Choosing a homeopathy school is a three- or four-year decision, so it pays to compare programs on the same terms before you apply. This guide gives you ten questions to ask any school, explains what accreditation, certification and licensure actually mean in North America, lists the red flags to watch for, and ends with a checklist you can fill in for each school you are considering.
10 questions to ask any homeopathy school
Ask every school the same questions, in writing if you can, and keep the answers side by side. The comparison checklist further down puts them in one table.
1. Is it classical homeopathy, or a mix of methods?
Ask which method the school teaches and whether it runs through every year of the program. Classical homeopathy follows Hahnemann’s Organon: one remedy at a time, in the minimum dose, chosen on the totality of the patient’s symptoms. ACHENA, the accrediting body for homeopathy programs in North America, uses the same description of what an accredited program must teach. Some schools combine classical prescribing with other approaches. Neither choice is right for every student, but you should know which one you are signing up for, because it shapes the materia medica you learn and how your cases are supervised.
2. How many hours, and do they meet the CHC’s 500 + 500?
Ask for the total hours and how they split between classroom and clinical training. The Council for Homeopathic Certification (CHC), which awards the CCH credential, asks for 1,000 hours of a sequential program: 500 hours of theory and foundations and 500 hours of clinical training. For graduates of programs without ACHENA accreditation, the CHC expects the clinical half to be documented as 250 hours of clinical observation and 250 hours of clinical analysis. NASH, the North American Society of Homeopaths, uses the same 500 + 500 benchmark for its school members. A course of a few hundred hours, or one that cannot show you the hours on a transcript, will not get you there on its own.
3. How many supervised cases will you take yourself?
Watching an experienced homeopath take a case is valuable, but it is not the same as taking, analyzing and following up your own. Ask how many cases you will take independently, how many follow-ups each one needs, who supervises them and what credentials the supervisor holds. The CHC asks for at least 10 independently taken cases with two follow-ups each, supervised by a CCH. Ask too whether the school runs a student clinic or whether you have to find your own clients.
4. Is teaching live, recorded, or both?
Online programs range from self-paced video courses to live classes on a fixed weekly schedule. Recorded lectures let you study when it suits you; live classes give you discussion, questions and feedback in real time, and usually come with attendance rules. Ask how many hours are live each week and in which time zone, whether classes are recorded, what happens if you miss a session, and how the clinical training works online.
5. Who teaches, and what credentials do they hold?
Ask for the names of the faculty who will teach and supervise you, not only the school’s founder. Then check their credentials: CCH (certified by the CHC), RSHom(NA) (registered with NASH), a medical or homeopathic medical degree, years in practice and teaching experience. Ask who will supervise your own cases and how much one-to-one time you get.
6. Who accredits or recognizes the program, and what does that cover?
“Accredited” only means something when you know who did the accrediting and what they assessed. In North America, homeopathy programs are accredited by ACHENA (the Accreditation Commission for Homeopathic Education in North America), which publishes its list of accredited programs on its website. Other recognitions, from universities or professional bodies in other countries, can be meaningful, but each one applies to a specific course, often in a specific country or profession. Ask which program a recognition covers and check it on the recognizing body’s own website. The table below explains what each term means.
7. Which credential can you go for after graduating?
Ask what the school awards (a diploma or certificate) and what you can apply for afterwards. In the USA, many homeopaths who are not physicians aim for the CCH from the CHC, and many later apply for RSHom(NA) registration with NASH once they are in practice. Graduates of ACHENA-accredited programs, schools with ACHENA candidate status and programs approved by the College of Homeopaths of Ontario apply to the CHC with their transcript. Graduates of other programs apply through the CHC’s Pre-Qualification Evaluation (PQE), in which a committee checks the transcript against the hour requirements. Ask which route the school’s graduates use and whether any of them have passed.
8. What do graduates go on to do?
Ask how many students finish the program, how many go on to certification, and whether you can speak to a recent graduate. A school that is confident about its outcomes will usually put you in touch with alumni. Be wary of promises about income or jobs: no school can guarantee them.
9. Can you try it before you enroll?
Ask whether you can sit in on a class, watch a sample lecture or talk to a faculty member before you apply. An admissions interview is also your chance to ask questions, not only the school’s chance to assess you.
10. Are the rules in writing?
Ask for the catalog or student handbook before you commit. It should set out the prerequisites, schedule, attendance and grading rules, graduation requirements and deadlines, and the withdrawal and refund policy. If something important is only promised on a call, ask for it in writing.
Accreditation, certification and licensure: what each term means
These words are often used loosely, but they describe different things, given by different bodies.
| Term | Who gives it | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACHENA accreditation | ACHENA, an independent nonprofit accrediting commission | A school’s program has passed a voluntary, peer-reviewed review against ACHENA’s standards for curriculum, faculty and clinical training. Programs must be at least 1,000 hours and teach classical homeopathy. ACHENA lists accredited programs on its website. | It is not a license, and it does not certify individual homeopaths. |
| CHC certification (CCH) | Council for Homeopathic Certification | An individual homeopath has met the education requirements and passed the CHC exam. “CHC-eligible” means a school’s graduates can apply to sit the exam; graduates of programs without ACHENA accreditation first go through the PQE transcript review. | It is awarded to people, not schools, and it is not a state license. |
| NASH registration and school membership | North American Society of Homeopaths | RSHom(NA) is a professional registration for practicing homeopaths. NASH school membership is open to schools that provide at least 500 hours of classical theory and 500 hours of clinical application. | NASH states that it does not endorse any particular school member. Registration is not a license. |
| State license | State boards, under state law | Legal permission to practice where a state regulates homeopathy. Only a few states have homeopathy licensing boards, and some of them license only medical doctors. | Rules differ by state. A diploma or certification does not replace a license where one is required. |
| International recognition | Universities and professional bodies outside North America | A specific course has been adopted, accredited or validated by that body, usually for students in that country or profession. | On its own, it does not make a program accredited in the USA or give you a right to practice here. |
For how certification and state rules fit together on the way to practice, see how to become a homeopath in the USA.
Red flags
- The school says its diploma is a license, or that you will be “licensed” or “board certified” simply by graduating.
- It calls itself “accredited” without naming the accrediting body, or names a body you cannot find or verify.
- Graduates are told they can call themselves doctors or physicians without a medical license.
- There is no clear breakdown of hours, or the “clinical hours” are only recorded videos, with no cases of your own.
- Faculty are not named, or their credentials cannot be checked.
- It says graduates qualify for certification but cannot explain which route they use or point to graduates who have done it.
- You are pressed to pay or sign quickly, or there are no written policies on attendance, graduation and withdrawal.
- It promises income, jobs or cures.
Comparison checklist
Use this table for each school you are considering and fill in the answers. Where a school cannot answer, note that too.
| Criterion | Question to ask | What a strong answer includes | School A | School B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Is the whole program classical? | Single remedy, minimum dose, totality of symptoms, taught in every year | ||
| Total hours | How many hours, and how are they split? | 1,000+ hours: at least 500 theory and 500 clinical, shown on a transcript | ||
| Clinical training | How much is observation and how much is your own casework? | Documented case observation plus your own supervised cases | ||
| Supervised cases | How many cases and follow-ups, and who supervises? | At least 10 cases with two follow-ups each, supervised by a CCH | ||
| Teaching format | Live, recorded or both? Weekly hours and time zone? | A schedule you can keep, with live feedback | ||
| Faculty | Who teaches and supervises you? | Named faculty with credentials you can check and years of practice | ||
| Accreditation and recognition | Who accredits or recognizes the program, and which program does it cover? | A named body you can check on its own website | ||
| Credential route | Which credential can graduates apply for, and by which route? | A clear route (for example CHC direct or PQE) and graduates who have used it | ||
| Graduate outcomes | Can you speak to recent graduates? | Contact with alumni and honest answers about completion | ||
| Trial | Can you see a class or a sample lecture first? | A sample, a call with faculty, or an interview where you can ask questions | ||
| In writing | Is there a catalog or student handbook? | Prerequisites, schedule, attendance, graduation and withdrawal rules in writing |
How IACH North America answers these questions
IACH North America (Vithoulkas College) runs the 3-year practitioner program of the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy, founded by Prof. George Vithoulkas, for students in the USA and Canada. Here is how the program answers the questions above, based on the program overview, the admissions process and the 2026–2027 catalog.
| Question | IACH North America |
|---|---|
| Method | Classical homeopathy only, taught according to the principles of Samuel Hahnemann and the method of Prof. George Vithoulkas. |
| Hours | 1,000+ hours over three years: at least 500 classroom hours and at least 500 clinical hours. |
| Supervised cases | 10 chronic cases you take and write up yourself, each with two follow-ups and followed for at least six months, under supervision. Second- and third-year students also take part in an online student internship clinic. |
| Case observation | Observation and analysis of Prof. Vithoulkas’s live and paper cases, with follow-ups, throughout the three years. |
| Teaching format | Live classes on Zoom led by North American instructors, together with recorded lectures and cases from Prof. Vithoulkas. For the 2026–2029 class the catalog lists Thursday evening classes plus the first Tuesday of each month. Live classes are not recorded, at least 80% attendance is required, and cameras stay on. |
| Faculty | The primary instructor is Cristina Horvath, IACH DIHom, CCH, and the program coordinator is Dan Horvath, IACH DIHom, RSHom(NA), CCH. Adjunct faculty are listed on the academic faculty page. |
| Recognition | The program builds on the IACH 2-year E-Learning Program, which several medical universities have adopted as a postgraduate course (see recognition). That recognition applies to the E-Learning course; it is not a US accreditation or a license. |
| Credential route | Graduates receive the IACH Diploma in Homeopathy (IACH DIHom). IACH graduates are currently eligible to sit the CHC exam: they apply as graduates of a program outside the USA or Canada, and the CHC PQE committee reviews their transcript first. IACH also shows students how to register with NASH. The diploma certifies knowledge; it does not by itself give the right to practice. |
| Graduate outcomes | A graduate of the 2020–2023 class passed the spring 2024 CHC exam and became a CCH. Several of the program’s own instructors are IACH graduates who hold the CCH. |
| Trial | The program does not advertise a trial class. You can request information from admissions, and every applicant with a complete application is invited to an admissions interview. To sample Prof. Vithoulkas’s recorded teaching, the separate IACH E-Learning course offers a 10-day free trial. |
| In writing | The catalog sets out the prerequisites (an associate or graduate degree is preferred but not required; Anatomy & Physiology and Pathology must be completed before the diploma), application documents, attendance and grading rules, graduation requirements (within 18 months of the end of classes) and the withdrawal policy. Advanced placement is not offered. |
If this looks like the right fit, read the program overview and the admissions process, then request an application. For the full route from training to CHC certification and state rules, see how to become a homeopath in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in a homeopathy school?
A classical curriculum of at least 1,000 hours (500 hours of theory and 500 clinical hours), at least 10 cases you take yourself under supervision, named faculty whose credentials you can check, a clear route to the credential you want, and written policies. Compare every school on the same checklist.
Does a homeopathy school have to be accredited?
ACHENA accreditation is voluntary, and many schools do not have it. It mainly affects your route to CHC certification: graduates of ACHENA-accredited programs apply with their transcript, while graduates of other programs go through the CHC’s PQE transcript review first. If you plan to seek a state license, check that state’s education requirements too.
How many hours should a professional homeopathy program have?
At least 1,000 hours: about 500 hours of theory (philosophy, materia medica, repertory, case taking and analysis) and 500 hours of clinical training. That is the level the Council for Homeopathic Certification asks for before its exam, and the level NASH sets for its school members. Shorter courses can suit family use but are not professional training.
Can I train as a homeopath online?
Yes. Many programs teach online, live or recorded. What matters is how the clinical training works: look for case observation, a student clinic and cases you take yourself under supervision, not only recorded material.
Will a homeopathy diploma let me practice?
A diploma documents your training; it is not a license. Certification such as the CCH is a professional credential, not a license either. Whether and how you may practice depends on the laws of your state, so check them before you plan your career.
Can graduates of an international homeopathy school take the CHC exam?
Yes, if their education meets the CHC requirements. Graduates of programs without ACHENA accreditation or CHO approval apply through the CHC’s PQE review with a transcript showing 1,000 hours, the clinical breakdown and 10 supervised cases, plus college-level anatomy, physiology and pathology. You must also be in the USA or Canada on exam day. IACH graduates are currently eligible to sit the exam through this route.
Sources
Checked in October 2026. Requirements change, so confirm them with each organization before you decide.
- Council for Homeopathic Certification: eligibility requirements
- ACHENA: accreditation and accredited school directory and FAQs on accreditation, certification and licensure
- North American Society of Homeopaths (NASH): school membership, homeopathic education and registered membership
- National Center for Homeopathy: homeopathy training and practice
- IACH North America: program overview, admissions process and catalog