aiming for acupuncture degree, need help with CBE bachelors plan

[teadrinker000]

Are you going for the UMPI BLS and getting extra credits? Three things that you want to investigate:
1) Accreditation for Five Branches University, I think they're only state approved, yet also have some other programmatic/secondary approval for some programs
2) The cost of the program at Five Branches, they actually offer a dual program, but it's $70K USD for 3-4 years of your time.  
3) Investigate alternative options that are DEAC accredited, some may also have similar programmatic/secondary accreditation or approval for their programs

i am going for the psych ba at umpi i think. i'm not sure the schedule would be much different with the bls.. if you have an opinion i'd love to hear it.. 

from their website : Five Branches University is institutionally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM), and is licensed to operate by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education

i'm ok with the cost of Five Branches, i really want to be in santa cruz, so it works well for me. i spoke with their admissions lady and she advised that i could simply get an associates and begin my studies, i have pondered getting about 90 credits earned from UMPI and just stopping there and moving on to the Master's work. 

after all the digging its starting to feel like i've got this LOL

[bjcheung77]

Adding on the UMPI BLS with a minor or two, or the BA Psych first is your best option, it's your first degree and shouldn't cost you much more, it's also going to be your 'fall back plan' if the Five Branches doesn't work out for you. That's what I read it as, it's got the programmatic/secondary accreditation but only is state approved with the BPPE, it doesn't look like it's RA or NA (DEAC).

[teadrinker000]

Adding on the UMPI BLS with a minor or two, or the BA Psych first is your best option, it's your first degree and shouldn't cost you much more, it's also going to be your 'fall back plan' if the Five Branches doesn't work out for you.  That's what I read it as, it's got the programmatic/secondary accreditation but only is state approved with the BPPE, it doesn't look like it's RA or NA (DEAC).

just got my fafsa submitted, waiting to hear back and going to get started studying for my clep tests.. i think umpi is definitely my best bet. 
i see give branches is accredited with CHEA as well, and they carry a good reputation regardless.. DEAC would only be for distance learning and acupuncture isn't taught online ️

[teadrinker000]

Adding on the UMPI BLS with a minor or two, or the BA Psych first is your best option, it's your first degree and shouldn't cost you much more, it's also going to be your 'fall back plan' if the Five Branches doesn't work out for you.  That's what I read it as, it's got the programmatic/secondary accreditation but only is state approved with the BPPE, it doesn't look like it's RA or NA (DEAC).

i just found the physics class i need on tel learning, do you know if umpi has any issue with accepting these? tysm

[ss20ts]

i just found the physics class i need on tel learning, do you know if umpi has any issue with accepting these? tysm

UMPI won't accept the credits directly from TEL Learning. You'd have to get them on a transcript from one of their partner colleges. You would one which is RA. I just looked through all of the colleges listed as partners on UMPI's transfer database and I can't say for sure any classes from TEL Learning have been transferred into UMPI.

[teadrinker000]

i just found the physics class i need on tel learning, do you know if umpi has any issue with accepting these? tysm

UMPI won't accept the credits directly from TEL Learning. You'd have to get them on a transcript from one of their partner colleges. You would one which is RA. I just looked through all of the colleges listed as partners on UMPI's transfer database and I can't say for sure any classes from TEL Learning have been transferred into UMPI.

thanks for the input.. looks like Portage has the classes I'm looking for and their credits come from Geneva College which is RA.. hoping this will work

[ss20ts]

i just found the physics class i need on tel learning, do you know if umpi has any issue with accepting these? tysm

UMPI won't accept the credits directly from TEL Learning. You'd have to get them on a transcript from one of their partner colleges. You would one which is RA. I just looked through all of the colleges listed as partners on UMPI's transfer database and I can't say for sure any classes from TEL Learning have been transferred into UMPI.

thanks for the input.. looks like Portage has the classes I'm looking for and their credits come from Geneva College which is RA.. hoping this will work

There are a couple of courses from Geneva College in the transfer database which appear to be Portage Learning classes. This means that they accepted those courses in the past and does not necessarily mean that they accept them today. Good luck!

[Jonathan Whatley]

Five Branches University specifically has and acupuncture and related programs generally have among the highest debt-to-income ratios in higher education. In the population reported in the table here of Five Branches University graduates who took out US federal student loans, the median student loan was $138,800, and the median annual income was $25,333.

Think about having an annual income somewhere around $25,333 after having completed a graduate program in a health profession.

Maybe you have a plan to beat those odds. Most entering students probably had such a plan.

Oregon alternative medicine students face a long road to loan forgiveness (Tiffany Camhi, Oregon Public Broadcasting, August 30, 2024); the article is principally about schools in Oregon but a table from federal data includes schools elsewhere


(From "Art School Confidential" by Daniel Clowes, BFA)

[teadrinker000]

hey John, thanks so much for your reply.. i am fully onboard with your train of thought... decided to pursue a degree in counseling instead and I'm 75% of the way thru the bachelor's portion already.. the numbers for acupuncture just don't work

[clep3705]

Oregon College of Oriental Medicine closed down.  https://www.opb.org/article/2024/08/29/p...upuncture/

Other acupuncture schools in Austin and San Francisco closed in 2024.

The article also mentions the National University of Natural Medicine.