Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences

What Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences does

The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences (ACCHS) is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) California public benefit corporation founded in 1982 in Oakland, California, and the second-oldest Traditional Chinese Medicine school in the United States. It operates as a graduate-level educational institution offering a portfolio of accredited programs: the MAcCHM (Master of Science in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine), the DAcCHM/MAcCHM Dual Degree, the DAOM (Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), the asynchronous DAcCHM Bridge Program for working practitioners, and an incoming Tui Na Medical Massage Certification (Fall 2026). Instruction is delivered bilingually in English and Mandarin, on a four-year professional cycle for entry degrees, with ACAHM and BPPE accreditations enabling graduates to sit for the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam and NCCAOM certification. ACCHS also runs a 9-room community acupuncture teaching clinic with telemedicine herbal consultations.

The business model combines tuition-led program revenue (multi-year contracts with per-unit pricing, ranging from approximately $7,695 for the Bridge Program to $65,345 for the Dual Degree), per-visit teaching clinic revenue ($20 telemedicine herbal consults; $35–$45 on-site acupuncture with $5 discounts for seniors, MediCal, students, teachers, and veterans), and continuing-education course fees ($99–$525 per course, providing at least 50 required credits per two-year license-renewal period). Funding sources include Federal Direct Student Loans, Grad PLUS Loans, VA educational benefits, and the Indian Health Service Health Professions Scholarship Program, supporting a price position described as the most affordable acupuncture school in California. Customer segments span prospective TCM students, licensed practitioners pursuing doctoral credentials or CEUs, veterans, and community clinic patients in the Oakland Chinatown catchment.

Name

Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences

Legal name

Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences

Website

https://acchs.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences is a 1982-founded, not-for-profit Oakland institution — the second-oldest TCM school in the U.S. — delivering accredited bilingual (English/Mandarin) acupuncture and Oriental medicine degrees, a community teaching clinic, and continuing education to students, practitioners, and community patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Chinese Medicine Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDANAIAB

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

Keywords

• Traditional Chinese medicine education
• Acupuncture degree programs
• Oriental medicine training
• Chinese herbal medicine certification
• Continuing education acupuncture

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Programs: Revenue from graduate-level educational programs including MAcCHM (Master's), DAcCHM/MAcCHM (Dual Degree), DAOM (Doctorate), Bridge Program, and Tui Na certification. Programs are priced per trimester or total program cost.
2. Clinic Services: Revenue from providing acupuncture treatment, herbal medicine consultations, and medical massage services through the teaching clinic. Services offered at varying price points for telemedicine, on-site with interns, and on-site with licensed acupuncturists.
3. Continuing Education (CEU) Courses: Revenue from continuing education courses for licensed acupuncturists, with courses ranging from $99 to $525 per course. ACCHS offers at least 50 required credits per two-year period for licensed practitioners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ACCHS is a graduate-level Traditional Chinese Medicine school delivering accredited MAcCHM, DAOM, Dual Degree (DAcCHM/MAcCHM), and DAcCHM Bridge programs, plus a Tui Na Medical Massage certification. Education is reinforced by a community teaching clinic where students deliver low-cost acupuncture, herbal medicine, and medical massage, and by California Acupuncture Board-approved CEU courses for licensed practitioners. All programs are offered bilingually in English and Mandarin, with a Classical Chinese Medicine curriculum rooted in foundational texts such as Shang Han Za Bing Lun.

Product overview

The Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences (ACCHS) operates as an educational institution offering a portfolio of Traditional Chinese Medicine credential programs. The core offerings consist of the MAcCHM (Master's in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine), the DAOM (Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), the DAcCHM Bridge Program for working practitioners, and the Dual Degree DAcCHM/MAcCHM pathway. Supporting these are the Tui Na Medical Massage Certification program and the community acupuncture clinic that provides supervised clinical training for students while offering low-cost healthcare services. The institution also provides continuing education courses for licensed practitioners seeking to maintain or expand their certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine (MAcCHM) Four-year professional graduate degree program preparing students for licensure as acupuncturists and TCM primary care providers. Includes 2,245 didactic hours and 960 clinical hours (300 observation, 250 pre-internship, 410 internship), offered bilingually in English and Mandarin.
• Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM) Two-year post-master's doctoral program providing advanced clinical training in Classical Chinese Herbal Medicine (Jing Fang) and Integrated Orthopedic Acupuncture and Pain Management, delivered via 4-day weekend sessions monthly in a hybrid in-person/online format.
• Dual Degree (DAcCHM/MAcCHM) Program Combined four-year program allowing students to earn both Doctorate and Master's degrees in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine concurrently, totaling 2,365 didactic hours and 1,020 clinical hours.
• DAcCHM Bridge Program Asynchronous online pathway for licensed practitioners holding a Master's in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine to earn a doctoral degree without pausing career or relocating, with total investment of $7,695.50.
• Tui Na Medical Massage Certification Program 555-hour certification program in Tui Na (Chinese medical massage) planned to be offered in English and Mandarin starting Fall 2026, preparing students to apply Chinese Meridian Theory using Tui Na therapeutic techniques.
• ACCHS Community Acupuncture Clinic On-site teaching clinic with 9 private treatment rooms delivering low-cost acupuncture, herbal medicine, and medical massage by Master's students and licensed Doctoral candidates, plus telemedicine herbal consultations with mailed formulas.
• Continuing Education (CEU) Courses Over 25 California Acupuncture Board-approved continuing education courses (Provider #001) totaling at least 50 required credits per two-year period, including orthopedic acupuncture, battlefield acupuncture, herbal medicine, classical Chinese physiology, and anatomy labs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% CALE (California Acupuncture Licensing Exam) pass rate for first-time test takers (reporting period 1/1/2023 – 6/30/2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charlotte Maxwell Clinic (CMC Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2030ACCHS partners with the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, which conducts volunteer training programs. Charlotte Maxwell Clinic provides integrative and complementary health services to underserved communities, aligning with ACCHS's mission of accessible healthcare.
• Tsinghua University Medical StudentsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Tsinghua University medical students visit ACCHS for educational exchange, providing cultural and academic collaboration between institutions.
• American Association of Chinese Medicine (AACMA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025American Association of Chinese Medicine provides professional association support and advocacy for TCM practitioners, with ACCHS participating in AACMA events and initiatives.
• Golden Flower Chinese HerbsminorOthers · 1 December 2024Golden Flower Chinese Herbs made donations to ACCHS, supporting the school's herbal pharmacy and educational programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Five Branches University: Five Branches University is one of the oldest and most prominent TCM schools in the US, offering Master's and Doctoral programs in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from campuses in Santa Cruz and San Jose, CA. It is a direct competitor for the same applicant pool in Northern California and shares a faculty exchange history with ACCHS.
• Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine: Emperor's College, based in Santa Monica, CA, offers Master's and Doctoral acupuncture degrees and is ACAHM-accredited. It competes for the same California-based TCM students and similar continuing education audiences as ACCHS.
• Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Yo San University in Los Angeles offers MATCM and DAOM programs with a focus on classical Chinese medicine, closely paralleling ACCHS's classical curriculum orientation. Both are smaller, philosophically driven California TCM schools.
• American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine at CIIS: ACTCM at California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco offers Master's and Doctoral TCM degrees. It is a direct Bay Area competitor to ACCHS for both students and faculty.
• AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine: AOMA in Austin, Texas offers Master's and Doctoral acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs with ACAHM accreditation. It competes for the same national applicant pool seeking graduate TCM credentials, with stronger geographic reach into the central US.
• Maryland University of Integrative Health: MUIH offers graduate degrees in acupuncture and Oriental medicine with both on-campus and online/hybrid formats. Its hybrid delivery model is comparable to ACCHS's emerging online Bridge program, making it relevant for national reach comparison.
• National University of Natural Medicine: NUNM in Portland, Oregon offers Master's and Doctoral programs in Classical Chinese Medicine (MSCNM) and acupuncture. Its classical orientation directly mirrors ACCHS's CCM focus, making it a key peer for prospective classical-herbalism students.
• Pacific College of Health and Science: Pacific College of Health and Science operates multiple campuses (San Diego, New York, Chicago) offering acupuncture, massage, and holistic health programs. It is the largest US acupuncture college by enrollment, making it a direct but much larger-scale peer to ACCHS.
• Virginia University of Integrative Medicine: VUIM offers Master's and Doctoral acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs on the US East Coast. It is a direct competitor for the same national applicant pool and shares faculty cross-pollination history with ACCHS (e.g., Dr. Anthony Von der Muhll).

Broad incumbents

• Bastyr University: Bastyr University in Washington state offers acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs alongside naturopathic medicine and other integrative health degrees. It is a broader, larger, and more diversified natural-medicine institution that overlaps with ACCHS only on TCM degrees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/acchs.tcm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/academy-of-chinese-culture-&-health-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/acchs_oakland
• Xx.com/acchs_tcm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences