Acupuncture Schools in Ontario

Curious about becoming an acupuncturist in Ontario? Read on to learn about acupuncture schools in Ontario.

There are several acupuncture programs in Ontario for you to choose from. The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO) requires that you complete a postsecondary program of at least four years in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) or a three-year postsecondary TCM acupuncture program.

Acupuncture schools in Ontario must fulfill the entry-level competencies as set out by the CTCMPAO. Otherwise, you will be ineligible to register with the college and become an acupuncturist.

acupuncture schools in ontario
Acupuncture Schools in Ontario

TCM and acupuncture registration requirements include completing a structured, comprehensive, supervised, and evaluated training program of clinical experience in TCM. This includes at least 45 weeks and 500 hours of direct patient contact. You want to ensure that the acupuncture program that you attend in Ontario meets all of the requirements. Once you graduate from your acupuncture school, you can begin registration with CTCMPAO.

Future acupuncture students may complete their education in Ontario or internationally, as long as all requirements are met.

Below is a list of some acupuncture schools in Ontario.

Ontario Acupuncture Schools Listing

Acupuncture Schools in Toronto

Acupuncture Schools in Ontario: AIM
Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (AIM)

Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Academy (AIM)

AIM Academy offers acupuncture programs leading to diplomas in acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Offering continuous quality education since 1986, with experienced faculty and a proven curriculum. The faculty is comprised of Registered Acupuncturists, Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners, nutritionists, professionals in anatomy, physiology, pathology, psychology, kinesiology, shiatsu therapists, and other fields of health care, as well as specialists in business, communications and ethics. 

A 2200-hour program can deliver. One of the oldest continuously operating programs in Canada. Students receive a solid grounding in both Eastern and Western medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory as well as anatomy, physiology and pathology. 

Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine
Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine

Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine

Eight Branches Academy of Eastern Medicine is a Toronto Acupuncture School that offers students a comprehensive education with a firm foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Compliant with the criteria set out by the major North American regulatory bodies, the Eight Branches curriculum is taught by an expert faculty and meets the highest standards in the field of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Our commitment to graduate success is reflected by our graduates having outperformed their peers on National Regulatory Board Examinations.  In addition, we offer our students extensive internship opportunities, mentorship and support after graduation.

Acupuncture program Humber College
Humber College

Humber College

Humber’s Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner advanced diploma program is the first and only publicly funded program of its kind offered at a postsecondary institution in Canada. This intensive program is grounded in the TCM Practitioner skillset which has been approved by all provincial TCM regulators in Canada and provides students with the skills and professional experience necessary to become a TCM Practitioner in Ontario. Gain a necessary understanding of Traditional Chinese and Western medicine practices through a combination of theoretical course-based instruction, as well as several clinical placements.

This program is also committed to the promotion of the evidence-informed practice of TCM through scientific research.

There are six mandatory clinical placements that provide students with progressive, professional practice experience in diagnosing, preparing treatment plans, inter-professional collaboration and safe practices. Clinical placements occur throughout the year at community TCM and multidisciplinary clinics within the Greater Toronto Area, as well as at their on-site partner clinic, the Tzu Chi Clinic of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The clinical component of the program offers more than 800 hours of direct patient contact which exceeds the regulatory body’s minimum requirement of 500 hours. Examples of inter-professional clinical settings include working with naturopathic doctors, registered dieticians, chiropractors, registered massage therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

Aside from the traditional examples of TCM and acupuncture placements such as clinics, other examples include servicing patients in residential addiction facilities and organizations offering services to people living with HIV.

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a world-class education, modern research opportunities and premier clinical services.

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is dedicated to training a new generation of practitioners in the 2,500 year old artistry and science of traditional Chinese medicine. Striving to introduce students to the most advanced theoretical and practical traditional Chinese medicine training available in North America. While making every effort to promote and advance public understanding and knowledge of Chinese medicine in their communities. At Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, they endeavour to guide students on a journey toward fulfilling both personal and professional dreams, as they become dedicated leaders and practitioners in the field of medicine.

The Diploma of Acupuncture and the Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner programs at OCTCM are designed to meet and exceed the educational requirements of CTCMPAO towards registered acupuncturists (R.Ac) and registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner (R.TCMP) certifications. Preparing graduates to attend the national examinations held by CARB-TCMPA.

Pharma Medical College
Pharma Medical College

Pharma-Medical Science College of Canada (Pharma Medical)

This is a diploma Acupuncture program designed in compliance with the entry-level standards of practice set by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO). The learning involves theories, practical demonstrations of Acupuncture skills in the classroom and supervised practicum in the clinic.

Students will learn Acupuncture concepts and Technique, TCM foundation, Diagnostics and Acupuncture Treatment, Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Fundamentals of Biomedical, Herbs, Manual Medicine (Tuina), Qigong, Eastern Nutrition and Western Medical Assessment, Professional Ethics and communication, Clinic practice etc.

After completing this acupuncture program, students are eligible for the Pan Canadian Examination for Acupuncturists and register with CTCMPAO, and eligible for the NCCAOM Acupuncture Certification Examination in the USA

Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TSTCM)

The Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TSTCM) is dedicated to the promotion, education and service of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in order to benefit the health of the general public, as well as gain recognition and acceptance of TCM as a primary health care profession in Canada.

Their mission is to enable all students to reach high levels of achievement and to acquire the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become responsible members of a democratic society.

Their mission is to follow the below objectives:

  • To provide excellent professional training to students with the most comprehensive curriculum in TCM, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and tuina massage through outstanding faculty and strong leadership.
  • To prepare graduates so that they succeed in their licensing exams, and subsequently become qualified and successful primary health care providers.
  • To provide continuing education in advanced professional studies, support research and promote life-long learning.
  • To provide a supportive and educational environment conducive to personal growth and academic advancement.
  • To provide accessible and flexible learning opportunities in response to the needs and interests of students.
  • To promote the integration of TCM and its modalities into the mainstream health care system as a complementary discipline.
  • To provide high quality professional TCM services to the community.
World Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture College
World Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture College

World Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture College

In 2013, the Chinese College of Canada, operating as World Chinese Medicine And Acupuncture College (WCMAAC), a private career college registered under the Private Colleges Act, 2005, an Ontario non-profit corporation founded in 1994.

All programs in traditional Chinese medicine and their requirements have been designed to correspond to those offered by universities of traditional Chinese medicine. WCMAAC also continually responds to the Canadian government’s healthcare policies, so that our graduates may be ethical, academically outstanding, and successful in their professional practice.

Helping graduates receive professional liability insurance, they have created the Canadian Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists World Federation (CTCMPAWF), which provides its members with a professional reference.

Acupuncture Schools in Barrie

Acupuncture program Georgian College
Georgian College

Georgian College

Upon completing the Acupuncture program students will receive their diploma allowing them to receive the designation R.Ac. Georgian prepares their students with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the entry-level standards of practice set by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO). This program provides in-depth theoretical and clinical components of Acupuncture. Students benefit from expert clinical training that combines integrative healthcare models with Traditional Chinese Medicine, providing graduates with the necessary skills to practice as regulated healthcare professionals.

This program includes a clinical placement component where you will gain practical work experience under the supervision of a registered or licensed professional.

Acupuncture Schools in Markham

John And Jenny Chinese Medicine College
John And Jenny Chinese Medicine College (JJTCMC)

John And Jenny Chinese Medicine College (JJTCMC)

John and Jenny Chinese Medicine is a TCM and acupuncture school in Ontario. Their objective is to make quality TCM professionals accessible to all by ensuring access to quality TCM education that is affordable and flexible. Providing the highest level of authentic TCM instruction in order to produce quality TCM professionals and thereby, by virtue of producing efficacious TCM practitioners, promoting TCM use to the general public.

Having a senior TCM Faculty with 20 years of experience. Most of whom were educated in China were previously practicing doctors at TCM Hospitals, and were professors at TCM Universities in China or abroad.

The curriculum resembles the highest level of TCM instruction. The principal, Prof. John Jinhong Liu, is the primary TCM practitioner in the clinic and the primary clinical supervisor.

Most TCM students outside of China rarely encounter hard-to-treat diseases that may be encountered by patients at TCM hospitals. JJTCMC guarantees that students will gain exposure to an extensive range of illnesses during their clinical hours.

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a world-class education, modern research opportunities and premier clinical services.

Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is dedicated to training a new generation of practitioners in the 2,500 year old artistry and science of traditional Chinese medicine. Striving to introduce students to the most advanced theoretical and practical traditional Chinese medicine training available in North America. While making every effort to promote and advance public understanding and knowledge of Chinese medicine in their communities. At Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, they endeavour to guide students on a journey toward fulfilling both personal and professional dreams, as they become dedicated leaders and practitioners in the field of medicine.

The Diploma of Acupuncture and the Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner programs at OCTCM are designed to meet and exceed the educational requirements of CTCMPAO towards registered acupuncturists (R.Ac) and registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner (R.TCMP) certifications. Preparing graduates to attend the national examinations held by CARB-TCMPA.

acupuncture schools in ontario
Royal North American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Royal North American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (TCMP) / Acupuncturist training course in Ontario covers the professional knowledge required in the Pan-Canadian Standard or Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists: Entry-Level Occupational Competency (i.e. 2000 lecture hours for TCMP training course and 1500 lecture hours for Acupuncturist training course).

This TCM program includes the subjects on the foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture techniques, Clinical subjects, Western Medicine, Law & Safety & etc. This course is instructed progressively with clinical cases by experienced instructors. Practical training and clinical internship are also provided in this course. Students who complete this course and pass the examinations would obtain our school’s graduation certificate and transcripts as the required documents for the Pan-Canadian Examinations.


This college is certified by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncture of Ontario (CTCMPAO) as the institute to provide training courses on Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture in Ontario. Providing systematic Chinese medicine programs and clinical practice which are instructed by our experienced instructors. Over the years, they have successfully nurtured plenty of Chinese medicine professionals in striving to support high-calibre graduates for the development of Chinese medicine.

Acupuncture Schools in Ottawa

acupuncture programs in ontario
International Academy of Applied Health

International Academy of Applied Health

Founded in 2004, the International Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is an acupuncture school located in Ottawa, Ontario. Dedicated to graduating highly skilled Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, who have the ability to assess, establish a treatment plan and effectively treat the client to create a positive change in the person’s well-being. 

These TCM programs prepare graduates to undertake the provincial registration examinations to be able to work in the Province of Ontario as either a Registered Acupuncturist or a TCM Practitioner. 

The goal of the Acupuncture Program is to help the student develop a career ‘entry-level competency’ as currently assessed for the industry for the area of specialty, through academic/practical lab study units comprising: theory, practical application, outreach sessions and 552 supervised clinical hours. (The student will receive assignments and self-study project work to complement the classroom and on-site clinical experience.) .

Hopefully, you are now able to make a well-informed decision as to which acupuncture school will best suit you.

To learn more about what to look for in an acupuncture program.