Australasian College of Health Sciences USA

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Australasian College of Health Sciences (ACHS), based in Portland, Oregon, specializes in online holistic health distance education. Founded in 1978, ACHS is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council and Approved by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization and is listed in the database for the Council of Higher Education Accreditation.

1 History
2 Academics
3 Tuition and Finances
- 3.1 Accreditation
4 Campus
5 Organizations and Publications
6 Military Funding
7 Sustainability
8 References
9 External links

History

ACHS was originally founded in 1976 as the extramural or distance education department of an on-campus naturopathic college in Auckland, New Zealand. Dorene Petersen, a graduate of the South Pacific College of Natural Therapeutics, was assigned head of the new department. In 1978, ACHS split off into a stand-alone institution to better meet the needs and goals of distance education students. Dorene Petersen became the head of the new institution.

The USA office opened in 1991 and is now owned and operated independently from the New Zealand school and has expanded exponentially since its inception. In 1998, ACHS achieved state licensing with the Oregon Department of Education, becoming the first state-licensed college in the U.S. offering distance education programs in holistic medicine.

ACHS moved to its present campus in 2002. The Portland, Oregon, campus features a botanical teaching garden, the Apothecary Shoppe College Store, and more than 4,500 square feet (420 m²) of custom-designed and accessible classroom and administrative offices.

In 2003, ACHS achieved national accreditation with the Distance Education and Training Council. ACHS offers the only accredited courses in aromatherapy and many other holistic medicine modalities. Also in 2003, a decision was made to change the name from the Australasian College of Herbal Studies to the Australasian College of Health Sciences to reflect the expanded curricula of holistic medicine education programs available at ACHS.

In 2007, ACHS was approved by the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization to offer a Master's of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine. In 2008, ACHS was approved by the Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization to offer an Associate's of Applied Sciences in Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

In 2008, ACHS received its five-year reaccreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council along with accreditation for the new Associate's of Applied Sciences in Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Master's of Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine.

ACHS is required to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Academics

Reputation

ACHS is recognized as an industry leader in holistic health education worldwide. Flexible, online programs, highly-qualified faculty, a diverse student body, and a commitment to exceptional online education make ACHS a leader in the holistic medicine community. Average completion rate for the top 10 courses by enrollment is 91.23%

Noted graduates include Kimberly Sharples, a National Freedom Health Coalition award winner, Nina Dolese, NAHA Oklahoma State Director, and 2005 Edith Glasson Memorial Scholarship Recipient Lindsey Fernandez, among others.

Academic Programs

The Australasian College offers certificate programs, an Associate's of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine, a Master's of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine, as well as several continuing education courses, community wellness workshops, and study-abroad programs. A new Bachelor's program is scheduled to launch early 2009.

Students choose to focus their studies in one of four areas: 1) Aromatherapy, the art and science of using volatile plant oils for preventative care, healing, and relaxation; Herbal Medicine, the art and science of formulating a complex herbal remedy to tone and balance the body for optimal wellness or to address specific wellness challenges; Holistic Medicine, the study of several integrative modalities including the use of herbs, bodycare, and homeopathy; or Dynamic Phytotherapy, a blended modality that balances herbalism and homeopathy.

Admissions

Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. Class sizes are limited and most fill months in advance of the start date. All applicants are evaluated on the basis of motivation and academic ability to benefit. Applicants are evaluated without regard to age, sex, race, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual preference, or general disability.

Requirements for admission include" 1) committed time to study; 2) a minimum of a GED or high school diploma; 3) an admissions interview with an ACHS Admissions Advisor and a recommendation for admission by the Dean of Admissions; 4) the ability to read and write in English (all materials are published in English).

Admissions should be contacted directly for up-to-date registration deadlines. Call (800) 487-8839.

Tuition and Finances

ACHS courses are designed to provide excellence in education and student services. Tuition includes all instruction and evaluation, full student services and support for the duration of each program, 24-7 technical help, exam fees, one official transcript, and an embossed certificate, diploma or degree upon completion of all program requirements.

Undergraduate and graduate tuition rates are available on the ACHS website.

Accreditation

ACHS is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education Training Council (DETC), which is recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an accrediting body. (For more information about the DETC and our accreditation, visit www.detc.org.)

ACHS is the only nationally accredited College offering online certificate, diploma, undergraduate and graduate degree programs in complementary alternative medicine.

Many schools mislead students about the validity of their accreditation. The Oregon Department of Education website provides information on national diploma mills and schools offering unauthorized degrees. We suggest you spend time reading through this information before you invest in your holistic health education.Accreditation is a stringent process of quality control completed by an independent and government recognized accrediting body. The only recognized accreditation in the United States is accreditation granted by an agency approved by the US Department of Education (USDOE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or both. Using credentials issued by a school that is not properly accredited may cause professional and even legal problems. Please check carefully.

To check the validity of an accrediting body, you may want to visit the following websites: Distance Education and Training Council, the U.S. Department of Education, or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Campus

In February 2003, the Australasian College of Health Sciences opened its new campus in Portland, Oregon.

ACHS is located in the John’s Landing area, at 5940 SW Hood Avenue. John's Landing sits alongside the Willamette River in a blended retail, residential, and commercial neighborhood, and is about a five-minute drive from downtown Portland, Oregon.

The Campus includes the Botanical Teaching Garden, a demonstration garden open to the public which incorporates native and non-native herbs, as well as the Apothecary Shoppe, where the College hosts community wellness events and the public can purchase organic-certified and sustainably-wildcrafted essential oils and herbs. The Botanical Teaching also has a small lavender "field" planted alongside the footpath, which was featured in a July 2008 article in The Oregonian.

ACHS welcomes graduates, students, prospective students and visitors anytime during regular business hours. The phone number is 503-244-0726.

Organizations and Publications

ACHS publishes their monthly newsletter, the ACHS Reporter, both online and in print. Features include college news, industry updates, upcoming wellness events and conferences, student profiles, etc.

Additional social tools and publications for ACHS students and alumni include Facebook and several blogs: ACHS News, ACHS Alumni News, Holistic Tip of the Week, Aromatherapy Blog, and Holistic Health Blog.

For alumni, ACHS recently launched a quarterly newsletter, the ACHS Alumni News, available online. Contents include industry updates, college news, upcoming wellness events and conferences, an Alumni in Action graduate profile section, etc.

See live lectures and demonstrations on ACHS TV, located on You Tube.

Military Funding

As a military-friendly institution, ACHS makes it easy for U.S. Armed Forces servicemembers, military spouses, and veterans to maximize their education benefits and invest in their future with career training in holistic health.

In response to this commitment, the Australasian College has been designated a Servicemembers Opportunity Consortium College (SOC). As a member of SOC, ACHS will fully support and comply with the SOC Principles and Criteria to ensure that servicemembers and their families: 1) share in the post-secondary educational opportunities available to other citizens; 2) are provided with appropriately accredited educational programs, courses, and services; and 3) receive enhanced access to Australasian College courses through flexible programs and procedures, including admissions, counseling, credit transfer, course articulations, recognition of nontraditional learning experiences, scheduling, and the ACHS online course format.

For more information regarding the Servicemembers Opportunity College Consortium, visit the SOC website.

Select ACHS programs are approved for the use of Veteran's benefits by the Oregon Department of Education, the State Approving Agency. For information about Veteran's benefits and military scholarships, call 800-48-STUDY.

Sustainability

ACHS believes that everyone can make a difference to improve our world. ACHS’s many classes focus on a holistic approach to health care and to the environment that we live in. All classes promote sustainability; for example, ACHS gardening classes explore composting and nutrition classes talk about the benefits of buying organic foods.

As of September 2008, ACHS has extended their commitment to sustainability and pledged their participation to PGE’s Save More, Matter More campaign. In replace of traditional power, ACHS pledges to use renewable power, which makes use of clean wind to save energy, cut costs, and help the environment. For more information about this program and renewable energy, visit Save More, Matter More.

Additional conservation and sustainability efforts include: an oxygen-producing herb garden, recycling office paper and kitchen trash, and increased use of skylights for improved work conditions, to name a few. A complete list is available on the ACHS website.