STUDY PROGRAMS
Let’s Learn Together
Programs Available from the Midwest School of Herbal Studies
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1. Western-Herbalism Certificate Program (approx. 1& 1/2 years)
2. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program (approx. 2 years)
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1. Western-Herbalist Certificate Program
(Approx. 1 to 1&1/2 Years of Study)
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SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM
In this program, students come to appreciate all the "ins" and "outs" of Western herbalism in a series of fascinating, information-packed workbooks written by Matthew Alfs, M.H., R.H. (A.H.G.), director of the Midwest School of Herbal Studies. The in-depth workbooks consist of five parts, as follows....
In Part One, students learn how, and where, Western herbalism originated and evolved, during which fascinating journey they discover the herbal healing secrets of the ancient Greeks and Romans, European herbalists like John Gerard and Nicolas Culpeper, the native-Americans, the early-American Thomsonians and Physio-medicalists, and the Eclectic physicians of the late nineteenth century!
Students then go on to study holistic assessment techniques such as how to analyze the eyes (via iridology and scleral intepretation) and tongue, how to test muscles and thereby get a sense of the vitality of organ systems, and how to understand functional laboratory results.
In Part Two, students learn about plant structure and growth via the study of botany, the various forms of herbal therapy (teas, tinctures, powders/capsules, poultices, etc.), the nutritive value of plants, and finally, the major chemical components of plants (via the science of "phytochemistry") and how these chemicals elucidate the healing potential of the plants in which they are found.
Next, in Part Three, entitled Modern Western Herbalism, students study each of the different body systems successively--first via a detailed summary of the physiology and pathophysiology (disease states) of each respective system and then via a detailed examination of the particular herbs that bring about balance to each system. This section is buttressed with references to several thousand clinical trials and other scientific studies relative to the efficacy of the herbs discussed.
In Part Four, students learn about contraindications for the use of particular herbs relative to pregnancy, lactation, and pharmaceutical use. This section also includes a lengthy introduction to pharmacology.
Finally, in Part Five, students focus on how to analyze a case and then to choose the appropriate herbs to encourage healing, during which Part they also learn how to create and mix custom formulas. Also covered in this segment are topics such as the identification of herbs in the field, the wildcrafting and processing of harvested herbs, and the preparation of wildcrafted herbs into tinctures and other herbal products for application to persons seeking healing.
Once students complete the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program, which typically takes about a year, they then have the option to go on to study Asian (Chinese and Ayurvedic) herbalism and, after that, an "integrative herbalism" whereby they learn how to integrate Asian herbalism with Western herbalism to achieve a unified sort of herbalism that offers the best of both herbal traditions. This can be done via a transferring of the credits earned, and of the funds spent, from the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program into the Master-Herbalist Diploma Program. (For more details on the latter, see below, under "2. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program," or simply click here: 2. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program )
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COMPONENTS OF THE WESTERN-HERBALISM CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
The materials provided by MWSHS to the student to complete the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program consist of two oversize workbooks (a total of about 1200 pp. altogether!) and e-mail support from our coordinators. The required textbook (300 Herbs) is available separately on our website, as many new students may have already purchased it elsewhere in that it is available from a number of internet and brick-and-mortar stores. The lesson questions are available from a password-protected page on our website and are also printed in the text. The study lessons are arranged in the following order:
Part One Foundations of Western Herbalism
Part Two Botany, Nutrition, The Chemistry of Herbs, and the Forms of Herbal Therapy
Part Three Modern Western Herbalism
Part Four Herb Contraindications (Pregnancy, Lactation, Chemical Sensitivities, & Drugs)
Part Five Case Analysis/Healing Strategies
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TIME COMMITMENT
Any student may take whatever amount of time is necessary for him/her to complete the program. To complete the program in one year, however, the estimated study time needed per week would be about 12.5 hours.
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LESSON QUESTIONS FORMAT
Lesson questions appear at the end of each lesson and are also available from a password-protected page on our website. If utilized from the latter source, 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 imaged-and-emailed or snail-mailed back to us. Alternately, the lesson question sheets at the end of each lesson in the workbook may be used to write out the answers longhand, which can then be imaged-and-emailed or snail mailed to us. Whichever method is used, the graded lesson sheets will be returned to the student to allow for study and for exam prep (see immediately below). The student should allow 6-8 weeks to receive these graded lesson(s), which are only graded in groups of three or more.
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EVALUATION METHOD
A student must achieve a score of 70% or better on the lessonwork for this Program as well as pass a proctored, final examination with a score of 70% or better in order to obtain the required credits for the Certificate. (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 the 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 is based 50% upon the average score from the lesson answers and 50% from the grade of the final examination.
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TUITION & PAYMENT METHODS
Tuition is calculated at $30 per semester credit (which reflects a unit of measurement), for a total of $1,260 for the 42 semester credits and materials (excluding the textbook, which is currently priced at $25.00).
To order the "Western-Herbalism Certificate Program," scroll to the top of the screen and click on the "How to Order" Tab in the Tab Menu on the upper left quadrant of your Screen. Minnesota residents need add 7.125% 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 in). The purchaser has 30 days in which to examine the materials and decide whether to keep them or to return them unused (and with no lessons submitted) for a refund.
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2. Master-Herbalist Diploma Program
(2-3 Years of Study)
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The Master-Herbalist diploma program encompasses approximately two-to-three years of study in the major streams of herbalism (including modern Western Herbalism, Native-American Herbalism, Physio-medicalist Herbalism, American-Eclectic Herbalism, Chinese Herbalism, and Ayurvedic Herbalism)
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SUMMARY OF THE MASTER-HERBALIST DIPLOMA PROGRAM
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 different modules, as follows:
Module One: Western Herbalism
(42 semester credits)
This module is exactly the same (in both content and organization) as the Western-Herbalism Certificate Program, for which see the summary and detailed description under that program's heading, above.
Part One Foundations of Western Herbalism
Part Two Botany, Nutrition, The Chemistry of Herbs, and the Forms of Herbal Therapy
Part Three Modern Western Herbalism
Part Four Herb Contraindications (Pregnancy, Lactation, Chemical Sensitivities, & Drugs)
Part Five Case Analysis/Healing Strategies
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 (primarily those which are readily available on the Western market) and dozens of formulas (primarily those which are 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.
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)
This module requires 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 personal attendance at workshops (i.e., not via webinars, etc.). MWSHS periodically sponsors workshops in the Midwestern USA and occasionally in various other areas of the country, but workshops presented by any qualified teacher on an appropriate herbal-related subject--see below for details--may be acceptable, subject to approval by MWSHS. Moreover, not only can qualifying workshops be obtained at any time from the date of entrance into the M.H. program, but even those 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 (40 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 (40 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).
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COMPONENTS OF THE M.H. DIPLOMA PROGRAM
The materials provided by MWSHS to the student when ordering the M.H. Diploma Program consist of five oversized workbooks (a total of approximately 1500 pp. altogether!). The required textbook (300 Herbs) is available separately on our website, as many new students may have already purchased it elsewhere in that it is available from a number of internet and brick-and-mortar stores. The lesson questions are available from a password-protected page on our website and are also printed in the text. Fees for the workshops are not included in the price for the M.H. Diploma Program as offered on our website either, owing to the fact that they may taken from workshop presenters other than MWSHS (as explained above) or may have been taken from such presenters up to 5 years previous to a student entering MWSHS' M.H. program.
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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.
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LESSON QUESTIONS FORMAT
Lesson questions appear at the end of each lesson and are also available from a password-protected page on our website. If utilized from the latter source, 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 imaged-and-emailed or snail-mailed back to us. Alternately, the lesson question sheets at the end of each lesson in the workbook may be used to write out the answers longhand, which can then be imaged-and-emailed or snail mailed to us. Whichever method is used, the graded lesson sheets will be returned to the student to allow for study and for exam prep (see immediately below). The student should allow 6-8 weeks to receive these graded lesson(s), which are only graded in groups of three or more.
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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. (The proctor is chosen by the student, but must be a responsible and professional member in the community and approved by MWSHS. Once the 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.
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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.
To Order the "Master-Herbalist Diploma Program," scroll to the top of the screen and click on the "How to Order" Tab in the Tab Menu on the upper left quadrant of your Screen. Minnesota residents need add 7.125% 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 in). The purchaser has 30 days in which to examine the materials and decide whether to keep them or to return them unused (and with no lessons submitted) for a refund.