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Traditional Chinese Medicine

A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of Chinese herbal medicine, a system based on the use of nutrition, natural products, and prescribed medical formulae to treat imbalances in the state of bodily health as defined in the Nei Ching Su Wen and other authorities. Includes instruction in the basic Western medical sciences, history and theory of Chinese medicine, Chinese medical anatomy and physiology, Chinese herbology, herbal prescription preparation, herbal patent medicine, herbal pharmacology, Chinese internal medicine and gynecology, febrile diseases, food therapy, practice management, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Traditional Chinese Medicine Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Traditional Chinese Medicine have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	38
Master’s Degree	105
Doctor’s Degree	22

What Traditional Chinese Medicine Majors Need to Know

Studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Traditional Chinese Medicine program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Traditional Chinese Medicine careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Traditional Chinese Medicine professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Private Practice	Medical software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Patient electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates include:

• Direct-Entry Midwife
• Lay Midwife
• Licensed Midwife (LM)
• Doula
• Certified Direct-Entry Midwife
• Birth Doula
• Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
• Licensed Certified Professional Midwife
• Certified Midwife
• APC (Advanced Practice Clinician)
• Licensed Direct Entry Midwife
• Postpartum Doula
• Birth Center Midwife
• Licensed and Certified Midwife
• Homebirth Midwife

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	32.8%
Master’s degree	28.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	15.9%
Bachelor’s degree	12.2%
Some college courses	8.8%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.8% of Traditional Chinese Medicine degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	125	75.8%
Men	40	24.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	95	57.6%
Asian	23	13.9%
Hispanic or Latino	8	4.8%
Black or African American	9	5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.8%
Two or More Races	5	3.0%
Race Unknown	21	12.7%
International Students	1	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Traditional Chinese Medicine Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$31,185
4 years	$30,904
5 years	$35,897

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $35,897 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Traditional Chinese Medicine graduates earn a median of $30,904 four years after completion — about 19% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	3,019
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine	1,485
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Bioethics/Medical Ethics	757
Holistic/Integrative Health	481
Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy	235
Ayurvedic Medicine/Ayurveda	141
Herbalism/Herbalist	113
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems, Other	107
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	—
Homeopathic Medicine/Homeopathy	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.