Online College Reviews-The School of Natural Healing
Overview
The School of Natural Healing offers several different certifications and diploma courses of study. I have investigated their credentials and this is the result of my findings.
Certificate and Diplomas Offered (2 out of 5)
The School of Natural Healing has several different schools. Each school offers its own certificate and diploma courses of study. Students can choose from The College of Herbal Medicine, The College of Homeopathy, The College of Reflexology, The College of Iridology, and The College of Aromatherapy. The College of Herbal Medicine offers diploma courses as well as a degree of Master Herbologist (M.H.). All students at this college must complete the Family Herbalist course prior to taking any other coursework, except those enrolled in the Certified Herbal Retailer curriculum. Some of the other diploma and certificate programs include Nutritional Herbalist (1 year certificate program), Herbalist (1 year diploma program), and Advanced Herbalist (requires the Master Herbologist coursework, 1 year program).
The College of Homeopathy offers a course in homeopathy. It is a home study course and no certificate or diploma is offered. This is a course that anyone can take.
The College of Reflexology offers a certificate program in reflexology. This course is designed for anyone who would like to use reflexology techniques on themselves or family members. Completion of this course does not qualify an individual for any form of licensing.
The College of Iridology offers a home study program in iridology. It is a 3 part course that must be completed in order. The final part of the course is to complete a 6 hour seminar at a location closest to you. The information provided by the school does not indicate that this is a degree, certificate or diploma program. Therefore one must assume that it is a non-professional course.
The College of Aromatherapy offers a home study course that can be completed within 12 months time. The coursework includes anatomy and the chemistry behind aromatherapy. No certification, degree or diploma is offered. This is a good course for anyone thinking about entering into an aromatherapy craft business.
It appears that the only degree the School of Natural Healing can offer is a degree as a Master Herbalist. The programs are either certificate, diploma or non-credit. All programs are to be completed within 12 months. The exception is the 6 week Master Herbalist seminar. None of the programs offer CEU or other credits. Perhaps they are good for increasing personal knowledge but not much else. A review of the costs of these programs is discussed later in this article.
Tuition (1 out of 5)
The tuition for each school or program varies. The Master Herbalist program is $4825.00 for all coursework. This does not include the required fee for the 6 day seminar that is necessary to obtain the degree M.H. The Family Herbalist program can be taken online for as little as $100.00. The complete Reflexology Program is $1085.00. To complete the entire Iridology course will set you back $1915.00 and that does not include the required 6 hour seminar fee. Aromatherapy will cost $1215.00 to complete. Finally the Homeopathy course is $495.00 and the Certified Herbal Retailer course is $595.00.
Aside from the coursework required to obtain a Master Herbalist Degree, it seems very expensive to me. There are no other true certifications offered, and for $1,000 or more, local Adult Education programs or community college courses may be a better choice.
Payment plans are available and for most of the courses, a monthly payment option is also available. Payment must be made via a checking account or credit card. The payments will be automatically deducted according to the pre-set schedule. No materials will be shipped prior to acceptance of the application and payment of the first month’s tuition. The seminar for the Master Herbalist degree has no payment plan available. In addition the school adds a $20 per month fee for those enrolled in the plan to cover shipping. You are required to complete all courses within 12 months.
A scholarship is available for partial tuition. There are a limited number of scholarships available. The Dr. John R. Christopher Memorial Scholarship is available to anyone who has completed the Family Herbalist course. A one page form needs to be filled out, questions answered, and the form returned to the school. The balance of the tuition is required prior to enrollment. Payment plans cannot be combined with scholarships.
Accreditation (1 out of 5)
The School of Natural Healing is registered as a post secondary school in the state of Utah. There are no other accreditations, including distant learning accreditation. In order to become a licensed Master Herbologist, the completion of a residency program is usually required. The School of Natural Healing does not offer a residency program.
Conclusion
In my opinion, there are less expensive and more desirable ways to obtain training in the field of natural healing. Other than the online Family Herbalist program, the tuition appears to be quite high in cost and expensive for most students. The school has little to no accreditation, therefore a degree from the School of Natural Healing may only be worth the paper it is printed on.
For more information on the Natural School of Healing, go to www.snh.cc.
