The better courses to take lead to some type of degree or certification. Several herbal organizations provide a listing of professional groups that offer certifications and what their prerequisites are. These groups try to make sure that someone who is going to use the knowledge has taken enough basic and advanced classes to offer the best advice they can. Some herbs can hurt your health and many professional groups wish to make sure that the people they certify have the appropriate knowledge to use herbs in health care.
The Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute or RMHI in Montana provides courses in Chinese herbology. They have three certification options, two of which can be completed entirely at a distance. Courses in human anatomy, physiology and a few others are required or recommended before applicants are accepted. Their courses are often taken by health professionals who already have these requirements.
The North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, Inc., in Boulder, Colorado offers distance learning courses. They are developing a 300-hour certification course that can be done as distance learning and hope to have it completed by the fall of 2009. The school and courses are regulated by the Colorado Department of Education. The courses are broken into lessons that have written and audio parts. With a regular pace of study, estimate around two years to complete the certificate.
The Nature Care College in Australia has many courses that can be taken via distance learning. In their catalogue they place a small icon next to the courses or modules that are available with this method. As part of each course, you are given access to a tutor who helps you with the coursework. Exams are given as well, even at a distance. A sample of the modules available for distance learning are aromatherapy studies, chemistry, herbal medicine, nutrition and homoeopathy.
The International Register of Consultant Herbalists and Homoeopaths (IRCH) offers parts of their diploma programs for home study (distance learning). For both of their diplomas in homoeopathic medicine and herbal medicine, the following modules can be taken as distance courses: Homoeopathic Medicine and Practice Management, Case Studies and the Presentation of a Thesis. A personal tutor is available for help in any of their courses.
There are other Internet sites that offer individual distance-learning coursework in herbs, such as distance-education.org and acsedu.co.uk. Individuals who are practictioners sometimes offer their knowledge for distance learning as well, such as thehomeherbalist.com.