patient/Practitioner relationship important?
A: We believe that this relationship is central. You will be encouraged to develop a deep understanding of your patients and of your own practice through sharing your observations and reflections and through receiving a high level of one-to-one guidance from your teachers. You will learn how to use your new knowledge and skills to make good and effective relationships with patients. This adaptation of ancient wisdom to modern-day relationships is exciting and inspirational even to those already experienced in working with people. You will earn how to focus your treatment and encourage your patients in moving towards the ends that you have agreed between you. In the process, you will learn a great deal about yourself, and this self-understanding will be woven back into your practice as increased skill and understanding of the patient.

Q: Will I change as a person?
A: Without doubt. You may find that your work on the course brings up personal issues that need your attention. We will encourage and support you in this work, as we often find that personal development goes hand in hand with your evolution into a self-aware and effective practitioner.

Q: Will I be able to make a living when I graduate?
A: Potential students often ask this question - for obvious reasons! We encourage our students to work out exactly what they want from Chinese medicine and to go for that: a very high proportion succeed. Some choose to work full time, some part time; some work in the UK and some abroad; some work privately, and others within the NHS. When you are working in the Teaching Clinic, you will make strong relationships with your patients, many of whom may want to come with you to your practice when you graduate. Then, if you continue to focus strongly and talk enthusiastically to people about what you do, your practice will thrive.

We recognise that perhaps one of the most difficult times for our undergraduate students is when they leave the College and begin in practice. To address this we have developed a unit specifically to guide students through the process. The unit explores finding premises and setting up a practice, promoting what you do and attracting patients, book keeping skills and developing a support network. Using your own vision of how you want your practice to run, you will be asked to compose a detailed and workable practice plan that you will then implement before finally completing the unit. We provide just the right amount of hand-holding and, by the time our students leave us, they are delighted with their independence and confident about their competence.

Q: What is the government’s view of Chinese medicine?
A: The Department of Health is currently working with the acupuncture and herb professions and more generally with CAM as a whole to establish a system of legal regulation that will safeguard the public interest. We welcome this because it will mean that the professions get a well-deserved increase in credibility in the marketplace.

Over the last few years, under voluntary regulation, LCTA has participated in helping to establish degree qualifications as the benchmark in our field and we fully support any government move that formally recognises this. It is important that patients understand exactly what type of treatment is on offer and have the knowledge at their fingertips to make an informed choice.  The aim of regulation is to achieve this.

Q: I have covered part of your course elsewhere, can I claim exemption?
A: The short answer is yes.
We have a policy of Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) which we use with each individual to find out which units you might be exempt from. Students wishing to transfer from other colleges in the UK or abroad will be assessed individually to determine of they are eligible.
There are three different ways to assess exemption:

By Certification
Students wishing to claim exemption from any part of the course, such as those working as western health professionals or shiatsu practitioners, will be required to produce certificates to confirm their qualifications. If you have current membership of an approved professional body this will usually be enough to qualify you for exemption.

By Portfolio
If you do not have the appropriate qualifications or certificates, or your knowledge has not been used professionally for over 5 years, in certain circumstances you may be invited to submit a portfolio showing details of your studies, including how you have covered necessary aspects of the course.

By Assessment
If neither of the above are adequate, it is sometimes possible to undergo a formal assessment to determine your level of understanding in a given area.

Q: Can I buy any books through the College?
A: Yes you can. We have an arrangement with Balance Healthcare who provide all the essential course texts that you will need at less than the RRP and you will receive an order form for the books before your course begins. If you decide to order books through the College we will arrange for them to be brought here for collection on your first or second day of term. There may also be the opportunity to come to the College earlier to collect them. Alternatively if you contact Balance Healthcare by telephone on 0800 072 0202 it may be possible to pay a bit extra and have them delivered to your home.

Q: What support is there for me as a student at LCTA?
A: There is a large variety of support for students at our College, including personal and academic tutors, a student psychotherapist and the Learning Space. For more information see the Student Support section of our site.

Q: What about assessment?  Will I have to sit lots of written exams?
A: Chinese medicine is a practical skill and, where appropriate, we teach and assess your work practically. For example, a point location class is taught by marking points on real bodies (usually those of your classmates!). You will also be assessed practically and taught in small groups with close supervision. Likewise, when you are in clinic you will be taught and assessed in a very practical way. A more theoretical unit, such as Chinese Medicine Theory, is taught in a more lecture-based format and is assessed using written exams and projects. We always tailor the assessment to suit the subject being learnt, and, whenever we can, we adjust the timetable so that your assessments are spread evenly through the year.