Office of the Registrar
The Office of the Registrar is responsible for academic and classroom scheduling, student registration, enrollment verification, grading and academic records maintenance, transfer credit articulation, degree audits, monitoring undergraduate general education requirements, degree awarding, course evaluations, student data/statistical analysis, veterans benefits, FERPA compliance, and transcript services. These responsibilities, assignments and services are completed within institutional policies and standards as well as related state and federal laws and regulations.
How to Register for classes on AMU Student Portal?
The first time you register for classes on AMU Student Portal you will need to have the following pieces of information ready:
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Student ID Number (AMU ID)
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Personal Access Code (PASSWORD)
Your AMU ID (a number in this format: C/E19XXX) and your Password was provided when you applied for admission to AMU. Our admission director will give you your ID and Password after you have participated in an academic orientation and advising session.
(Note: contact registrar’s office to reset if you have trouble to login to your account) -
Click on Student Registration > Sign in > Add/Drop Courses > English/Chinese Classes (Note: you could only Add/Drop Courses through Student Portal during registration period)
Late Registration: Students are expected to register classes within registration period. If, with special approval, a student is permitted to register after the registration deadline, the late registration fee is $30.00.
Registration Holds: Students with a hold on their records will not be allowed to register until the hold is cleared. The most frequent holds are for past due accounts. Students can check AMU Student Portal > Sign in >Account Balance. (Late payment fee is $20.00)
Canceled Classes: If a class is canceled, students are informed that the class is unavailable for registration. If a cancellation occurs after students have already registered, they will be dropped from the class and notified by the Registrar’s Office. Students may then register for another class prior to the add deadline or, if applicable, a 100% tuition refund will be processed and credited to the student account.
AMU GRADING SYSTEM
Excellent Achievement
A 94 – 100% (GPA 4.0)
A- 90 – 93% (GPA 3.75)
Very Good Achievement
B+ 87 – 89% (GPA 3.25)
B 84 – 86% (GPA 3.00)
B- 80 – 83% (GPA 2.75)
Acceptable Achievement
C+ 77 – 79% (GPA 2.25)
C 70 – 76% (GPA 2.00)
Unacceptable Achievement (Failure)
F Below 69% (GPA 0.00)
Pass/Non-Pass
(For Pass-Fail classes)
P/NP Recorded as a grade without GPA
Incomplete Learning
INC The Grade of “I” may be awarded only at the end of a quarter when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of “I” is not to be awarded in place of an “F”. If the student does not make arrangements with the instructor to complete the course within one quarter of receiving the “I” grade, the “I” grade will changed to an “F”.
Withdrawal
W Recorded as a grade without GPA
In Progress
IP
Audited Courses:
Not require a grade from the instructor.
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Appealing a Grade: If a student is not satisfied with the grade given by the instructor, he or she can initiate in writing a grade appeal to the instructor involved. If the student is not satisfied by the instructor’s explanation or action, the grade appeal can be presented to the Chief Academic Officer for resolution. Chief Academic Officer and the Academic Committee will render the final decision.
The (SAP) of a student is measured by three concurrent parameters: the qualitative factor, the quantitative factor, and the completion within the maximum time frame factor. The qualitative SAP factor is defined as the level of academic achievement which is measured by the grades attained, i.e. the Grade Point Average (GPA) and number of attempts to pass AMU institutional exams. All students in attendance at Alhambra Medical University must maintain a quarter-to-quarter, as well as a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.0 and passing at least 67% of the registered courses. The course work shall extend over a minimum of 3 academic years or 12 quarters, with the average units earned per quarter of 12 for full time students and 6 for part time students. All students will be given a maximum of three (3) attempts to take and pass the institutional exams conducted by AMU. AMU institutional exams include Level 1 Entrance Exam, Level 1 Exit Exam, Level 2 Exit Exam, and Level 3 Exit Exam. The quantitative SAP factor or payment period (PP), is defined as the frequency of measuring the qualitative SAP factor. This occurs at the end of each PP which coincides with the end of each quarter. The quantitative factor SAP also includes the attendance policy requirements. The terms "payment period" and "increment for evaluation" have the same meaning which is represented by the period of time between two consecutive SAP evaluations of the student. For students receiving Title IV funds, the term "payment period" has a particular meaning in regards to the disbursements from the government. The US Department of Education requires schools receiving Title IV funds to use the term "payment period". The completion within the maximum time frame factor (CWMTF) is defined as the maximum time allowed for the completion of an educational program and it has the value of 150% of the standard time taken to complete the program. This means that the maximum time a student has to complete this four year program is six years (24 quarters). If a student fails to meet SAP requirements in any specific payment period, he or she will be placed on academic probation the following payment period, and required to attend mandatory tutoring and academic advising. During this probationary period, the Academic Committee will evaluate the student and analyze the reason for the poor performance. Students receiving financial aid will be placed on financial aid warning for the payment period and notified that failure to meet SAP standards at the end of the current payment period will lead to them losing their financial aid eligibility. If a student fails to pass an AMU institutional exam at the 3rd attempt, he or she will also be considered to have failed the SAP requirements and will be placed on academic probation. If the student fails to bring his or her GPA up to 2.0 at the end of the academic probation payment period, he or she will be placed on academic suspension from the University. Once a student is suspended, his or her financial aid will be terminated, as they will no longer be in attendance, and he or she will not be allowed to re-enroll for two quarters. If a student fails to pass an AMU institutional exam on the 4th attempt, he or she will also be placed on academic suspension. During the academic suspension period, the student will be given one last attempt to take and pass the institutional exam, otherwise he or she will be academically dismissed from the University. If the student wishes to appeal their academic suspension, they must make their request in writing to the Academic Committee. Appeals must explain why SAP standards were unmet and what changes the student has made that will allow them to meet SAP standards by the following quarter. The appeal must also include an evaluation plan approved by the Academic Committee to ensure the student meets the standards within the specified time frame. If the appeal is granted by the committee, eligibility is re-instated and the student is placed on academic probation and "financial aid warning" for one quarter. If the student fails during this quarter to meet SAP standards again, and/or fails to follow the evaluation plan, the student once again becomes ineligible for financial aid and is academically dismissed from the University. A student that has been academically dismissed from the University that is allowed to re-enter, will be allowed one quarter to achieve a quarterly GPA of 2.0 or face academic dismissal once again. A student who has been academically dismissed from the University due to failure to pass an institutional exam after 5 attempts and allowed to re-enter into the program, will be allowed one attempt to pass the institutional exam or face academic dismissal once again. Students who have been academically dismissed that formerly received financial aid, will not be allowed to apply for aid during this first quarter of re-entry. Failed courses must be repeated and courses repeated more than once may not count toward full time or half time
A Leave of Absence (LOA) refers to a specific time period during a student’s ongoing program of study when he or she is not in academic attendance. It does not include non-attendance for a scheduled break in a student’s program. Upon returning from an approved LOA, a student must complete any coursework he or she began prior to their LOA. For the Doctorate program, a written request must be made and the LOA may not exceed a cumulative one hundred and eighty (180) days within any twelve (12) month period beginning on the first day of the student’s initial leave of absence. If a student does not resume attendance at the institution at or before the end of a leave of absence that meets the requirements of this section, the student will be treated as a withdrawal in accordance with the requirements of this section. For the Master’s program, a written request must be made and the LOA may not exceed a cumulative one hundred and eighty (180) days within any twelve (12) month period beginning on the first day of the student’s initial leave of absence. If a student does not resume attendance at the institution at or before the end of a leave of absence that meets the requirements of this section, the student will be treated as a withdrawal in accordance with the requirements of this section. For a student who is a Title IV, HEA program loan receipt, the effects of failure to return from a leave of absence will be on the student’s loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of some or all of the student’s grace period. For a LOA to be approved, the student must do the following: ● Provide a written, signed, and dated request, prior to the time period in which the leave is to occur, unless unforeseen circumstances prevent the student from doing so. ● This request must be approved by the Chief Academic Officer and the Registrar. ● Foreign students may apply for a limited Leave of Absence as long as Homeland Security rules, regulations, policies and procedures are adhered to. As stated above, a Leave of Absence must be requested prior to the time the student plans to be away from school. In addition, a foreign student may not apply for a Leave of Absence until the student has been in attendance at the University for at least one academic year. If the Leave of Absence is not approved and the student no longer attends class, the student is considered to have ceased attendance at the school. Students returning from a LOA must contact the Registrar’s Office or Chief Academic Officer before registering for classes. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of any policy and/or curriculum changes. Students who have not attended the University for one year or more, must apply for re-admission and must meet the current entrance requirements.
A student may withdraw from the school any time after the add/ drop period (described above) and receive a pro rata refund if he or she has completed 60 percent or less of the scheduled days in the current payment period in his or her program through the last day of attendance. A registration or administration fee will be deducted from the refund, not to exceed $250.00, as well as a deduction for equipment not returned in good condition within 45 days of withdrawal. If the student has completed more than 60% of the period of attendance for which the student was charged, the tuition is considered earned and the student will receive no refund. For the purpose of determining a refund under this section, a student shall be deemed to have withdrawn from a program of instruction when any of the following occurs: ● The student notifies the institution in writing of the student’s withdrawal the date the student last attended class, whichever is later. ● The institution terminates the student’s enrollment for failure to maintain satisfactory progress; failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the institution; absences in excess of the maximum set forth by the institution; and/or failure to meet financial obligations to the school. For the purpose of determining the amount of the refund, the date of the student’s withdrawal shall be deemed the last date of the scheduled attendance. The amount owed equals the daily charge for the program (total institutional charge, minus non-refundable fees, divided by the number of days in the program), multiplied by the number of days scheduled to attend, prior to withdrawal. If the student has received federal student financial aid funds, the student is entitled to a refund of moneys not paid from federal student financial aid program funds. Withdrawals may be effectuated by the student’s written notice or by the student’s conduct, including, but not necessarily limited to, a student’s lack of attendance.
Clinic Entrance Exam Registration
Academic Qualifications for Internship
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Students must successfully pass all the prerequisite courses for clinic internship.
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The exam is offered on a quarterly basis during the 8th week of the quarter.
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Student must register and pass the clinic entrance exam.
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Please refer to “Study Guide for Clinic Internship Entrance Examination for details.
Requirements for Entrance
In addition to the academic qualifications, students must obtain the following:
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CNT Certificate (NCCAOM); transfer students who already has institutional CNT will be accepted
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CPR & First Aid from American Heart Association or Red Cross
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TOEFL-iBT results (if applicable)
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TB Clearance
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Hepatitis B Vaccination (waiver accepted)
AMU Institutional Exams
AMU institutional exams are the set of exams that comprehensively evaluate the student’s current standard of knowledge and performance from the theory and principles of traditional medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine, biomedicine, clean and safe Practice, ethics, law and regulation related to the practice of acupuncture and traditional medicine. The institutional exams are separate examinations from the regular classroom exams and clinical training. The exams are designed to ensure that all students have met a certain level of knowledge and skills to progress into the next steps of their education within the program.
The institutional exams consist of the following examinations:
1. Level 1 Entrance Exam
Prior to beginning level 1 internship, all students are required to successfully complete and pass Level 1 Entrance Exam. This is a comprehensive written exam of 200 multiple choice questions. The required passing rate for the exam is 70%. No make-up exam will be given to the Clinic Entrance Exam. Clinic Entrance Exam is offered once a quarter.
2. Level 1 Exit Exam
Prior to beginning level 2 internship, all students are required to successfully complete and pass Level 1 Exit Exam. This is a practicum exam that assesses a student’s clinical skills prior to beginning internship level 2. The required passing rate for the exam is 70%. Please inquire directly to the Dean of Clinic for the Level 1 Exit Exam schedule.
3. Level 2 Exit Exam
Prior to beginning level 3 internship, all students are required to successfully complete and pass Level 2 Exit Exam. This is a comprehensive written exam of 200 multiple choice questions. The required passing rate for the exam is 70%. Level 2 Exit Exam is offered once per quarter. Each student is given one time opportunity only to have a make-up level 2 exit exam offered within the same quarter. Students can choose at which quarter they like to schedule their make-up exam. Please consult with the Dean of Faculty for scheduling and further information.
4. Level 3 Exit Exam
Prior to completing the remaining 80 clinical hours of level 3 internship, all students are required to successfully complete and pass Level 3 Exit Exam. Internship registration to this remaining 80 clinical hours of level 3 internship will be blocked until the student has successfully passed the Level 3 Exit Exam. Level 3 interns are advised to take this level 3 exit exam as early as possible whenever they have begun their clinic level 3 internship in order to prevent any delay for program completion. The Level 3 Exit Exam is offered by the university once per academic quarter. This Level 3 Exit Exam is a comprehensive written exam of 200 multiple choice questions. The required passing rate for the exam is 70%. Level 3 Exit Exam is offered once per quarter. Each student is given one time opportunity only to have a make-up level 3 exit exam offered within the same quarter. Students can choose at which quarter they like to schedule their make-up exam. Please consult with the Dean of Faculty for scheduling and further information. There is a maximum number of attempts applied to all students regarding the passing of the institutional exams. Failure to meet this maximum number of attempts for the institutional exams may result in termination of the student’s status in the program. Please refer to the “Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)” policy in this program catalog. Please consult with the Dean of Faculty (consult@amu.edu) to inquire with more detailed information regarding institutional exams and to successfully prepare for the exams. Schedule for appointment is required in advance for the consultation session. The Dean of Clinic (clinicdean@amu.edu) is also available for consultation regarding information of Level 1 Exit Exam. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance to consult for further information and preparation for the exam.
There is a maximum number of attempts applied to all students regarding the passing of the institutional exams. Failure to meet this maximum number of attempts for the institutional exams may result in termination of the student’s status in the program. Please refer to the “Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)” policy in this program catalog.
Please consult with the Dean of Faculty (consult@amu.edu) to inquire with more detailed information regarding institutional exams and to successfully prepare for the exams. Schedule for appointment is required in advance for the consultation session. The Dean of Clinic
(clinicdean@amu.edu) is also available for consultation regarding information of Level 1 Exit Exam. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance to consult for further information and preparation for the exam.
Graduation Requirements
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DAHM Graduation Requirements
The Doctor in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (DAHM) degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the following: ● Completion of the core curriculum with a minimum of 2,400 hours of didactic instruction (240 units that consists of 234 required didactic units and 6 required elective didactic units) plus 1,020 hours of clinical internship (200 hours observation plus 760 hours of supervised clinical internship and 60 hours of DAHM integrative case studies which comprises 51 quarter units) and 60 lab hours (DAHM professional development portfolio that comprises 3 quarter units). A total of 294 quarter units are required for graduation. ● Completion of all clinical requirements ● Successfully passing all required AMU institutional exams ● Fulfillment all financial obligations to the University ● In terms of residency, a quarter is defined as twelve (12) units or more. The minimum residency is 12 quarters. The minimum residency is 12 quarters. For transfer students, the minimum residency requirement is 45 quarter units of classroom instruction.
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MAHM Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements | The Master in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the following: ● Completion of the core curriculum with a minimum of 2160 hours of didactic instruction (216 quarter units that consists of 210 required didactic units and 6 required elective didactic units) plus 960 hours of clinical internship (200 hours observation plus 760 hours of supervised clinical internship which comprises 48 quarter units). As such, 264 quarter units are required for graduation. ● Completion of all clinical requirements. ● Successfully passing all required AMU institutional exams. ● Fulfillment all financial obligations to the University. ● In terms of residency, a quarter is defined as twelve (12) units or more. The minimum residency is 12 quarters. For transfer students, the minimum residency requirement is 45 quarter units of classroom instruction.
Records, Request and Transcripts
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the University protects the privacy of student records, including address, phone number, grades and attendance dates. Student records are permanently kept in locked fireproof file cabinets and a backup copy of student records is kept on an off-site server. Students have the right to review their academic file by submitting a request to the Registrar. Student records are maintained at the school site for five years from the last date of attendance. Transcripts are maintained permanently.
AMU RE-ADMISSION
The Chief Academic Officer must evaluate the student’s standing. If more than five years have elapsed, since the last prior enrollment, the Academic Committee will reevaluate the student’s placement and the student may be required to take a placement exam; if this is failed, he or she needs to retake the class. Students must contact the Registrar’s Office to be sure all prior financial commitments are complete no less than 30 days before the quarter starts. A letter of full acceptance will be sent to the student after the student file and prior financial commitments are complete.
Appealing A Grade
If a student is not satisfied with the grade given by the instructor, he or she can initiate in writing a grade appeal to the instructor involved. If the student is not satisfied by the instructor’s explanation or action, the grade appeal can be presented to the Chief Academic Officer for resolution. The Chief Academic Officer and the Academic Committee will render the final decision.
Add / Drop Period
The Add/Drop Period is an established period of time at the beginning of each quarter when students may add classes or drop classes from their registration without penalty. Currently the Add/Drop Period is the first eight days of each quarter.
Course Withdrawal
To officially withdraw from a course, a student must complete a “Course Withdrawal” form. A student who officially withdraws from the course after the Add/Drop period and prior to the end of the sixth week will be given a grade of “W”. If the student wishes to withdraw after the sixth week, he/she will be given a grade of “F” for each course.
Course Audit
The following are the course or class auditing policy implemented in AMU:
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Matriculating registered AMU students are allowed to audit a maximum of two courses per quarter free of charge.
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To audit additional courses, a fee of one-third of the full tuition will apply to each additional course.
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Regardless of tuition charge, free or fee, all auditing courses must be registered in advance.
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Elective and hands-on technique courses are not available for auditing. Student interested in the elective course topics must register for credits.
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Non-AMU students must first apply to audit the course. Once approved, he/she must pay half of the full tuition for each course.
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Class handouts are not available to auditing students for free. Auditing students will not take quiz and exams, will not be allowed to ask questions in the classroom.
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Auditing students who fail to follow the attendance policy including random absence, tardy or leaving early, interrupting the lecture or disrupting the class will be given one warning before dropped from the course and forfeit any rights to future audits.