Ayurveda Schools and Careers Guide
Get Ayurveda Career and Education Information
Get Ayurveda Career and Education Information
Find Ayurveda Schools | Natural Healers Career Resource Center
| | Ayurveda is becoming more popular in Western culture, making today a great time to join the booming wellness industry. The Hindu premise that mind, body and spirit are intimately connected is the basis behind this fascinating profession. Ayurveda's ancient practice has helped it evolve into the successful profession it has become today. |
Careers in Ayurveda
Career Opportunities For Ayurvedic Practitioners
Holistic healing and education is one of the fastest growing fields in the country. Once the province of a dedicated minority, alternative medicine has gained mainstream support. People are spending millions of "out of pocket" dollars on holistic care by accessing a rapidly growing network of natural medicine practitioners and resources. Integrative medicine is now viewed by many as the answer to America's spiraling health care costs and rising incidence of chronic disease.
Ayurveda is an important solution to this health care crisis because it offers a true mind-body-spirit paradigm, emphasizes self-responsibility, and promotes prevention through lifestyle changes. There are many opportunities for a well-trained Ayurvedic practitioner:
- start a private practice
- join other health care practitioners at a wellness center
- teach public education classes on Ayurvedic principles
- supervise a pancha karma center
- teach at an Ayurvedic college
- conduct workshops, seminars and/or retreats
Health care providers can enhance their current practice by offering their clients Ayurvedic services. The future is bright for Ayurveda and for those dedicated and competent practitioners who will make its wisdom available.
Ayurveda Laws and Licensure
Ayurveda Regulations in the United States
Ayurvedic practitioners are not licensed in the United States, and its practice is not regulated by state or federal agencies. Standards of competency are set by individual schools that have received state approval. Ayurvedic practitioners in the United States are taught how to practice legally within a limited scope of practice so they are not viewed as practicing medicine without a license. We might say that Ayurveda's current status in the US is analogous to Chinese medicine during its early years in the 1970s.
In 1998 a diverse group of practitioners, many representing schools of Ayurveda in this country, began meeting to discuss the creation of state and national professional associations. These associations focused on licensing and certification issues and the important task of educating people on Ayurveda and its practices.
Today Ayurveda is becoming increasingly popular in Europe, Australia and the US and many Ayurvedic colleges have opened to meet this demand.
Ayurveda School and Financial Aid
Ayurveda Tuition
Typically $1,000 to $2,000 per semester for the independent schools teaching Ayurveda in the US.
Ayurveda Financial Aid Opportunities
Here are some organizations that offer financial aid for Ayurveda students. Learn more by clicking on each type of loan opportunity listed below.
StudentLoan.com
A service of Citibank, this site provides extensive information about the various types of student loans you may be qualified to receive.
FinAid.org
FinAid is a comprehensive public service website dedicated to helping students find financial aid and scholarships.
SallieMae.com
Sallie Mae is the nation's largest source of funding and servicing for higher education loans.
Teri.org
TERI (The Education Resource Institute) provides education financing and information services to students and their families.
Ed.gov
The Department of Education provides detailed information about federal student aid.
Ayurveda Accreditation
At this point in time, the Ayurvedic medical degree is not recognized or regulated in the US or Canada. The college in New Mexico is registered with the State's Higher Education Commission .
Ayurveda School Length of Study
The American schools are typically part-time "certification" courses that take one to two years to complete.
Ayurveda Career Outlook
Since Ayurvedic therapies have beneficial effects for preventing and treating certain cancers, treating infectious disease, promoting health and treating aging, there is a promising outlook for this occupation. Like other natural health careers, The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for Ayurvedic practitioners is expected to increase in demand over the next ten years.
Sources:
California College of Ayurveda, 1999-2007
National Institute of Health
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