Programs Available from the Midwest
School of Herbal Studies
1.
Master-Herbalist Diploma Program (approx. 2-3 Years)
(Revised & Re-arranged as of Nov. 1, 2007)
2. Western-Herbalism Certificate Program
(approx. 1
year)
(This is equivalent to the "Western Herbalism"
module of the Master-Herbalist Diploma Program [for which see below,
under "Module One"], but is available as a stand-alone, certificate
program)
1. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program
(2-3 Years
of Study)
The Master-Herbalist
diploma program encompasses approximately two-to-three years of study in integrative
herbalism (including modern Western Herbalism, Native-American
Herbalism, Physio-medicalist Herbalism, American-Eclectic Herbalism,
Chinese Herbalism, and Ayurvedic Herbalism)
MODULES & CREDITS
The Master Herbalist (M.H.)
diploma program consists of 67 semester credits (with 1 credit
approximating 20 hours of study, for a total of 1340 hours of study),
spread out over three different modules, as follows:
Module One: Western Herbalism
(42 semester credits)
Part One:
Foundations of Western Herbalism
(Click Here to See
the "Table of Contents")
(Click Here to See a
Sample Page of the Workbook Text)
(Click Here to See a
Sample Page of the Lesson Questions)
Part Two: Botany, Nutrition, The Chemistry of Herbs, and
the Forms of Herbal Therapy
(Click
Here to See the "Table of Contents")
(Click
Here to See a Sample Page of the Workbook Text)
(Click
Here to See a Sample Page of the Lesson Questions)
Part Three: Modern Western Herbalism
(Click Here
to See the "Table of Contents")
(Click Here to See a Sample Page of the Workbook Text)
(Click Here to See a Sample Page of the Lesson Questions)
Part Four: Herbal
Contraindications
(Pregnancy, Lactation,
Pathologies, & Drugs)
Part Five: Case Analysis/Healing Strategies
This Part helps the student to apply the information learned
in the previous courses to real life. Through the use of sample case
histories, the student learns how to analyze a case and then choose
the appropriate herbs and other supplements.
Module Two: Asian Herbalism
(12 semester credits)
This module encompasses an intense study of the herbal
therapeutics of Ayurvedic Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
About 150 different Ayurvedic & Chinese herbs (those available on the
Western market) and dozens of formulas (those available on the Western
market) are covered, as well as the traditional assessment techniques (pattern
analysis, constitution, tongue analysis, pulse analysis, and
physiognomy) needed to choose the appropriate herbs.
(Click
Here to See the "Table of Contents")
(Click
Here to See a Sample Page of the Workbook Text)
(Click
Here to See a Sample Page of the Lesson Questions)
Module Three: Integrative Herbalism
(4 semester credits)
This module combines Western Herbalism, Ayurveda, & TCM
into an integrative model of assessment and herbal therapeutics!
Very, very few schools (if any!) offer this unique training!
Module Four: Thesis
(6 semester credits)
A 24-page, double-spaced
thesis on an herbal-related topic of the student's choice (subject to
approval by MWSHS).
Workshops
(3 credits = 60 hrs)
Although 64 of the 67 credits
necessary to obtain the Master-Herbalist diploma can be completed
entirely by correspondence, the remaining three credits (= 60 hrs)
need to be fulfilled via workshops. Said workshops can either be those
conducted by MWSHS (we conduct them regularly every year) or by other
qualified presenters, with no specification on where they are held.
Moreover, not only can they can be obtained at any time from the date
of entrance into the M.H. program, but even qualifying workshops taken
up to five years prior to entrance into the M.H. program may be
applicable. However, any and all workshops must be approved by MWSHS
and must be spread out among several categories, as outlined below:
(1) 1 CREDIT (20 HOURS) MINIMUM AND 2 CREDITS (4O
HOURS) MAXIMUM for Holistic Assessment Skills, such as: muscle testing, iridology,
scleral interpretation, tongue assessment, pulse
assessment, physiognomy (face assessment), or other physical
assessment.
(2)1 CREDIT (20 HOURS) MINIMUM AND 2 CREDITS (4O
HOURS) MAXIMUM for Wild-plant Walks conducted by an herbalist,
naturopath, botanist, or naturalist.
(3) NO MINIMUM and 1 CREDIT (20 HOURS) MAXIMUM
for misc. workshops on any aspect of Herbal Therapeutics (including
medicine-making).
COMPONENTS OF THE M.H. DIPLOMA
PROGRAM
The materials provided by MWSHS
to the student to complete the M.H. Diploma Program consist of one oversized
textbook (300 Herbs: Their
Indications & Contraindications), five oversize workbooks (a
total of over 1000pp altogether!), several CDs containing oral
discourses, the lesson questions (on CD), and e-mail support from our
coordinators.
TIME COMMITMENT
As of April 1, 2007, any student may take whatever amount of time is
necessary for him/her to complete the program. To complete the
program in two years, however, the estimated study time needed per
week would be about 12.5 hours, whereas for a three-year goal it would
be about 8.5 hours per week.
LESSONS
Lesson questions are enclosed on a CD. After the CD is
opened, the answers may be typed out on the computer keyboard, saved, and sent
to us via email at MWSHS@aol.com or
alternately printed out onto hard copy (paper), answered longhand, and then
snail-mailed back to us. The student should allow 2-4 weeks to receive
the graded lesson(s), which are graded in groups of three or more.
EVALUATION METHOD
In addition to the Workshops required (as
described above), a student must achieve
a score of 70% or better on the
lessonwork for each of the Modules (including the Thesis) of this
Program as well as pass a proctored, final examination with a score of
70% or better for each of Modules 1, 2, and 3 in order to obtain the
required credits for the Diploma. (Three hours are allowed to complete
each examination and to turn it in to one's proctor. The proctor is
chosen by the student, but must be a responsible and professional
member in the community and approved by MWSHS. Once choice of proctor
is approved and the exam date has been set by the student, the exam is
mailed to the proctor to arrive at least several days prior to the
specified exam date.) The final grade for each Module is based 50%
upon the average score from the lesson answers and 50% from the grade
of the final examination for that Module.
TUITION & PAYMENT METHODS
Tuition is calculated at $30 per
semester credit, for a total of $1,920 for the 64 non-workshop credits
and materials (excluding the textbook, which is currently priced at
$25.00). Costs for the three workshop
credits cannot be estimated due to widely differing charges on the
part of workshop instructors, but they are the student’s
responsibility regardless. We are pleased to offer the modules of the M.H. program separately, so that one may
“pay as one goes,” rather than have to fund the entire Program at
once. Note, however, that modules must be ordered in numerical order.
Minnesota residents need add 6.5% sales tax to any purchase if paying
by a method other than our online ordering system (in which latter
case, sales tax is automatically computed and added). Other forms of
payment accepted by MWSHS include cashier’s check, personal check, or
major credit cards (called or faxed in). The purchaser has 30 days in which to examine the
materials and decide whether to keep them or return them unused (and
with no lessons submitted) for a refund.
2. Western-Herbalist
Certificate Program
(1-2 Years
of Study)
This is a stand-alone program equivalent to "Module
One: Western Herbalism" of the "Master-Herbalist Diploma Program"
described above. (Scroll up to "Module One: Western Herbalism"
for details.) We've had many requests from health-care
professionals, who want something readily usable as an add-on to their
own practice, to make this new program available. In this regard, the
Western-Herbalism Certificate Program provides practical information
on the uses of Western herbs for healing in a variety of common
scenarios, arranged by body system, and features summaries of hundreds
of scientific studies, full referenced. (The more complex
systems of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine are thus excluded
from this proram.) In addition, it features a large section on
nutrition, as well as covers Western assessment techniques such
as laboratory analysis, iris-and-scleral interpretation, muscle
testing, and facial analysis.
For Pricing, or to Order either of these
Programs, click on the "How to Order" Tab in the Tab Menu to
the upper left of your Screen.