Information on admissions
At TAA we celebrate and value the diversity and richness of experience brought by our students, who come from a wide range of age groups, backgrounds, and ethnicities. We recognise the benefits of encouraging and recruiting a diverse student body, to both the college and the wider community, and we therefore make every effort to widen access to education, and to the acupuncture profession as a whole. Applicants are assessed on an equal opportunities basis therefore, with no discrimination based on protected characteristics, and applications from candidates with non-standard qualifications are also welcomed, and are assessed on an individual basis. You can click here for a link to our Equality and Diversity Policy if you would like to know more.
​
Our selection processes are efficient and prompt, and we make every endeavour to allow for your individual circumstances and availability for interview. An initial screening of your application by our Admissions Officer and then interview offers are made, which are usually undertaken by a senior member of staff by video conference call. If you would like to know more about the college before applying for a place however, you might consider attending one of our preview sessions? If none of the dates are suitable for you though, perhaps get in touch and see if an informal visit can be arranged.
​​
The sections below contain answers to some Frequently Asked Questions, but if what you need to know isn't covered here, or if you are unsure about anything at all, please feel free to get in touch through our Contact Us page.
WHAT ARE THE AGE REQUIREMENTS, AND CAN I APPLY AS A MATURE STUDENT? All applicants must be over 18, but there is no upper age limit as long as a candidate is deemed capable of completing the course. Our average age at the time of writing is 41, however we have trained students in their early 70's before, who have then gone into practice. We positively encourage applications from mature students then, because they often bring significant and relevant life and work experience. Applicants would ideally have the minimum educational entry qualifications, however a lack of these is not necessarily a barrier to studying with us. Mature applicants without the minimum requirements should outline their relevant experience as fully as possible in the application form, and include any additional relevant evidence that may be helpful for us in making our decision. This might include specific experience in working with people, communication skills, problem-solving and decision making. If we feel it would be beneficial, we may suggest at interview that such applicants work through our Writing Skills e-lesson prior to starting. For some who have perhaps been out of the education system for some time, this might help them prepare to study at this level, and give them more confidence. There is no additional cost for this. Some applicants may also be given a conditional course offer, and be required to undertake the lesson and submit a short piece of writing, or perhaps additional evidence of skills such as papers or documents created for work. This would simply help us to better assess whether and when we can confirm a place, and if perhaps additional support might be required.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS, AND CAN I STUDY STRAIGHT FROM SECONDARY EDUCATION? For those applying straight from A levels, our entry requirements are: 96 UCAS points, plus at least a GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics or a science. This would be the equivalent to: •three GCE A Level passes of 32 points each (Grade C/4 to 5) •two GCE A level passes of 48 points each (Grade A/7 to 9) •three Scottish Highers at Grade A •two Advanced Scottish Highers, one at grade A, one at grade B •a pass in a BTEC National Certificate/Diploma or HNC/HND (merit and distinction passes) •a pass in an Access to HE Diploma course •an International Baccalaureate Diploma
CAN I APPLY IF I LIVE OVERSEAS, AND WHAT ABOUT VISAS? As a private institution, it is sadly not possible to apply for a visa to study with us in the UK, however many students do fly in to attend class sessions and then return home in between. Legal requirements for practising acupuncture also vary from country to country, so applicants should make themselves aware of the requirements where they live, as we don't hold that information and wouldn't like to make a judgement on future practice, that may prove to be wrong. If an applicant wishes to apply from overseas, they should contact us first informally to discuss how studying here might work, and should note that it is highly unlikely that clinical supervision for the third year can be undertaken abroad, so at least six months of the clinical year will likely take place at the college, or in one of our London clinics. This will mean weekly visits, and so applicants who cannot fly that frequently would need to re-locate to the UK for third year in order to complete the course For applicants for whom English is not their first language, please see the English language standards in the section below.
WHAT IF ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE? Students with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a UK university will generally be accepted as having proved the requisite English language qualification. Students without the above may evidence a qualification deemed appropriate for academic purposes, and widely used within the UK Higher Education sector, for example: •Cambridge English Advanced •IELTS Academic Test •TOEFL iBT Test •Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) •Duolingo online English test The minimum level is 6.0 in the IELTS Academic Test. Please contact us for more information on required levels in other tests. Without either a UK degree or above, or an English language qualification, we may be able to accept students as having an appropriate standard of English if they have lived and worked in the UK for some time and can demonstrate this during the application process. We may require an applicant to work through example course materials and take a short assessment in order to be sure.
CAN I TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER ACUPUNCTURE COURSE? Students who have attained a short-course qualification in acupuncture cannot normally have this recognised in relation to their application here, however it may of course be an advantage to already have some experience, and it may cut down the time needed on some aspects of the course. It may be possible to transfer from another accredited institution, or for us to accept students who have previously completed part of their acupuncture training and had to stop (within the last eighteen months). Transfer applicants should apply as normal and send us as much information as possible with the application (such as course transcripts from the previous institution). We will then work with each applicant on a case-by-case basis to assess what level of study has been attained and how this fits with our course. Please note that all institutions run their curriculums differently though, so it is possible that students would still need to begin our course from the beginning. All transfer students are required to join no later than the start of second year, and would still be asked to complete written work and practical sessions beforehand to bring them up to speed with where their peers are in relation to studying. This will incur additional cost, but we will happily guide you through the process. Again, this is because of the way the various courses are structured, and not a judgement on the education an applicant might have had to date.
CAN I HAVE PRIOR LEARNING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT? Due to the structure of our course, it is not usually possible to formally accredit prior learning by awarding credits for it, or exempting students from part of the course. Health professionals may be exempted from certain assessments. on a case by case basis, or aspects of some of the assessments, depending on their role, training and specialisms. However, it is not possible to exempt a whole course Unit because (for example) in the Biomedicine Unit, we also look at the Chinese medicine perspective throughout, so learning cannot be separated. We will discuss the situation briefly at interview and agree where appropriate that a meeting will be offered with the Head of Year once a student has attended the first class session, to determine what exactly can be exempted. It is of course an advantage in many ways to have experience in healthcare and this could certainly cut down the time students need to spend on their studies with relevant aspects of the course.
ARE THERE SPECIFIC PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? To become an acupuncturist, some necessary personal characteristics include: •being caring and compassionate •wanting to help people •being practical •having good time management skills, and time to dedicate to study •being willing to learn, and to develop as a person •being able to get on well with people from a wide range of backgrounds •having good emotional/ mental strength •having good observational skills and a keen interest in the world around you •having the ability to act on your own initiative •being willing to take responsibility •being able to stay calm in stressful situations •having a mature approach •having basic competency in IT (computer literacy) Prospective students should bear these characteristics in mind when submitting their application, and their personal statement, as it might help guide then in what to include or highlight. A certain standard of health and physical dexterity is also essential when undertaking the course and as a practitioner. While we are fully prepared to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities in line with our strategic aim of widening participation in healthcare education and practice, we also need to ensure future patient safety through accurate assessment of restrictions to practice. We also accept and offer support to students with neurodiversity and learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia. Teaching, learning and assessment materials are designed with features that may help such students, and further adjustments will be made wherever possible. As part of assessing fitness to practice, we will require two references, one from a professional who has known the applicant for a minimum of two years either in a workplace, study or personal capacity (not family members) - they can give their opinion on fitness to work directly with the public in a professional healthcare capacity. The other can be a more personal connection/reference. And finally, subject to regulatory requirements, students may be required to present a current CRB disclosure prior to clinical work. Irrespective of this, a self-declaration must be made as part of the student contract. The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) will consider fitness to practise as part of your application to them on graduation, including relevant health conditions, do if you are in any doubt, we would recommend contacting them directly to discuss any concerns.
WHAT ABOUT FEES? We provide a high quality, hands on course with a great deal of individual support, at a lower cost than universities can offer. Current fees and options for fee payment can be downloaded from the 'About the Course' page, and payment options are available to spread the cost over the duration of the course. Fees include key textbooks and many other essential items. There are however a few small additional costs to factor in, such as clinical kit for third year, and of course travel and accommodation for non-local students. As a private college, our students cannot apply for government student loans, however other options can and have included private borrowing, funding by charities and trusts, and often the latter focus on students from lower income backgrounds. Local libraries may be able to advise, and help you explore (for example) the: •Educational Grants Directory •Charities Digest •Grants Register •Directory of Grant Making Trusts Remember that all students of the college will earn money from practice in the final few months of third year, and by the end of the first year after graduating, our surveys of graduates suggest that it is realistic to assume that course fees will have been matched by earnings.
WHAT IS A CONDITIONAL OFFER? Some applicants (including mature students and non-native speakers as above) may receive a conditional course offer, and be required for example: •To take our Writing Skills lesson and submit a short piece of writing •To submit other evidence of skills as appropriate, such as papers written for work •To complete a suggested course (e.g. in English or basic IT skills, or something related to to the other desirable personal characteristics listed above. On satisfactory completion of conditions set, an offer becomes formal.
WHAT IF MY APPLICATION IS UNSUCCESSFUL? Studying at this level is not for everyone, and applicants who are not offered a place will be advised of the reasons why. Wherever possible they will be invited to reapply at a later date, and be advised of ways to reach the standard of admission such as carrying out some informal or formal training (perhaps a course to help develop skills and/or knowledge, or to assist with any of the personal requirements listed above), or in the case of some applicants who many not have the required level of English, perhaps a course that might develop language skills further. If your application is rejected however, and you have cause to believe that any aspect of our admissions policy has not been adhered to, you can raise your concern in writing with the Admissions Officer, for consideration by the executive team. We commit to investigating and responding within five working days.