Diploma in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture

 Diploma in Chinese Acupuncture 

(2025-2027/28)

Fully accredited by ATCM

Programme Overview

Acupuncture has been an important tool for human health and wellbeing for over 4500 years. Over more recent times acupuncture has been supported by research studies and continues to be extensively used around the world and has growing popularity in the west.

At Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we are committed to providing quality teaching and supervised practice in the ancient art of acupuncture. Acupuncture is now widely accepted within Western society and there are more and more health professionals practising acupuncture after a short training course. They often lack understanding of the principles and philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and as the result, lack confidence to treat conditions other than pain relief. We aim to provide the students with the breadth and depth of study and clinical experience required to become knowledgeable in both the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine and western view of acupuncture, to ensure entry into a traditional acupuncture profession.

The course aims to provide students with the necessary skills to begin independent practice as a traditional acupuncturist, with emphasis on holistic approach to best look after your clients’ health and wellbeing. The differences, similarities and relationship between modern medical acupuncture and traditional acupuncture are explored to give students the necessary skills to practice in western society today.

The MATCM student clinical training facility is open to members of the public offering subsidised treatment in acupuncture. There is an opportunity for acupuncture students to undertake supervised practice, reception, publicity, and research work in the clinic.

Diploma Awarded

MATCM Diploma in Chinese Acupuncture

Accreditation

Our Diploma in Chinese Acupuncture is fully accredited by the Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ATCM).

What this means for students:

  • Assurance of quality learning facilities
  • High standard of teaching staff and syllabus
  • Students will be eligible to become members of ATCM upon graduation, or gain full registration with their chosen regulatory body, and gain insurance to practise traditional acupuncture.

Study Mode

The Diploma in Chinese Acupuncture programme is a part-time study course built on a modular format. The standard programme covers six modules over three years, requiring 400 hours of clinical practice to be completed during this period. Teaching and examinations are conducted over 10 weekends per year.
However, candidates with a qualifying healthcare background may follow an accelerated pathway, completing four core modules over two years and undertaking 200 hours of clinical practice during this shortened timeframe.

Programme Structure

Biomedicine Bridging Module The programme commences with a Biomedicine Bridging Module (Anatomy & Physiology) starting on 4th October 2025, running for six months to provide essential foundational knowledge.

Core Modules Following the bridging module, four core modules begin on 7th March 2026, delivered over weekends. Each core module runs for six months, except for students without a healthcare background who complete M4 over one year with additional Personal Development components.

Module Schedule

Module Title Content Duration Start Date
Bridging Biomedicine Bridging Module Anatomy & Physiology 6 months 4th October 2025
M1 Foundation of TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory, TCM Diagnosis 6 months 7th March 2026
M2 Acupuncture and Needling Technique Meridian Theory, Point Location, Needling Techniques 6 months 26th September 2026
M3 Acupuncture for Common Diseases and Symptoms Acupuncture Treatment for Common Conditions 6 months 20th March 2027
M4 Clinical Practice Student Clinics (Practical Application)

6 months/

12 months*

 7th September 2027

*For students without healthcare background in three-year pathway: M4 extends to 12 months and includes Personal Development module (09/2027 – 08/2028).

Note: All teaching is conducted over 10 weekends per year.

For students who do not wish to obtain the diploma, you may choose to study any of the individual weekends as part of their CPD training, to cover the topics of your specific interests.  You can also choose to only attend one or both days of the weekend.

All training is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts and will cover the following:

  1. Chinese medicine foundation and diagnostic skills
  2. Meridians and acupuncture points including point location skills
  3. Acupuncture techniques and practice
  4. Acupuncture for common diseases
  5. Acupuncture clinical practice

Assessments

Assessments will take the form of both written and practical examinations in order for the student to demonstrate they have suitably understood acupuncture theory and can appropriately carry out treatments.

Resources Available

Teaching will take place at on-site at the Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine located at 52-54 Washway Road, Sale M33 7QZ or online. The academy is operated in a working Chinese medicine clinic with access to appropriate equipment, specialised teaching space, and literature.

Teaching Staff

Key staff:    Professor Mei Xing:

Professor Mei Xing is a qualified medical doctor with over 35 years of clinical and teaching experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She trained at Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and later completed her MSc at Chengdu University of TCM. Her clinical and academic career includes advanced hospital work in Beijing, specialising in integrated medicine and endocrinology.

After moving to the UK, she taught at the University of Salford, where she became Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer for the BSc in Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture, later continuing her teaching at Manchester Metropolitan University.

n 2016, she founded the Manchester Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where she now serves as Principal and leads the multi-disciplinary clinic. Professor Mei has contributed widely to the profession as an educator, clinician, external examiner and advisor to organisations such as ATCM, the British Acupuncture Council, and the British Medical Acupuncture Society. She is dedicated to preserving and teaching authentic Traditional Chinese Medicine to the next generation of practitioners.

Key staff:    Dr Minan Yao:

Dr. Minan Yao graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been a licensed TCM practitioner since 2009. His extensive training and expertise blend classical TCM knowledge with modern medical techniques, ensuring a well-rounded approach to patient care.After completing his academic training, Dr. Yao began his medical career at a prestigious 3A Provincial Hospital in China, where he was mentored by the nationally recognised TCM master, Prof. Guiding Wei. This invaluable experience helped him establish a strong foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dr. Yao is also certified in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), providing him with the necessary skills to integrate TCM with emergency and modern healthcare practices.

Key staff:    Dr. Mingjun Li:

Dr. Mingjun Li , graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the Acupuncture and Tuina Department of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1989.

Following her graduation, she became a qualified medical doctor in the Acupuncture Department of the Liaoning TCM university’s affiliated teaching and internship hospital. She was appointed as the department head in 1999 and was promoted to Chief Physician in 2004.
In 2006, Dr. Li relocated to the UK, has continued her clinical practice in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Other staff: Qualified and experienced guest lecturers will be teaching various modules throughout the year. Bios of these lectures will be available nearer to the time.

Course Fees

All students enrolling on the Diploma programme are required to pay a registration fee of £300 upon enrolment.

Core Programme Fees:

  • Year One: £2,980 (applicable to both 2-year and 3-year pathways)
  • Year Two: £3,980 (applicable to both 2-year and 3-year pathways)

Additional Requirements for Three-Year Pathway:

  • Bridging Module: £1,990 (completed before Year One)
  • Extra Half Year: £1,990 (completed after Year Two)

Total Programme Costs:

  • Two-year pathway: £7,260
  • Three-year pathway: £11,240

CPD Attendance: Participants wishing to attend individual weekend courses for continuing professional development may do so at £320 per weekend (2 days), with no registration fee required.

Admission Criteria

An equivalent diploma degree and have no criminal convictions. Health professionals with a graduate qualification or equivalent in a health-related field, such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, midwives, complementary medicine therapists, or dentists, are eligible for the two-year study pathway. Otherwise, you are eligible for the three-year study pathway. A course application form detailing relevant qualifications and two references.

If English is not the applicant’s first language, a minimum English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent qualification) is required to ensure the ability to participate fully in lectures, clinical discussions and written assessments.  

Course Intake

Typically, students enrol for the Autumn (Oct) intake. However, since our diploma course is built around a modular system, there is the possibility for students with prior knowledge to join the course at a different time. We will assess each application on an individual basis.

For students who only wish to attend any individual weekends as part of their CPD training, they can apply up to 1 week before the course commencing.

Application Procedure

Students need to download the MATCM Dip course application form, and email the filled-in form to info@matcm.co.uk.

Core Programme and Syllabus

Year One Curriculum

2 modules to be completed over 10 weekends.

Module 1: Foundation of TCM

On top of lectures, Module 1 also requires the student to have 50 hours of clinical observation and points location practice in the college or at a satellite clinic near the student’s location.

Module 2: Acupuncture Points Location and Needling Techniques

On top of lectures, Module 2 also requires 50 hours of clinical observation and needling techniques practice or at a satellite clinic near students’ location

Year Two Curriculum 

2 modules to be completed over 10 weekends.

Module 3: Acupuncture for common diseases and symptoms

On top of lectures, Module 3 also requires 50 hours of clinical observation for three-year path student.

Module 4: Clinical Practice: 100 hours. These must be completed on-site at MATCM.

For three-year path student, the clinical practice requirement is 250 hours in the whole year Module 4.

Course Dates:

The course will start on the 4th of October 2025. Teaching will take place on the weekend (2 days) of each month for 10 weekends each year (excluding August, and December on some occasions).