To choose the best herbal medicine courses, you will need to decide what types of herbal medicine you would like to work with and what your goals are in working with herbal medicine. When you have made these choices, you will then be able to narrow down which schools you would like to attend to take herbal medicine courses. Researching these schools by checking with former students and other herbalists, as well as checking for specific accreditation, will allow you to make the most informed choice.
The first choice to make when studying herbal medicine should be what type of herbs you would like to study. Most schools teach herbal medicine along with other disciplines, such as Ayurvedic medicine or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These disciplines typically use herbs from their own tradition. Some schools offer a combination of one or more disciplines.
Once you have chosen your field, finding the proper school is the next step. Most employers, as well as sources of financial aid, require that a school have some sort of accreditation, so making sure a school is properly accredited is important. Cost and location will also be a factor. There are online herbal courses offered, so that may suit your particular needs as well. It’s always a good idea to research the school by talking to former alumni or checking with review sites.
Another important factor in choosing a school is what you want to do with your knowledge. Some people want to take herbal medicine courses for their own use and knowledge, and others choose to use their knowledge in a professional environment. If you are only interested in herbal medicine for your own use, it might be best to take a few basic courses. There may classes available in seminar form or at a community center that can meet your needs, as opposed to attending a school full time. Some schools offer courses that you can audit and while you won't get credit, you will still learn about herbal medicine.
If you choose to work with herbal medicine professionally, make sure you can get the proper certification from your schooling. The certification might not be necessary if you want to work in an herbal factory, but probably will be if you want to actually prescribe herbs. You may also need to have other coursework other than herbal medicine courses in order to get certification.