(a) The board shall approve a naturopathic medical education program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education or an equivalent federally recognized accrediting body for the naturopathic medical profession that has the following minimum requirements:
(1) Admission requirements that include a minimum of three-quarters of the credits required for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited or preaccredited college or university or the equivalency, as determined by the council.
(2) Program requirements for its degree or diploma of a minimum of 4,100 total hours in basic and clinical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, naturopathic modalities, and naturopathic medicine. Of the total requisite hours, not less than 2,500 hours shall consist of academic instruction, and not less than 1,200 hours shall consist of supervised clinical training approved by the naturopathic medical school.
(b) A naturopathic medical education program in the United States shall offer graduate-level full-time studies and training leading to the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy or Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. The program shall be an institution, or part of an institution of, higher education that is either accredited or is a candidate for accreditation by a regional institutional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, or an equivalent federally recognized accrediting body for naturopathic doctor education.
(c) To qualify as an approved naturopathic medical school, a naturopathic medical program located in Canada or the United States shall offer a full-time, doctoral-level, naturopathic medical education program with its graduates being eligible to apply to the board for licensure and to the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners that administers the naturopathic licensing examination.
(d) The naturopathic medical program shall evaluate an applicant’s education, training, and experience obtained in the armed services, pursuant to Section 35, and provide course credit where applicable.
(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 497, Sec. 27. (SB 1526) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 3686.)