What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling (American Chiropractic Association).
History and Current Practice of Chiropractic
Chiropractic developed as a defined profession in the late 1800’s in the United States. It has since spread throughout the world and is recognized and regulated by law in approximately 40 countries. The profession has evolved to be a cost-effective, efficient healthcare profession that deals primarily with neuromusculoskeletal issues. There is evidence that shows that chiropractic is extremely effective for managing low back and neck pain through conservative non-surgical methods. Numerous articles have been published in international, peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating the efficacy and cost effectiveness of chiropractic care for a variety of conditions.
Chiropractic Admission Requirements
The current minimum standards for the Doctor of Chiropractic Program (DCP) include:
- no less than 90 semester hours of college-level coursework
- no less than 24 hours of life and physical science credits, half of these courses must have a corresponding laboratory component
- no less than a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the required 90 hours
These are minimum standards; individual chiropractic colleges are able to publish standards that set the entrance bar higher than those listed above. For this reason, it is in the best interest of the prospective student to contact the program (chiropractic school) directly for these. The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) is the national accrediting agency for Doctor of Chiropractic degree programs (DCPs) within the United States. Please visit their website at www.cce-usa.org where you will find a listing of accredited programs by clicking the “Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program” graphic bottom of the homepage. If you click on each individual program you will find a link to the colleges’ official website. By contacting the admissions office at any of the colleges, they will be able to provide you with admission criteria for entry into their program. Another consideration to think about is that of state licensure. Some states such as New York specify that any student who wants to attend a Chiropractic College, or obtain licensure in NY has to have organic chemistry and physics. For this reason, students are strongly encouraged to have a completed bachelors degree prior to starting in the DCP in order to meet some state licensing requirements. Applicants are responsible for remaining knowledgeable of individual state requirements for licensure.
Applicants may be admitted who do not have the recommended coursework above. Please contact the chiropractic schools you are applying to in order to verify specific admission requirements. The most current information about specific state licensure requirements is available on the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board’s website.
Entrance Requirements to Specific Chiropractic Schools
Click here to view a chart that makes it easy to keep track of the entrance requirements of chiropractic institutions.
If you are a Miami University student and have questions about chiropractic admission requirements, please contact Miami University’s pre-chiropractic advisor, Dr. Dean Smith at (513) 529-2775 or smithdl2@miamioh.edu.
Updated June 25, 2023