Northern College of Acupuncture

Northern College of Acupuncture The NCA is the UK's leading independent college, teaching degree level acupuncture and our Chinese Medicine Nutrition Diploma. Join us!

About Northern College of Acupuncture

Welcome to the NCA, a world leader in training acupuncturists, Chinese herbal medicine practitioners and nutritional therapists.
“We aim to be a person-centred, progressive, sustainable community embodying integrity and quality.”

Pioneering
The Northern College of Acupuncture was founded in 1988 by Hugh MacPherson and Nicholas Haines, when we offered our first acupuncture programme. The College is now a registered charity, and we added programmes in Chinese herbal medicine in 1994 and nutritional therapy in 2008, and more recently our home for acupuncture practitioners, The Practitioner Hub, in 2021. We have a strong track record of developing and running programmes leading to both professional and academic qualifications, and we have always been pioneers in the field. We were the first teaching institution of any kind in the UK to offer a University degree in acupuncture (the MSc in Acupuncture with the University of Wales, in 1995), the first to offer a post-graduate degree in Chinese herbal medicine (MSc in Chinese Herbal Medicine with the University of Wales, in 2004), and the first to achieve professional accreditation for our acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and nutritional therapy programmes (in 1996, 2003 and 2010 respectively). Community
The College is a vibrant learning community built around our large team of teachers - practitioners who love their work, inspire our students, and are committed to excellence. Our students come to train with us from all over the UK and beyond, from many different backgrounds and become highly successful practitioners. We place clinical practice at the heart of our work, with students involved in our teaching clinic from the start of their courses, and interactive learning focussed on clinical casework. We are proud of our gradates working around the globe helping their communities with the skills and knowledge they learned at the NCA. Person Centred
The NCA is a small and friendly College – we know our students by name and all our staff are focused on our student’s wellbeing and learning journey. From the first phone call, throughout your time as a student, to becoming a practitioner, you will find the NCA a supportive place to learn. On graduation our acupuncture students can join The Practitioner Hub which is the NCA’s home for acupuncture practitioners offering CPD (online and in person), mentoring and a welcoming community of like-minded practitioners. Sustainable
As an educational charity all our profits go into ensuring the growth, sustainability and longevity of the College and enabling our students to become successful practitioners. Our nutrition, and acupuncture courses are taught by blended learning and our students learn via a blended model of in-person or online classroom teaching, in-person or online clinic, e-learning and home study. This dynamic mix helps our students to continue to fit their studies around their work and other commitments, cut down their travel and costs and study in a more sustainable way. Our Chinese herbal medicine course is mostly taught online. The College and our acupuncture and nutrition teaching clinics are located in the centre of the historic city of York, in a beautiful Georgian building on the historic street of Micklegate a few minutes’ walk from the river. We are a short walk from the railway station which is on the main East Coast railway. Integrity and Quality
Our acupuncture courses, nutrition courses and Chinese herbal medicine courses are designed to meet high standards of excellence and quality. They have a focus not just on acquiring knowledge and learning techniques of practice but also on developing as a practitioner. Our aim is to help our students to become balanced and well-rounded practitioners as well as educating them to a high academic level AND giving them the business skills, they need to succeed as a practitioner and a small business owner. The College is validated by the University College of Osteopathy, reviewed by the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency, and accredited by the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB) for acupuncture, Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC) for nutrition and European Herbal & Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA) for Chinese Herbal Medicine. Validation and government recognition means that students have access to undergraduate and postgraduate government loans. Progressive
We are continuously looking at ways to help practitioners become better at what they do. In 2023 we are launching a new course– our Diploma in Chinese Medicine Nutrition which is a totally online extended CPD course for acupuncture practitioners who want to learn more about how to support their clients with good nutrition. From the outset the NCA has been research focussed and the College is a community of highly qualified staff and students engaged in research. From learning how to become a research literate practitioner, to conducting MSc Research Projects to support to PhD. The College has contributed to the research work into the effectiveness of acupuncture for low back pain and our founder the late Hugh MacPherson was a global leader in acupuncture research. We hope you will love following our page and finding out more about our vibrant healing community.

We’re vibing the Chinamaxxing!How great is it that Gen Z are picking up on ancient Chinese wisdom for their wellness rou...
10/03/2026

We’re vibing the Chinamaxxing!

How great is it that Gen Z are picking up on ancient Chinese wisdom for their wellness routines?



As Americans embrace ‘alternative’ remedies, people online joke that they’re ‘Chinamaxxing’ their wellness routines

Happy International Women’s Day! We are delighted to support this year’s   campaign for  . For thousands of years, ancie...
08/03/2026

Happy International Women’s Day!

We are delighted to support this year’s campaign for .

For thousands of years, ancient Chinese medicine has been helping women with their health and wellbeing. As acupuncturists, we are delighted to carry on this long tradition, working with patients and practitioners to restore balance, manage pain, support fertility, and give menopause relief.



Image from Electro-Acupuncture for Endometriosis training with Kimberley Shepherd

The NCA’s Cancer Care Salon is a one-day gathering for acupuncturists who want to deepen their knowledge and confidence ...
06/03/2026

The NCA’s Cancer Care Salon is a one-day gathering for acupuncturists who want to deepen their knowledge and confidence in supporting patients who have received a cancer diagnosis.

Hosted at the NCA’s college in York — with a full livestream for those joining remotely — the day brings together three expert speakers covering the full arc of oncology care:
🩵 Beverley de Valois shares her pioneering work on acupuncture and the cancer survivorship pathway including prehab and rehab.
🩵 Kirsten Chick Nutritional Therapist cuts through the myths around diet and cancer with practical, clinically grounded guidance.
🩵 Robin Sunley Acupuncture draws on his years of hospital acupuncture experience to address specific treatment side effects like peripheral neuropathy.

The event includes time to network, circulate in the college and share reflections with colleagues — this is a day worth making space for.

Book your tickets online today: https://bit.ly/47sGIvA

UK courses in acupuncture, nutrition, Chinese herbal medicine and online courses for practitioners provided by York’s Northern College of Acupuncture.

Our Practitioner Hub is an international community of acupuncturists who come together to learn new skills and share ide...
03/03/2026

Our Practitioner Hub is an international community of acupuncturists who come together to learn new skills and share ideas and experiences.

We were delighted to receive this testimonial from a new member for 2026.

If you missed the open doors for membership this year, don't worry. You can still access some of our sessions on demand to develop your skills: https://bit.ly/4alOF7R

Our Northwich Acupuncture Clinic is currently taking on new patients 🌿If you've been wondering about how acupuncture cou...
02/03/2026

Our Northwich Acupuncture Clinic is currently taking on new patients 🌿

If you've been wondering about how acupuncture could improve your health and wellness, book your initial consultation with us!

From just £25 per session, we offer the highest standard of care at affordable prices in our multibed teaching clinic. We also have private rooms available on request.

Contact the clinic here: https://nca.ac.uk/contact/clinic

We've had a great day hosting this Business Essentials workshop with the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub! Ruth, of Rut...
27/02/2026

We've had a great day hosting this Business Essentials workshop with the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub!

Ruth, of Ruth Gordon Associates, led the workshop to our assembled group of therapists and other small business owners. She shared practical advice for starting and managing a micro-business and highlighted ways to avoid common pitfalls new companies can stumble on.

It was wonderful to connect with some of the local people who help make the York business community such a welcoming place to practice.

Did you know that as part of your acupuncture degree with the NCA you can add massage and other great supplementary cour...
26/02/2026

Did you know that as part of your acupuncture degree with the NCA you can add massage and other great supplementary courses?

These skills will expand the services you can offer as a fully qualified practitioner and create a holistic care experience for your clients.

Find out everything you need to know about studying acupuncture with us on our website: https://bit.ly/3YImdXb



A huge thanks to NCA graduate Jo Mac Acupuncture for the use of this image 📸

Today's the day! 🎉 Join us tonight for a webinar to boost your acupuncture practice with one of the world's top ethical ...
24/02/2026

Today's the day! 🎉 Join us tonight for a webinar to boost your acupuncture practice with one of the world's top ethical marketing teachers - Tad Hargrave.

Tickets are just £35 and there are a few last minute places still available!

If you want to find out how to market your business in a way that's deeply respectful, trauma-informed, consent-based, conscience-driven, courteous, and honours the dignity of everyone involved (including you) don't miss this session.

Get your tickets here: https://bit.ly/46wH2ZS ⬅️

On Feb 24, 2026 - get a ticket now!

We are so excited to have Tad share his ethical marketing wisdom with us next week!Take a look at this short video where...
21/02/2026

We are so excited to have Tad share his ethical marketing wisdom with us next week!

Take a look at this short video where Tad talks about how ethical relating can help you get better at marketing - just one of the many great tips he has to share with us:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xBR8T4CwiKc

You can still book tickets to secure your place at this webinar:
https://bit.ly/46wH2ZS

At just £35, this is an unmissable opportunity to really detailed advice for your practice!

For more help with your marketing, sign up for your Ethical Marketing Starter Kit here:www.marketingforhippies.com/starter-kit

Attention acupuncture practitioners, healers, and coaches! Are you tired of icky marketing? Tad Hargrave is joining us f...
18/02/2026

Attention acupuncture practitioners, healers, and coaches! Are you tired of icky marketing?

Tad Hargrave is joining us for an evening where he'll share his core strategies on how to market your business in a way that is ethical, effective and beautiful.

No scripts. No pitching. No inauthentic self-promotion. No high-pressure sales tactics. No manipulating anyone.

You'll also be able to ask Tad your questions and get really focused advice for your practice.

Sound good?

Join us for just £35, Tue 24th Feb at 7pm.

Book your place today:

On Feb 24, 2026 - get a ticket now!

We love hearing from our students about our courses! 🧡We're not just teaching skills; we're creating a community of acup...
17/02/2026

We love hearing from our students about our courses! 🧡

We're not just teaching skills; we're creating a community of acupuncturists who go on to fulfilling careers as practitioners.

In the recent National Student Survey, 100% of students said that our staff make the subjects engaging and found their studies to be intellectually stimulating.

Applications for our acupuncture course starting in September 2026 are open.

Come along to our upcoming open day to see the college for yourself and talk to current students and recent graduates: https://bit.ly/3LN6sLN

Throughout your acupuncture degree, you'll gain a total of 400 hours in our teaching clinic 📍You'll be in clinic right f...
14/02/2026

Throughout your acupuncture degree, you'll gain a total of 400 hours in our teaching clinic 📍

You'll be in clinic right from your first term, observing treatments and learning from tutors and other students.

Discover more about the hands-on learning at the NCA: https://nca.ac.uk/acupuncture-courses/teaching-clinic

Address

61 Micklegate
York
YO16LJ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Northern College of Acupuncture posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Our Story

We are an educational charity dedicated to acupuncture, Chinese medicine and nutrition science and practice. Students from many different backgrounds and from all over the UK and beyond, train with us and become highly successful practitioners. The College is a learning community built around our large team of teachers of practitioners who love their work and inspire our students and are committed to excellence. We are located in in the centre of the historic city of York in a beautiful Georgian building on an old Roman and Viking street a few minutes walk from the river. We place clinical practice at the heart of our work, with students involved in our teaching clinic from the start of their courses, and interactive learning focussed on clinical casework. We also make a significant contribution to research by practitioners. We are particularly proud of our teaching clinics, our library and our friendly and supportive staff. The Northern College of Acupuncture was founded in 1988 by Hugh MacPherson and Nicholas Haines, when we offered our first acupuncture programme. The College is now a registered charity, and we added programmes in Chinese herbal medicine in 1994 and nutritional therapy in 2008. We see our educational work as being both challenging and inspiring. The challenge comes from learning new ways of seeing and understanding. The inspiration comes from the insights, knowledge and skills that come with fresh perspectives. Our educational programmes are designed to meet high standards of excellence and quality. They have a focus not just on acquiring knowledge and learning techniques of practice but also on the development of the practitioner. Our aim is to help our students to become balanced and well-rounded practitioners as well as educating them to a high academic level. At the NCA we recognise that professional practice has the complexity and diversity of a rich tapestry. Our programmes follow a structured approach to theory and practice but at the same time we are eclectic in our approaches to diagnosis and treatment and our tutors have wide ranging backgrounds in their own training. By this means our students are enabled to construct a wide-ranging personal repertoire from which they can draw creatively and flexibly to best meet their patients’ needs. Chinese medicine and nutrition science and practice are fields of knowledge where theory and practice remain closely linked. Their rich bodies of theory and research evidence are applied in practice, but also theory is continually informed and modified by direct clinical experience. We therefore put considerable emphasis on the importance of clinical experience, and early exposure to clinical practice is a key feature of our programmes. We have a thriving and well respected teaching clinic and dispensary at the College, which is open every week of the year and serves our local communities offering acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tuina Chinese massage and nutritional therapy. This provides a great clinical learning environment for our students at the heart of the College. We have a strong track record of developing and running programmes leading to both professional and academic qualifications, and we have always been pioneers in the field. We were the first teaching institution of any kind in the UK to offer a University degree in acupuncture (the MSc in Acupuncture with the University of Wales, in 1995), the first to offer a post-graduate degree in Chinese herbal medicine (MSc in Chinese Herbal Medicine with the University of Wales, in 2004), and the first to achieve professional accreditation for our acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and nutritional science and practice programmes (in 1996, 2003 and 2010 respectively). We now also offer online Masters programms for practitioners from all over the world. Also, back in 1990 we established our sister research charity, the Foundation for Research into Traditional Chinese Medicine (FRTCM), having foreseen the need to carry out robust research into the value of these therapies. Over the years, the College has come to be recognised nationally for its work in the field of Chinese medicine. We have regularly recruited up to 30 students every year to our acupuncture programme(s) since the College's inception. These students are drawn from a wide geographical area, mostly from between the north, Midlands and the south of Scotland. Our Chinese herbal medicine programmes have had smaller intakes – up to 12 – as they are open to qualified acupuncturists only, and we have generally recruited a new intake every other year. Our herbs students have been drawn from an even wider geographical area and a small number have even commuted from other European countries. Our nutrition programme also rectruits students from all over the UK and Europe and of course our online programmes are global. We also run a range of post-registration courses, providing continuous professional development options for practitioners. These include open seminars and research training.

In 2018 we celebrated our 30 year anniversary.