APA - Ayurvedic Practioners Association

Degree Qualifications in Ayurveda with the College of Ayurveda at Middlesex University, London

The College of Ayurveda is affiliated with Middlesex University and offers a validated suite of degree courses in Ayurvedic medicine:

• BSc Complementary Health Sciences (Ayurveda)
• Post-Graduate Diploma/MSc Ayurvedic Medicine
• Advanced Diploma for Qualified Healthcare Professionals

BSc Complementary Health Sciences (Ayurveda)

On successful completion of this undergraduate degree programme in Ayurveda graduates will have developed the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, effective, professional and ethical Ayurvedic therapy. They will be able to work as Ayurvedic therapists, give nutritional and lifestyle advice from an Ayurvedic perspective, and administer Ayurvedic therapeutic massage.

• The Ayurvedic subjects on the BSc course include Sanskrit, philosophy and history of Ayurveda, Ayurvedic fundamental principles, anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnostic techniques, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, mineralogy, toxicology, dispensing, internal medicine, daily and seasonal regimes and panchakarma – all according to the Ayurvedic medical system.
• Study weeks consist of 3 days of supervised classes and 2 days of allocated, unsupervised study in the library or at home.
• The BSc course can be studied full-time over 3 years or part-time over 5 years.
• The Ayurvedic syllabus is modelled on the course contents of the Indian BAMS qualification for Ayurvedic doctors and also on the recommendations from the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy for teaching Ayurveda in foreign countries.
• Those who only complete the 3-year BSc part of the course without the final year post-graduate diploma/MSc are entitled to work as Ayurvedic therapists. They are not qualified to diagnose or prescribe and will not be eligible for practitioner registration with the future statutory council. Only on completion of both the BSc course and the post-graduate diploma/MSc course do students acquire practitioner status.

Post-Graduate Diploma/MSc Ayurvedic Medicine

This unique programme, delivered jointly by Middlesex University and the College of Ayurveda, provides students who already have a degree-level qualification in Ayurveda with the advanced knowledge and skills to enable them to practise professionally and independently as qualified practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine.

• Modules may include: Advanced Internal Medicine; Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Paediatrics; Surgical Techniques in Ayurveda; Methods of Critical Enquiry in Healthcare Sciences; Dissertation (MSc only).
• This 1½-year post-graduate diploma course includes modules in kayachikitsa (internal medicine); introduction to the specialist branches of kaumara bhritya (paediatrics, gynaecology, obstetrics), shalya (surgery), shalakya (ENT, ophthalmology); and 1000 hours of supervised clinical internship.
• The supervised clinical training is an integral part of the course and comprises a minimum of 750 hours at recognised Ayurvedic universities or colleges in India or Sri Lanka, and 250 hours at recognised Ayurvedic clinics in the UK.
• This course also covers methods of critical enquiry in healthcare sciences; and requires the submission of a thesis, which is based on clinical research (MSc only) and gives students the possibility of specialising in a particular medical subject.

Advanced Diploma for Qualified Healthcare Professionals

This programme, delivered jointly by Middlesex University and the College of Ayurveda, is designed for medical doctors who wish to gain knowledge and skills in the principles of Ayurvedic medicine. The Advanced Diploma course enables the graduates to apply assessing and evaluating skills of Ayurvedic medicine to their own profession. Having successfully completed the Advanced Diploma, graduates can enrol for the PGDip/MSc Ayurvedic Medicine course offered by Middlesex University.

• The Advanced Diploma is a 1-year course only in Ayurvedic medicine. Classes are held once a week.
• On completion, students are entitled to be called Ayurvedic therapists, but they are not entitled to diagnose or prescribe Ayurvedic medicines. In order to work as recognised Ayurvedic practitioners, graduates of the Advanced Diploma must complete the PGDip/MSc Ayurvedic Medicine – an additional 1½-year course. This course includes training in kayachikitsa (internal medicine), an introduction to the specialist branches of kaumara bhritya (paediatrics, gynaecology, obstetrics), shalya (surgery), shalakya (ENT and ophthalmology) etc. and 750 hours of clinical internship in India or Sri Lanka.
• The 750 hours of training in India or Sri Lanka are completed over a period of approximately 4 months with roughly 9 hours of training per day. This internship can be completed in two 2-months blocks, for those students who are unable to do 4 months in one stretch.
• During the course students must also complete 250 hours of clinical training in the UK (a portion of this must be supervised and the remainder can be unsupervised, but documented).

For more information about the above courses contact:

Dr Mauroof Athique
The College of Ayurveda (UK) Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)1908 664518
Email: ayurvedacollege@msn.com

or

Complementary Health Sciences Department
Middlesex University
Tel: +44 (0)20 8411 5555
Email: admissions@mdx.ac.uk
Website: www.mdx.ac.uk