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Herbal Apprenticeship Program​

The Berkeley Herbal Center Apprenticeship Program provides a complete training in Western Herbal Medicine, leading to an official Berkeley Herbal Center Herbal Certification.

In our 600-hour Herbal Apprenticeship, students receive an intensive education in local plants and their healing properties through theoretical and experiential learning, botanical field study, and medicine making.

This intensive program is for deeply motivated beginning and intermediate-level students.

This program prepares you  for your first year of the Clinical Internship in our low-cost community clinic.

Community

2024 APPLICATIONS ARE DUE FEBRUARY 25th

Apprentice Program Dates

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

March 5, 2024 to October 31, 2024

 

Time

10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location

Berkeley Herbal Center Campus

1250 Addison St STE G

Berkeley, CA 94702

Program Price

Deposit (Due with application): $2,000

Tuition ( Early Bird Sign Up before January 1st): $6,500

TOTAL COST (Before Jan 1st): $8,500

*After January 1st total cost of the program is $8,995

Overview

The apprenticeship focuses on an in-depth investigation of human physiology to understand the complex interactions between the reproductive, endocrine, nervous, skin, muscular, skeletal and digestive systems.

Constitutional physiology and the impact of stress on physical and emotional health are emphasized.

Students complete an “herbal dissertation” of the student’s choice.

At the completion of the course, students will have a firm and well-rounded foundation in herbalism, including their own self-researched, organized and comprehensive materia medica.

Coursework

In addition to completing the in­-depth investigation into human physiology and case studies related to each organ system, students are responsible for creating more than 80 detailed plant reports (herbal monographs) about the herbs that they encounter throughout the program and in the wild, and for mastering the wide range of herbal medicine-making skills.

Our coursework is taught by  Berkeley Herbal Center staff and is built on experiential learning and knowledge handed down over the course of human healing history.

Students Gain Hands-On Plant Experience

Students sit with plants, learn how to grow and tend an herb garden, appreciate seasonal changes, and understand the ecosystem we live in.

Harvesting Mimosa - Berkeley Herbal Center Certification Program

Herb of the Week & Medicine Making

Students create their own medicines, learn how to craft extracts from multiple solutions, as well as create creams and lotions, salves, teas, syrups, honey, oils, vinegars and suppositories.

Each week, students are offered a different herb  to experiment with and given a safe space to talk about the plants and their experiences.

Botanical Field Study & Herb Walks

Apprentice students take trips  throughout the Bay Area of California, with a focus on botany and proper plant identification methods.

Field Trips & Additional Requirements

A substantial number of class hours are spent hands on in nature, with extended trips to local environments such as the Sierras and the Pacific Ocean.

Students gain knowledge of medicinal plant communities in California’s diverse ecosystems.

Our Herbal Apprenticeship Program Curriculum Covers the Following Topics

 

  • Independent herbal research
  • Organ systems, physiology, and pathology
  • Constitutional theory and therapy
  • Clinical case studies
  • Pulse and tongue diagnosis
  • Record-keeping and case histories
  • The foundations of creating an herbal business
  • Legalities for small businesses, including GMPs

 

 

  • Botanical field study and identification
  • Creating a materia medica
  • Herbal preparation and formulation
  • Herbal energetics, aromatherapy and flower essences
  • Herbal first aid and home health care
  • Indigenous wisdom, folklore and medical theory
  • Natural cosmetics and skin care
  • Organ systems and physiology

2024 PROGRAM IS OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT

Highlights from Previous Years

Questions and Information

For more information on our certification programs, please email studentservices@berkeleyherbalcenter.org.

*This program is not available for payment plans or work trade. Unused deposits cannot be used for short-term courses, or workshops. There are no exceptions.

Additional Costs: Tuition includes all instructional time. Additional cost to students include travel, food, and facility rentals for 3 wildcrafting trips and the cost of textbooks. Depending on how thrifty you choose to be, students can expect the additional cost to be anywhere from $700 to $1000

View our payment and refund policies here.

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