Tai Sophia Institute - Master of Acupuncture Program

Master of Acupuncture Program

About the Institute

Founded as a small healing arts clinic in 1975, today Tai Sophia Institute is a leading center for wellness-based education, client care, and public policy discourse. The Institute, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, offers master's degree programs in Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, and Transformative Leadership and Social Change; graduate certificates in Chinese Herbs, Transformative Leadership, Medical Herbalism, Herbal Studies, and Health and Wellness Coaching; as well as community workshops and continuing professional education programs.

Tai Sophia's clinical network has grown to include ten clinical sites in the Baltimore/Washington corridor. These sites now provide more than 35,500 treatments and consultations yearly to widely varied populations, which include individuals challenged by relationships with addictive substances as well as people who are unable to afford wellness services. Additionally, the Institute's faculty, students, and staff donate more than 15,000 hours of community service every year.

Standing on its commitment to be a leader in whole person wellness, Tai Sophia fosters and maintains collaborative relationships with leading academic, medical, and research institutions.

Tai Sophia's mission extends personally to every individual and, from there, reaches all parts of the world by empowering wellness leaders, business executives, and communities; as individuals find new passion in their own lives, they in turn cultivate it in the larger world as catalysts for change wherever they go.

Program Overview

The Master of Acupuncture (M.Ac.) program at Tai Sophia, the first accredited acupuncture program in the United States, offers a comprehensive curriculum that elegantly combines rigorous classroom teaching with rich, clinical experiences. As a basis for better serving clients, students are taught to become keen observers of nature - both in the outer world and within the individual.

Throughout the program, students are taught to become a healing presence in their practices. Students in the M.Ac. program not only gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become excellent practitioners, but they also graduate with a deep understanding of the Five Elements philosophy and approach to healing. The program is designed to merge practical applications and personal growth, thus providing the tools a practitioner needs to serve each client with great skill, compassion and insight. The M.Ac. program at Tai Sophia is a journey that is both academically challenging and richly transformative.

Program Highlights

• First accredited acupuncture program in the United States. Offered since 1981.
• Dynamic and distinguished faculty, including renowned experts and leaders in the field of Chinese Medicine.
• The teaching is deeply rooted in nature and the cycle of seasons.
• Students graduate with the embodied knowledge and skills needed for both building and maintaining a successful acupuncture practice.
• Comprehensive clinical experience with over 540 hours of supervised practice.
• Over 150 additional hours of real-life patient centered clinical observation.
• Unique program feature, where students learn in a small group format as well as in a one-to-one setting during clinical rotation.
• A division of the program is devoted to teaching healing philosophies, and to developing practices that support the embodiment of these philosophies.
• More than 1000 alumni are practicing in 40 states and six countries.
• The full-time format includes two weekdays each week and occasional intensives.

Acupuncture Faculty

Program Leadership and Core Faculty

• Jeff Millison, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM), Program Director
• Deneb Falabella, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM), Associate Director
• Tom Balles, M.Ac.
• David Blaiwas, M.A., M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
• Dianne M. Connelly, Ph.D., M.Ac. (UK), Dipl.Ac. (NCCA)
• Robert Duggan, M.A., M.Ac. (UK), Dipl.Ac. (NCCA)
• Kimberly Duncan, Ph.D.
• Hope Finn Gilbert, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
• Tyme M. Gigliotti, M.Ac.
• Jane Grissmer, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
• Kaiya Larson, M.Ac.
• Tatyana Maltseva, M.Ac.
• Heidi Most, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
• David Paton, M.A., M.Ac.,
• Sharon M. Smith, M.Ac. Dipl.Ac. NCCAOM)
• Deanna Slate Stennett, Lic.Ac.

Admissions Requirements

The admissions requirements are detailed on our website, and include completion of a bachelor's degree. You are encouraged to meet with a member of the Office of Graduate Admissions, visit campus, participate in an Open House, and observe a class. Additionally, it is strongly recommended that you participate in a Redefining Health weekend workshop.

Resources and Programs

Redefining Health Weekend Workshop

This two-day program is the perfect introduction to the philosophical foundation of Tai Sophia Institute and is facilitated by Institute founders, Chancellor Dr. Dianne Connelly and President Robert Duggan. Your family and friends are welcome to attend as the program is open to the general public.

Community Programs

Tai Sophia offers innovative non-degree training programs and workshops for members of the community eager to learn about the healing arts. We offer a wide variety of dynamic programs that have been designed to enhance wellness in body, mind, and spirit.

Clinical Services

Tai Sophia offers clinical services in acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutrition on campus in Laurel as well as at its other locations within the Greater Baltimore/Washington area.

Contact Us Today!

We welcome your inquiries and look forward to serving you.

Click here to correspond with one of our admissions counselors and to learn more about our graduate degree programs as well as community workshops and events.