Herbal Schools

Professional Organizations

Herbs for Children

Herbs & Animals

“Therefore in medicine we ought to know the causes of sickness and health”

~ Avicenna

Herbal Schools & Education
The following is listed not by school name but by what course or type of practitioner training.

You may also find this helpful in understanding some of the alphabet soup that you see after herbalists names on their business cards etc.

Chartered Herbalist
These practitioners usually have the letters CH after their name. Education is through Dominion Herbal College. This is a home study course.

Clinical Herbal Therapist
These practitioners usually have the letters CHT after their name. Education is through Dominion Herbal College. A 4 year full-time program that includes a minimum of 500 hours of clinical training. There used to be a full-time in-class program, but I understand it is now only the program that involves both in-class and home study. They also have a 2 year program “Specially Structured for Health Care Professionals at the Physician Level”.

Clinical Herbalist
These practitioners usually have the letters Cl.H. after their name. education is through Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. This program is 3 years and includes 300 hours of clinical training.

Diploma in Phytotherapy
These practitioners usually have this term, Dip. Phyto., after their name. Education is through Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technologies, Institute of Applied Health Sciences (no longer taking students). This is a 2100 hour in-class program with 300 hours of clinical training.

Graduate Certificate in Herbal Studies
A 9-weekend course, offered by Tai Sophia Institute, “focused on empowering you with the basic knowledge and skills to support self care”.

Graduate Certificate in Medical Herbalism
Tai Sophia Institute offers this course “exclusively designed for licensed and certified health-care professionals”, and focusing on the more popular herbal medicines offered in the United States and how they might interact with pharmaceuticals.

Graduate Diploma in Health Science (Herbal Medicine)
This course is aimed at existing health care professionals. It takes between 2 and 4 years to complete the course.

Herbal Consulting
This 1 year course, provided by Dominion Herbal College, is designed for those employed or wanting employment in the herbal industry.

Herbal Technician
These practitioners usually have the letters HT after their name. Education is through Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technologies, Institute of Applied Health Sciences (no longer taking students). An 800 hour in-class program.

Master Herbalist
There are several places that offer a Master Herbalist program. Two of them are mentioned here.
MH - 1-year course through Dominion Herbal College, or Emerson College of Herbology (Emerson now closed). Both are home study courses.
M.H. - educated at Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. This is a 2 year program that includes 100 hours of clinical training.

Master of Health Science (Herbal Medicine)
A 3 year course aimed at existing health care professionals, provided by the Australian College of Phytotherapy.

Master of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine
MSc in Herbal Medicine - educated at the University of Wales. this is a 2 1/2 year part-time in-class program. No longer seem to be offering this course.

Master of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism
A 19 month program, offered by Tai Sophia Institute, conducted on weekends, which “builds upon training in herbal graduate certificate programs”.

Post-Master’s Certificate in Clinical Herbalism
This course starts up in 2013, and is for graduates of the Master of Science in Therapeutic Herbalism course, as well as other qualified people. This program provides real world experience in the clinical setting.

Practical Herbalist
P.H. - educated at Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. This consists of the first year course of Wild Rose College’s Master Herbalist program.

Practical Herbal Therapy
This course, from the Australian College of Phytotherapy, is aimed at “qualified health care professionals”.

Plant Spirit Medicine
PSM - developed by Eliot Cowan. It is based on classical Chinese Medicine and Shamanism. Training is six one-week sessions done over approximately 1 1/2 years.

Traditional Herbalist
TH - educated at Living Earth School of Natural Therapies. This is a 1200 to 1500 hour program.

Wholistic Therapist
W.T. - educated at Wild Rose College of Natural Healing. this is a diverse program and is best described on their own website.