Diploma in Chinese Herbal Medicine – Practitioner Training with UK & Taiwan Experts
This 22-month diploma course combines online and in-person training, clinical placements, and teaching from some of the top herbal medicine educators in the UK and Taiwan. You’ll develop deep clinical knowledge, study classical and modern formulas, and gain 30 days of real-world experience in a London clinic. An optional postgraduate hospital placement in Taiwan is also available.
The next intake for the Diploma in Chinese Herbal Medicine starts in March 2026. Enrolment is OPEN!
📍 Locations: Onsite (London/Manchester) with Live Streaming / Online Option for International Students
📚 180 Credits | 🕒 30 Clinical Days
🎓 Entry: Acupuncturists with a degree-level qualification in Chinese medicine acupuncture and Western medical sciences, or UKTATM Foundation Course graduates
🗓️ Duration: 22 Months (Weekends), or up to 38 Months with a flexible, learn-at-your-own-pace schedule
Instructors: Dr. Tony Booker (UK), Dr. Hung-Rong Yen (Taiwan), and guest faculty from China Medical University Hospital
Weekend Format
Flexible blended learning
London, Manchester & Online
Course Overview
This diploma course brings together some of the leading clinicians and researchers of Chinese herbal medicine and has a main goal of producing practitioners who are expertly trained in the clinical practice of Chinese herbal medicine and are able to confidently use a wide selection of safe and established formulations to treat patients effectively.
Course Duration
The course will run over an 22-month period, approximately two weekends per month, and includes a series of online lectures from Taiwan blended with on-site lectures and 30 days of clinical experience in our UK teaching clinic set in the heart of London.
For people who want to spread their training over a longer period it is possible to take individual modules of the curriculum, starting with Materia Medica and Ethnopharmacy.
Clinical Work Opportunity in Taiwan
There will be opportunities for further postgraduate clinical work at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan, working alongside some of the most experienced and influential practitioners of Chinese medicine in a busy hospital setting.
Although the hospital has developed a strong research base and employs modern methods of diagnosis, the approach to treatment is chiefly centred around classical methods and with an emphasis on the shang han lun and wen bing theories on the treatment of disease.
This combination of an evidence-based approach coupled with the wisdom of classical teachings has established CMU as one of the world's leading hospitals specialising in integrative medicine.
Hybrid Learning - Online, Onsite Lectures / Clinical Work in London
A proportion of lectures will take place online and be streamed from locations within the UK and from Taiwan and there will also be onsite lectures in London. Clinical work will take place in the UK teaching clinic, with input from China Medical University Hospital. The lectures and clinical work will be under the direction of Dr Hung-Rong Yen in Taiwan and by Dr Tony Booker in the UK.
Instructed by Industry Experts
Dr Hung-Rong Yen is the current Dean of China Medical University and well known as a leading clinician and researcher in the field of Chinese medicine. Dr Tony Booker is a reader (associate professor) in ethnopharmacology, focusing on East Asian medicine, he has been a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for over 25 years and is a past President of The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM).
Entry Requirements:
Acupuncturists with a degree-level qualification in Chinese medicine acupuncture, and Western medical sciences (Read the detailed Entry Requirement here)
(Individuals who do not meet the prerequisites are encouraged to complete a foundation course beforehand.)
This course has been designed in consultation with the European Herbal and Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA) and follows the EHTPA curriculum.
We have informed the Chair of the EHTPA Accreditation Board that we intend to apply for Accreditation at the end of our first year.
Graduates from this course will be able to apply for membership of the RCHM and update their professional insurance to include Chinese herbal medicine.
Train to be a qualified TCM Herbalist
Train to be a qualified TCM Herbalist
Apply Now to begin your exciting journey towards becoming a skilled TCM herbalist!
Download Full Course Syllabus here
Module 1 – Materia Medica (CHM001)
Learn the herbs and formulas of Chinese Medicine including tonification, harmonisation, exterior-releasing, phlegm/damp, and more.
Weeks 1–2 (Mar 7–8 & Mar 21–22, 2026)
- Intro; Online tools & coursework (Tutorial 1)
- Formulas that Tonify Yin / Tonify Qi & Blood
- Formulas that Clear Heat/Fire
- Phytochemistry 1 & 2
- Formulas that Harmonise & Regulate Qi
Week 3 (Apr 11–12, 2026)
- Formulas that Tonify Yang
- Formulas that Warm the Interior
- Formulas that Regulate Blood
- Formulas that Release the Exterior
Week 4 (Apr 25–26, 2026)
- Formulas that Expel Wind
- Formulas that Treat Food Stagnation
- Formulas that Stabilize & Bind
- Formulas that Moisten the Intestines & Unblock the Bowels
- Formulas that Dispel Phlegm / Expel Dampness
- Phytochemistry 3
Week 5 (May 9–10, 2026)
- Nutrition 1 (Chinese Food Therapy) + Tutorial 3 (Researching papers; referencing & plagiarism)
- Note: May 10 belongs to Ethnopharmacy 1 (see Module 4).
Week 6 (May 30–31, 2026)
- May 31: Nutrition 2 (Chinese Food Therapy) + Tutorial 4 (Posters)
- Note: May 30 is Ethnopharmacy 2 (see Module 4).
Assessment (Jul 2026)
- Case History Assignment (50%)
- Focus-on-a-herb Poster (50%)
Module 2 – Shang Han Lun and Wen Bing (CHM002)
Study the classical texts and formula patterns of febrile diseases (cold and warm) from ancient clinical wisdom.
Weeks 7–9 (Jun–Jul 2026)
- Jun 14: Introduction to the Classics (online, Taiwan)
- Jun 27–28: Shang Han Lun 1 (online, Taiwan)
- Jul 10: Shang Han Lun 2 (online, Taiwan)
- Jul 11: Shang Han Lun 3; CHM001 Poster Presentations (online, Taiwan & UK)
Weeks 10–12 (Sep–Oct 2026)
- Sep 5: Shang Han Lun 4 (online, Taiwan)
- Sep 6: Shang Han Lun 5 (online, Taiwan)
- Sep 19: Wen Bing 1 (online, Taiwan)
- Sep 20: Wen Bing 2 (online, Taiwan)
- Oct 10: Wen Bing 3 (online, Taiwan)
Assessment (Dec 2026)
- Oral Presentation (100%)
Module 3 – Prevention & Treatment of Disease (CHM003)
Pathophysiology, diagnostics, and herbal strategies for digestive, nephrology/metabolic, ENT, dermatology, respiratory, O&G, paediatrics, and more.
Weeks 12–16 (Oct–Dec 2026)
- Oct 11: Digestive Disorders (on-site + live stream)
- Oct 25: Nephrology & Metabolism (on-site + live stream)
- Oct 25: ENT (on-site + live stream)
- Nov 13–14: Dermatology (on-site + live stream)
- Nov 27: Hepatobiliary (on-site + live stream)
- Dec 12: Disorders of Liver & Gall Bladder (on-site + live stream)
Week 19 (Feb 13–14, 2027)
- Urinary Disorders 1–2 (online)
- CHM004 Poster & Herb Recognition Test occur this weekend (see Module 4)
Week 22 (Apr 3–4, 2027)
- Metabolic Disorders; TCM Paediatrics (online)
Week 23 (Apr 16–17, 2027)
- Bi & Wei Syndrome; Headaches & Migraine (online)
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology (online)
Week 25 (May 15–16, 2027)
- Respiratory Disorders + Presentations (online)
Assessment (May–Jun 2027)
- Oral Presentation (May) – 50%
- Exam (Jun) – 50%
Module 4 – Ethnopharmacy (CHM004)
Herb safety, dosage, traditional knowledge systems, manufacturing, plant ID, and fieldwork.
Weeks 5–7 (May–Jun 2026)
- May 10: Ethnopharmacy 1 (on-site + live stream)
- May 30: Ethnopharmacy 2 (on-site + live stream)
- Jun 13: Ethnopharmacy 3 – Fieldwork visit
Weeks 15–16 (Nov–Dec 2026)
- Nov 28: Ethnopharmacy 4 (on-site + live stream)
- Dec 11: Ethnopharmacy 5 (on-site + live stream)
Assessment (Feb 2027)
- Poster Presentation – 90%
- Herb Recognition Test – 10%
Module 5 – Clinical Practice (CHM005)
Clinical training in the UK + Taiwan under expert supervision. Includes patient treatment, diverse case discussions, manufacturing sessions, and viva.
Weeks 17–21 (Jan–Mar 2027)
- Jan 9–10: Clinic 1*
- Jan 23–24: Clinic 2*
- Feb 27–28: Clinic 3*
- Mar 13–14: Diverse Case Discussion; TCM pharmaceutical manufacture; Dosages & extraction ratios
*Clinics run 9:00–18:00.
Weeks 24–30 (May–Jul 2027)
- May 1–2: Clinic 4*
- May 29–30: Clinic 5*
- Jun 12–13: Clinic 6*
- Jun 26–27: Clinic 7*
- Jul 10–11: Clinic 8*
- Jul 24–25: Clinic 9*
Weeks 31–38 (Sep–Dec 2027)
- Sep 4–5: Clinic 10*
- Sep 18–19: Clinic 11*
- Oct 2–3: Clinic 12*
- Oct 16–17: Clinic 13*
- Oct 30–31: Clinic 14*
- Nov 27–28: Clinic 15*
- Dec 11: Oral Viva
Assessment (Dec 2027)
- Oral Viva – 40%
- Overall Clinic Assessment – 40%
- Reflective Clinical Journal – 20%