Online Program with One In-Person Weekend in Hamilton, Canada for Eligible Regulated Health Professionals. Please do not register until you read our admissions criteria or contact us as the application fees and Moneris bank fees are non-refundable.
Registration opens on Monday June 1, 2026, at 9:00 AM ET for the Fall program. If you have any questions about our promotions, please contact us at acupuncture@mcmaster.ca. The Special Discount Tuition fee (including application fees) is $4,995 per registrant for the first ten registrants.
This Extended Fundamental Level introduces the basic concepts of acupuncture treatment, including the neuroanatomical, evidence-based, and basic science approaches to common musculoskeletal conditions. Safety issues and potential complications from acupuncture treatments will be discussed. Dry needling techniques, electrical stimulation, and trigger points will be explored. An in-person format will be used for lectures, practical needling sessions, written examinations, and practical examinations. There will be self-study components to explore in-depth the theoretical and evidence-based foundations of acupuncture and to plan treatment protocols. The registrant may claim up to 200 hours of credits for work completed. The core components (ACUP 1A25, 1B25, and 1C25) consist of 50 hours of in-person contact. The additional 150 hours of self-study (Module I – ACUP1D25, due the day before the examination, and Module II, due three months after the examination date) are required for registrants to meet the requirements of their respective regulatory colleges or boards.
ONLINE PROGRAM (with one weekend of in-person practical sessions in Hamilton, Ontario)
From September 1, 2026, Archived point anatomy and point location videos will be available to be watched before practical sessions. Courses 1A25, 1B25, 1C25, and 1D25 would have been deemed to have started on September 1, 2026.
Practical session dates. These six half-day sessions are mandatory to attend in full at the scheduled times. Five half-days will be held in person, and one half-day of practical point consolidation will be conducted via Zoom.
Mandatory Practical Dates
Friday, October 2, 2026, from 5:00 to 9:15 PM, In-Person in Hamilton, Ontario
Saturday, October 3, 2026, 8:00 AM – 5:15 PM In-Person in Hamilton, Ontario
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 8:00 AM -5:15 PM In-Person in Hamilton, Ontario
Friday, December 11, 2026, 1:00-5:15 PM Zoom
The exam will be on December 12, 2026
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9:00-12:00 PM Practical exam through Zoom
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1:00-5:00 PM for Written online
Live lectures are held simultaneously with the in-person program. For the online Cohort, lectures are available to watch at your own convenience until December 12, 2026, at 7:00 AM, the day of the exam.
Please ensure you can attend the scheduled dates for the in-person practical sessions in Hamilton and the online examinations before registering for our program. Please ensure you register for the correct program and that our program is for you. Once registered, the application fees and the Moneris bank fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.
Please save these slots for scheduling issues
Friday, October 23, 2026, 1:00-5:15 PM, October 24 & 25, 2026, 8:00 AM -5:15 PM
Friday, December 11, 2026, 5:00-9:15 PM
Tuition Fees
The entire program, with up to 200 hours of credits
Regular fee: $8495 Tuition and Examination fees + $1500 application fee ($250 per course or examination)
Early bird discount fee: $4,995 Tuition and Examination fees + $1,500 for the extended fundamental level (courses, self-study module 1, and 2, and examination)
GENERAL NOTICE: To be accepted into the program, registrants must have a smartphone and an up-to-date computer with a camera and high-speed internet. A program equivalent to Safe-Exam Browser must be successfully added. A staff member will contact you to make sure your computer and phone are in compliance.
Please note that this McMaster Medical Acupuncture Program: An Evidence-based Approach is chaired by Dr. K. Trinh. If you intend to sign up for the Acupuncture Canada Acupuncture Program, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Acupuncture Program, or the Contemporary Medical Acupuncture Program by Dr. Elorriaga, please do not sign up for our program, as the Moneris bank transaction fees and the application fees to our program are non-refundable.
Important Information
Our university has paused the vaccine requirements policy at the moment.
Please note that the tuition fee for the course or courses does not include the costs of the textbook, which can be purchased separately from the instructor through this link. Course content or materials will be provided digitally. Please bring a laptop to access the course content during classes.
Students must successfully pass the written and practical examinations within two years of registering and starting the acupuncture program. Otherwise, students will not be admitted to the examinations unless they have taken a refresher course and completed all the practical session requirements again.
Note: Registrants from the in-person cohort who wish to participate in any of the online components must pay the difference between the full online program fee and the fee they have already paid. Their registration will then be updated to reflect the online status. No switching or changing to the online cohort from the in-person cohort is allowed within 30 days or less from the date of the Fundamental examination.
Students should consider purchasing cancellation insurance through a provider such as Allianz Global Assistance (www.allianz-assistance.ca). We strictly enforce our cancellation policy regardless of the reason for cancellation.
