FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

by Prospective Students

1.) How can I determine if distance education is right for me?

2. ) Do I have to begin at any certain time of the year or can I begin at any time convenient to me?

3.) What, exactly, is a Master-Herbalist diploma? Is this a master's-level degree? Is it accredited? Or is this a professional degree of some sort? Or what, exactly, does this diploma entail?

4.) Are you approved for continuing-education credits by any organizations?

5.) How do I best go about completing the "Workshops" course (#8) if I live quite a ways from your school?

6.) About the proctored exams: What do you look for in a proposed proctor in order to approve him or her?

7.) How proactive is the Midwest School of Herbal Studies in the distance education of its students?

1.) How can I determine if distance education is right for me?

Answer: If you are independent by nature, not easily swayed by others, and are a "self-starter" type of person, distance education would most likely be quite ideal for you! It's also frequently a great option for the busy professional. On the other hand, if you've found that you tend to study better in a more structured environment, you would probably need to exert a more powerful effort with reference to the 'self-study' sort of format that characterizes distance education. (However, see #8, below, for ways in which MWSHS can help.)

2. ) Do I have to begin at any certain time of the year or can I begin at any time convenient to me?

Answer: You may begin at any time convenient to you!

3.) What, exactly, is a Master-Herbalist diploma? Is this a master's-level degree? Is it accredited? Or what, exactly, does this diploma entail?

Answer: This is not a master's level degree. (Note that, in the phrase "master-herbalist diploma," the word "master" modifies "herbalist"--as in "master gardener" or "master chef"--and is not in the possessive with reference to "diploma.") There are currently no distance-education, herbal-educational programs in America that are regionally accredited in an academically recognized sense, to our knowledge. We are aware of some distance-education, herbal-educational schools who advertise that they are "accredited," but these are actually through "accreditation mills" and not through academically-recognized, regional accrediting agencies (although, not unexpectedly, these schools proceed to charge heavily for tuition as if they were truly accredited in an academically-relevant sense)! For almost 50 years now, however, the Master-Herbalist diploma has been granted by a number of bonafide and unpretentious herbal-educational schools in recognition of successful completion of two or more years of intense focus in the area of herbal studies. As a result, it has earned its place in history as the outstandingly recognizable symbol of educational excellence in the field of herbology. And isn't that what you really want--an historically meaningful and recognizable symbol that you have achieved a high level of study in your chosen field of pursuit?

4.) Are you approved for continuing-education credits by any organizations? 

Answer:  Yes, our Master-Herbalist program is currently approved for continuing education by Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP).

5.) How do I best go about completing the "Workshops" course (#8) if I live some distance from your school? 

Answer: There may be workshops in your own area that would qualify. (Prior approval would be needed.) Health-food stores, local alternative-health newspapers, and holistic practitioners are often good resources for finding these.  All registered students receive our newsletter, which periodically has announcements of our workshops as well as other qualifying workshops throughout North America. Also, don't forget the option of sitting in with a clinical herbalist or other practitioner of herbal therapy (e.g., naturopath or Oriental-medicine practitioner) in your own area to fulfill some of these Workshop requirements. Remember, too, that there is no time requirement to complete the Workshops course.

6.) About the proctored exams: What do you look for in a proposed proctor in order to approve him or her?  

Answer: The choice of proctor is yours, but for us to approve him/her, we need to see that he/she is a professional person with supervisory experience who has an understanding and appreciation of the import of what is involved in being a proctor. From our standpoint, this usually translates as somebody with credentials after his/her name and with an office location where you would be proctored. Librarians are the first choice of many, but college instructors, schoolteachers, and health-care professionals would also generally qualify.

7.) How proactive is the Midwest School of Herbal Studies in the distance education of its students?