Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute
of the Medicine Buddha Healing Center

The Level II Clinical Ayurvedic Herbalist (C.A.H.) Program's 750 hours (50 trimester units) include 225 hours (15 trimester units) from the Level I Clinical Ayurvedic Therapist Program (C.A.T.).

We have based the program on the professional membership requirements of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (N.A.M.A.), which suggests 500 hours of training.  The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (C.A.A.M.) mandates a minimum of 350 hours for professional membership. The American Herbalist Guild suggests 1,800 hours for professional membership.  We offer a total of 1,800 hours (M.A.H.), 1,200 hours (C.A.H.S.), and 750 hours (C.A.H.) respectively for our three advanced level herbal practitioner certificate diploma programs and are thus positioned to help our graduates to pursue professional level membership in the above professional organizations.  Our 225 hour-long Clinical Ayurveda Therapist Program is an introductory program only and does not have enough hours to qualify for the professional membership requirements of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association or the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. 

Auditing versus Certificate Program: Although the detailed course descriptions and syllabi of the 17 courses below that make up the CAT Certificate Program may seem daunting and too intense for for some students, please realize that it is possible to "audit" the courses (in person or via distance learning CD-ROM audio/video option) and hence for such auditing students it is not necessary to write the term papers, or do homework or pass the oral exams at the end of the program.

It is possible for students to audit the four levels of programs offered.  There is no reduction in tuition or fees for this, but there is no requirement for specific attendance, listening requirements, homework or completion of exams.

We have endeavored to offer the most affordable yet comprehensive Ayurvedic education in the United States and have hence based the pricing for our Distance Learning (Correspondence Course) programs on the low-cost "Community College" model. State-supported Community Colleges in the United States, such as San Francisco’s City College or Oakland’s Laney College typically charge $26 to $75 per trimester unit for distance learning. In this spirit we are offering our distance learning programs at the affordable suggested donation rate of $60 per trimester unit (66 cents per hour).