What College of Integrated Chinese Medicine does

The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) is a privately held UK educational institution founded in 1993 and headquartered at 19 Castle Street, Reading, where it operates from a single campus with approximately 30 employees. It is the largest acupuncture college in the UK and has produced more than 1,500 graduates, teaching a proprietary integrated methodology that combines Five Element constitutional acupuncture with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pioneered by co-founders Angela and John Hicks. The core academic offering is a 3-year BSc (Hons) Acupuncture degree validated by Kingston University (formerly the University College of Osteopathy) and accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB), with weekday and weekend study options, blended online and in-person delivery, and more than 400 hours of clinical experience.

CICM generates revenue through multiple streams: tuition fees for the BSc degree and post-graduate diplomas (Paediatrics, Tuina, Gynaecology/Fertility/Obstetrics, Chinese Dietary Therapy), and a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme of weekend workshops, multi-day seminars, and online courses priced between £30 and £320 per event. A parallel clinical business operates three clinics at the Reading campus: a low-cost teaching clinic staffed by final-year students under supervision, a practitioner clinic staffed by experienced acupuncturists, and a specialist paediatric teaching clinic (£15 per session). Ancillary revenue comes from faculty-authored publications, clinical study trips to Guangdong Second Provincial Chinese Medicine Hospital in Guangzhou, and sales of textbooks and meridian charts.

The college's go-to-market is event-driven and community-driven: prospective students are recruited through open days (with hands-on pulse diagnosis taster workshops), word-of-mouth referrals from practicing acupuncturists, digital channels (website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, segmented email newsletters), and the CPD programme itself, which doubles as a relationship channel for alumni and the broader practitioner community. The institution is privately held by its co-founders with no external investment, publishes audited annual accounts (2018–2024) but does not disclose revenue, and operates exclusively from the UK with occasional international student intake from Europe.

Name

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

Legal name

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine

Website

https://acupuncturecollege.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The College of Integrated Chinese Medicine is a privately held UK acupuncture college founded in 1993 in Reading, offering a BAAB-accredited BSc (Hons) Acupuncture degree, post-graduate diplomas, CPD courses, and three on-site clinics serving degree students, qualified practitioners, and patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acupuncture Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH)

Keywords

• Acupuncture education
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Five element acupuncture
• Complementary medicine training
• Continuing professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Reading

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. BSc Acupuncture Degree Tuition: Tuition fees for the 3-year BSc (Hons) Acupuncture degree programme, validated by Kingston University (formerly University College of Osteopathy). Flexible payment plans available with student loans for eligible students.
2. CPD Course Fees: Continuing Professional Development courses offered throughout the year, including weekend workshops, online courses, and multi-day seminars. Fees vary by course (e.g., Shen-Hammer Pulse Diagnosis £300-320, Getting Better at Getting the CF £30-60).
3. Teaching Clinic Treatments: Low-cost acupuncture treatments provided by final year students under supervision. Teaching clinic appointments offered at reduced rates.
4. Practitioner Clinic Treatments: Treatments by experienced practitioners at the college's practitioner clinic, priced at standard rates.
5. Paediatric Teaching Clinic: Specialist children's acupuncture clinic run fortnightly during the final module of the paediatric diploma. Appointments cost £15 per session.
6. Publications and Books: Sale of college publications including textbooks, meridian charts, and acupuncture reference materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CICM teaches an integrated style of acupuncture combining Five Element constitutional acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) primarily through a 3-year BSc (Hons) Acupuncture degree validated by Kingston University and accredited by the BAAB. It also offers postgraduate diplomas in Paediatrics, Tuina, Gynaecology/Fertility/Obstetrics, and Chinese Dietary Therapy, a programme of CPD seminars and workshops, and clinical services delivered through three on-campus clinics (Teaching Clinic, Practitioner Clinic, and Paediatric Teaching Clinic).

Product overview

College of Integrated Chinese Medicine offers a single integrated degree program (BSc Hons Acupuncture) as its core product, combining five element constitutional acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Supporting the degree are post-graduate specialization courses (Paediatrics, Tuina, Gynaecology, Nutrition), continuing professional development (CPD) seminars, and clinical training through three clinic offerings (Teaching Clinic, Practitioner Clinic, Paediatric Teaching Clinic). The college also organizes study trips to China and publishes educational books by faculty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BSc (Hons) Acupuncture Degree A 3-year full-time BSc (Hons) degree teaching an integrated style of Five Element constitutional acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), validated by Kingston University (formerly University College of Osteopathy) and accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB). Includes 400+ hours of clinical experience with weekday or weekend study options for individuals pursuing a career in acupuncture.
• Postgraduate Courses

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Guangdong Second Provincial Chinese Medicine HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2015CICM arranges clinical study trips to China in collaboration with this hospital. Students study acupuncture, tuina, and Chinese herbal medicine in a modern TCM hospital setting with 20 clinical departments treating 2,000 patients per day. Danny Blyth leads study groups to Guangzhou.
• Kingston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKingston University validates the BSc (Hons) Acupuncture degree awarded by the college. CICM operates as a collaborative partner subject to Kingston University's quality assurance processes. External examiners are formally appointed, employed, and trained by Kingston University.
• British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAAB provides professional accreditation for the degree programme, ensuring it meets professional standards for acupuncture education and training. CICM complies with BAAB's quality standards and requirements.
• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCICM complies with the QAA Quality Code as part of its quality assurance framework, ensuring standards in higher education provision.
• University College of Osteopathy (UCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly referenced as validating body for the BSc (Hons) degree programme, now replaced by Kingston University following institutional changes.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bastyr University: US-based accredited university offering naturopathic and acupuncture/EAOM degree programmes. Comparable mission and curriculum scope (integrative medicine, clinical training) and a benchmark for international peers in the same category.
• Northern College of Acupuncture: UK-based acupuncture training college offering degree-level programmes in acupuncture. Directly competes with CICM for the same UK acupuncture student cohort and similarly targets career changers and mature students.
• International College of Oriental Medicine (ICOM): UK college offering degree-level acupuncture and Oriental medicine training, with a distinctive curriculum emphasis. Directly comparable to CICM in mission, accreditation pathway, and target student profile.
• Pacific College of Health and Sciences: US-based health sciences college offering degrees and certificates in acupuncture, Chinese medicine and integrative health. Closely comparable to CICM in operating model (clinic-based training, multiple clinic sites, CPD) and curriculum philosophy.
• Five Branches University: US-accredited graduate school of Traditional Chinese Medicine offering master's and doctoral programmes in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Comparable in scope, clinical training intensity, and international student focus.
• Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine: US-accredited acupuncture and Oriental medicine school offering a master's-level programme with strong clinical training. Comparable to CICM in curriculum depth, degree-level credentialing, and clinic-anchored pedagogy.

Broad incumbents

• National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM): US accredited university offering naturopathic and Chinese medicine programmes including acupuncture specialisation. A broader integrative-medicine incumbent comparable to CICM in mission and curriculum overlap.
• University of Westminster: UK university offering post-graduate programmes in Chinese Herbal Medicine and complementary therapies. A broader, established higher-education incumbent that overlaps with CICM's curriculum areas (acupuncture, herbal medicine) and competes for the same pool of integrative-medicine students.
• Middlesex University: UK university offering complementary health and traditional Chinese medicine related programmes at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Competes with CICM as a larger, accredited higher-education alternative.

Emerging players

• College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM): UK-based training provider covering naturopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine and complementary therapies. Overlaps with CICM in CPD-adjacent student demographics interested in holistic/integrative medicine careers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/180701128640831
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/college-of-integrated-chinese-medicine
• Instagraminstagram.com/cicmcollege

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about College of Integrated Chinese Medicine