I. Mission and School Overview

Mission Statement

The field of alternative health and nutrition has become one of the most dynamic areas of interest and learning today. The Global College of Natural Medicine offers comprehensive, yet affordable alternative home study programs for active adults throughout the globe.

School Overview

The Global College of Natural Medicine (GCNM) offers a non-dogmatic approach to holistic health and wellness education that will improve the quality of the student’s life, health, and career options. Our courses are specially designed for:

• Those wishing to start an exciting career in the rapidly growing field of natural health and wellness – the next trillion dollar industry.
   

• Those involved in the retail, or distribution of natural health and wellness products, such as dietary supplements.
   

• Natural health practitioners looking to expand their business potential (chiropractors, reflexologists, aromatherapists, massage therapists, fitness instructors, iridologists, herbalists, etc.).
   

• Those wishing to learn about natural healing techniques to enhance their lives, improve their health, increase longevity, and enrich the lives of those around them.

We also believe that wellness, including holistic medicine, is one of the most rewarding fields to be involved in today. There are more and more people seeking ways to improve and maintain their health naturally. Therefore, the need is also growing for qualified natural health practitioners.

Education Prerequisite

Applicants who do not hold a High School Diploma or Equivalent will be required to pass a basic entrance exam that will demonstrate their knowledge of English and basic math. If you do not hold a High School Diploma or Equivalent you can still enroll online today. Once you've completed the online enrollment form, you will be taken to the online entrance exam page. Please don't let this entrance exam make you nervous as you will have an opportunity to see your score before submitting the results to admissions and you can retake the exam as needed. You will be required to obtain a 60% passing grade. If you are enrolling by mail or fax, you can still complete the entrance exam online or request a hard copy by calling 1-800-605-6520. To see a sample of the entrance exam, please click here. (Please do not fill this form out if you do not wish to enroll.)

Nondiscrimination

GCNM has a nondiscriminatory policy and does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability. We conform to all federal laws concerning equal opportunity.

School Performance Fact Sheet

School opening-GCNM opened its doors in November of 2004.

Student Body-Approximately 3200 students are enrolled with GCNM.Most are students seeking a second career, transitioning away from their first profession.

Graduates-We have approximately 550 graduates, with about 40 students completing one or more programs each month.

Graduation rate-Over 99% of our students pass their program of enrollment. Less than 2% of our students withdraw from our programs.

Financial aid-Non-government sponsored financial aid options are available.Please contact for more information.

II. Distance Learning Process

Program and Material Descriptions

Our programs are designed to be self-paced. Each program is divided into modules with lecture materials, self-review tests, major assignments and a final exam. All GCNM students are required to actively participate in our online student forum and journal club. A minimum of 10 posts must be posted before graduation. Forum participation will be evaluated as part of the final grade. The program materials are sent in one shipment after your enrollment is processed. Upon completion of all of the assignments and final exam, the completed packet is sent to the Global College of Natural Medicine for evaluation.

Support Systems

1. Online

- Email support
We work to answer your emails within 24 hours during the business week.
Email contact: studentsupport@gcnm.com
 
- Academic Resource Center
At this center you will be able to access many sources for additional enrichment. All you need to register is your student ID#. You have unlimited access to this online resource center.

2. Online Forums

After registering with your student ID number, you can access postings of your classmates and faculty members, as well as place your posts. There is a wealth of additional holistic health information available to you.

3. By Telephone or Fax

Please call or fax with any questions.

From U.S.A. and Canada:
Phone: 1-800-605-6520
Fax: 1-800-594-0580

From outside North America:
Phone: +1-831-458-4196
Fax: +1-831-458-4197

4. By Mail

You may send us a letter with any questions that you have.
GLOBAL COLLEGE OF NATURAL MEDICINE
250 Natural Bridges Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

Grading Policies

1. Time frame for completion of program
- If needed, please send a letter or email to request an extension.

a. Nutritional Consultant Program – 12 months
b. Master Herbalist Program – 12 months
c. Holistic Health Practitioner Program – 24 months
d. BSHH-5 years(usual completion time 4-5 years)
e. MSHH-3 years(usual completion time 2-3 years)
f. PHDHH-5 years(usual completion time 4-5 years)

2. Submission Method

a. Complete all major assignments and final examination.
b. Make copies of all major assignments and final examination.
(Keep copies for your records)
c. Mail to:

GLOBAL COLLEGE OF NATURAL MEDICINE
Attn: Examination Dept.
250 Natural Bridges Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

d. There is now an online submission option. To find out more information or to elect, please contact student support at studentsupport@gcnm.com or 1-800-804-5512.

3. Grading

a. Scale – 80% correct is needed for a passing grade.
b. Time frame – There is a 2-3 week turnaround time for grading your papers. Upon successful completion you will receive a transcript with your certificate, as well as the examination materials you submitted.
c. The re-testing fee is $100. You have 90 days to petition the school if you wish to retake your final examination or any portion of your assignments you were not successful in.
d.Fees must be paid in full for transcripts to be issued.

Other Student Services

1. Transcripts  

Upon completion of a program you will receive an official transcript along with your certificate or diploma. If you require additional transcripts, please send a written request along with a check for $10.00 for each additional transcript requested. The written request must include your name, your address, your email address, and  your student ID number.   

2. Supply of materials  

All study materials are included in the price of tuition. Please check the inventory list carefully when you first receive your package. You must notify us of any missing study materials within 30 days of the date of shipment to be eligible for free replacement of any missing materials.  After the 30 day period, we will provide new or replacement materials for the retail price plus shipping.

III. Refund Policy

Please see our detailed Refund Policy here

IV. Complaint Policy - Student Complaints

All student complaints should be addressed to the director, Heather Johnstone, PhD RN BC APN RYT at heatherjohnstone@gcnm.com or 1-800-605-6520.

We will always do everything in our power to resolve any disputes that may arise. If you have any complaints or problems that you cannot work out with the school, write or call: Department of Consumer Affairs Consumer Information Division, 1625 North Market Boulevard, Suite N112 Sacramento, CA 95834, (800)952-5210 or Bppve@dca.ca.gov.

V. Accreditations, Licensure, Associations

Licensure

This institution has received approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. The Bureau has determined that this institution’s operational plan satisfies the minimum standards listed in Education Code section 94915(b). Addendum: GCNM has entered into a voluntary agreement per AB1525(Chapter 67 of the Statutes of 2007) with the Director of Consumer Affairs.
BPPVE workshop schedule for Jan-Feb 08

Accreditations

GCNM is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and the American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board. Accreditation for Natural Health programs in the United States is an entirely voluntary process. Accreditation for an institution of learning represents a validation that the school programs have been thoroughly investigated and found worthy of recognition. This investigation is conducted by a qualified group of people familiar with the programs offered.

Board Certification

GCNM graduates qualify for Board Certification through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). The application will be mailed to you upon graduation from any of our programs. You may contact the AADP at 1-888-764-AADP.

The American Naturopathic Medical Certification Board will provide Certification to Global College graduates. Certification is available for students who have completed the Holistic Health Practitioner Program, Master Herbalist Program, or Nutritional Consultant and passage of final exam. Graduates may be American Board Certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner, a Master Herbalist, Nutritional Counselor, Doctor of Holistic Health by completing the application process and submission of required documents. You may contact the ANMCB at (702) 450-3477 or email your inquiries to information@anmcb.org.

Continuing Education

The programs offered by GCNM are valid for the American Massage Therapists Association (AMTA) continuing education. All GCNM courses meet the annual continuing education requirements of the AMTA.

List of Associations

GCNM and/or faculty members are professional members of the following associations:
- American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)
- The American Herb Association (AHA) 
- American Naturopathic Medical Association (ANMA)
- American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC)
- American Holistic Health Association (AHHA)
- American Holistic Nurses’ Association (AHNA)
- Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)

- Flower Essence Society (FES)
- The Herb Society of America (HSA)
- The International Herb Association (IHA)

School Status

This institution has received approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (Bureau). The Bureau has determined that this institution’s operational plan satisfies the minimum standards listed in Education Code section 94915(b). Addendum: GCNM has entered into a voluntary agreement per AB1525(Chapter 67 of the Statutes of 2007) with the Director of Consumer Affairs.

BBB GCNM PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for (gcnm.com). This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this web site. It will notify you of the following:

1. What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the web site, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
2. What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.
3. The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
4. How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.

Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.

We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to ship an order.

Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

Your Access to and Control Over Information
You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:

• See what data we have about you, if any.
• Change/correct any data we have about you.
• Have us delete any data we have about you.
• Express any concern you have about our use of your data.

Security
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a closed lock icon at the bottom of your web browser, or looking for "https" at the beginning of the address of the web page.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via telephone at 800 605-6520 or administration@gcnm.com. 3.08

"I finished reading the first two modules within a few weeks, simply out of pleasure"

"My testimonial for the Global College of Natural Medicine’s Nutrition Consultant training program.

During the past year, my children, ages then were 11,9,7, and 1, and I have dealt with some major changes in our lives. My husband, their dad, battled with cancer for nearly three years. We watched his body and his health slowly disintegrate until he passed away in January 2004. 

The first few months are a total blur as to how we adjusted to our life without him. As the mom, I had to be strong and teach my children his death is a natural part of life. Although I held this expectation for myself, my own health seemed to be suffering in a downward spiral. My job, being a principal of a successful charter school, left me exhausted and sometimes completely stressed out by the end of a day as I was always trying to meet the needs of the staff, students, and parents needs as well as the organizational demands. 

Raising children as a newly single mom while family was over 2,500 miles away across the country (we had moved there for my husband’s job). I tried to make sure my children didn’t miss one gymnastics training or competitive meet (the three oldest were each on a different competitive team with a separate schedule with up to 20 hours per week of workout). I made sure they didn’t miss one social event with their friends, that dinner was always on the table, the house was clean, clothes were clean, and the landscaping looked nice for the neighbors to see. I had begun trying to build my own social life and began dating again. I was running around trying to make everything perfect all of the time. From the outside, our home and family looked like something from June Cleaver’s neighborhood. 

Believe it or not, sleeping became nearly impossible although all I wanted to do was sleep. I began with chest pains during stressful times at work and knew this wasn’t a good sign. Only 35 years old and was having chest pains! The doctors told me I had a mitral valve prolapse, although they didn’t understand the chest pains. 

My weight had been higher than ever before and I had this lovely midsection roll of fat that is commonly caused by excess cortisol. I also would have a bowel movement every three to five days. I was tired, sluggish, bloated, uncomfortable, and sometimes in pain. 

I had months enrolling in a yoga teacher certification course (from a teacher I had practiced with during the past five years). I knew yoga always helped me with stress management. As death often forces one to evaluate our own path, I was considering a change from my career in public school education to incorporate more holistic health and wellness. Of course my personal and familial health was on the front burner of concern. I needed peace in my life! After beginning yoga teaching classes, I decided I wanted to learn in more areas that would compliment my yoga knowledge with the whole person. I had always contemplated studying nutrition as it personally interested me, but thought I was glued to my current career. 

After talking with girlfriends (thank god for them), I decided I was going to do it! I found the Global College of Natural Medicine online while searching for Nutrition Consulting and Holistic Health. I loved the idea of studying online in my own time and the financial plan available suited my budget. I immediately applied and was accepted within a few hours. My package came in the mail within a few days (you never want to wait too long when you are starting something you are excited about). 

As I read the course materials, I found it so interesting I couldn’t stop reading! I finished reading the first two modules within a few weeks, simply out of pleasure. I wanted to know all I could about the human body and health. I wanted so desperately to improve my own! I couldn’t believe amazing facts I was learning in the nutrition consultation program about the human body, such as “the average person has between 10-25 lbs. of dried fecal matter inside their colon.” 

I couldn’t believe this! I knew I had to start evaluating my total body health and wellness! I had all of the signs of toxicity, parasites, and had consumed way too many artificial ingredients over my lifetime! Oh my goodness, I realized “what am I doing to my children? I have to stop this cycle. We need to be healthy and make responsible choices to take care of our bodies. It is my job to protect them and here I am allowing them to eat processed macaroni and cheese, junk food, hot dogs, regular meat. I was sick to my stomach!” 

I began converting my family to organic foods. I felt great grocery shopping since I was making choices I could be proud of for my family. In doing so I was also supporting the organic food movement. I felt a part of something big, something important. As an added bonus, everyone shopping in the organic grocery stores are actually nice. People smile at each other, say excuse me, and the energy is calm and positive. I can enjoy shopping. I walk into my local health food store and breath a sign of relief that no matter how busy life is outside the building I have a few moments of peace and rejuvenation where everyone has the same goals: health and wellness. 

I graduate in May 2005 with my Yoga Teacher training and plan to graduate from the Nutrition Consultant program this summer. I have lost around 12 pounds to date (my stomach has actually gotten flatter). I have more energy and feel proud of the choices for myself and my family. I run each day 2 miles with students and staff and teach yoga to several classes at my school, practice yoga each day at home (alone and with my family), and am currently completely a yoga picture book for preteens. 

I am learning about health education in our state (Nevada is currently listed as 48th) and working with folks to develop a program of health awareness for our children. I love being in complete control of my life, making healthy choices for my children and myself. And on a personal note, I am now engaged!

My experience with the Global College of Natural Medicine has been part of a life-changing quest! Thank you so much!"
Kimberly Regan, NC Student

To read more testimonials, please visit our Student Testimonials page.