ACHS Courses to Boost Your Herbal Education
Key Takeaways
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Connect Education With Botanical Products: The Apothecary Shoppe, the official ACHS College Store, offers herbs, essential oils, and learning materials to complement your herbal education.
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Expand Your Herbal Knowledge: Explore 13 online micro-courses and educational programs covering herbal medicine, aromatherapy, botanical wellness, and more.
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Put Your Knowledge Into Practice: Build practical skills in herbal preparation, herb gardening, essential oil safety, and sustainable botanical practices.
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Support Your Personal and Professional Goals: Explore specialized education in botanical wellness, dietary supplements, aromatherapy, and wellness business operations.
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Continue Your Educational Journey: Build on your knowledge through additional ACHS courses, micro-credentials, certificates, and degree programs, depending on your educational goals.
Interested in expanding your knowledge of herbs, aromatherapy, natural products, or holistic wellness? The Apothecary Shoppe, the official College Store for American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS), makes it easy to pair the botanical products you love with opportunities to deepen your education.
ACHS offers self-paced micro-courses, micro-credentials, and continuing education opportunities designed to help you build practical knowledge and expand your wellness toolkit. Topics range from herbal preparation and gardening to aromatherapy safety, botanical sustainability, and wellness business operations.
You can also build on the knowledge gained through ACHS micro-courses by pursuing stackable ACHS certificates and degrees.
Learn While You Practice
Learning about herbs and natural wellness can be even more meaningful when you put your knowledge into practice. ACHS practical lab kits are designed to support experiential learning, helping students work with herbs, essential oils, and other materials related to their coursework.
Many of the products used in these learning experiences are available through the Apothecary Shoppe, allowing you to continue practicing and exploring beyond the course.
Here are 13 ACHS micro-courses to consider as you build your herbal and wellness education.
1. Master the Basics of Herbal Preparation
Master the Basics of Herbal Preparation introduces the fundamentals of identifying herbs, evaluating ingredient quality, and creating herbal preparations. Explore botanicals such as chamomile, blackberry, dandelion, and horehound while developing practical skills you can apply to a variety of herbs.
2. Certified Dietary Supplement Professional (CDSP)™ Exam Prep Program
The Certified Dietary Supplement Professional (CDSP)™ Exam Prep Program provides 360 hours of online training designed to prepare students for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) CDSP™ examination. Topics include anatomy and physiology, nutrition, nutraceuticals, herbs, medicinal mushrooms, and legal responsibilities related to dietary supplements.
3. Essential Oils for Memory Retention
Explore research on essential oils and memory in Essential Oils for Memory Retention, an on-demand educational session inspired by ACHS Founder and President Emerita Dorene Petersen's presentation at the 2016 Asian Aromatherapy Conference in Delhi, India. The course examines research related to oils, including black pepper, coriander, clove, sage, lavender, and rosemary.
4. Holistic Aromatherapy for Integrative Health™
The Holistic Aromatherapy for Integrative Health™ micro-credential provides a foundation in aromatherapy theory, essential oil materia medica, anatomy and physiology, safety, and practical applications. Students develop knowledge of 20 essential oils and learn to create appropriate topical and inhalation applications and wellness plans.
5. Buddha Wood: History & Clinical Profile
Explore the history, production, chemistry, aromatic profile, traditional uses, and safety considerations of Buddha Wood (Eremophila mitchellii) in Buddha Wood: History & Clinical Profile. The course also introduces formulas using Buddha Wood essential oil for wellness, household, and perfumery applications.
6. Wellness Business Operations Specialist™
Interested in starting or growing a wellness business? The Wellness Business Operations Specialist (WBOS)™ micro-credential covers business models, business formation, finance, human resources, product development, marketing, and good manufacturing practices (GMP). The six-course program provides a practical foundation for managing a wellness-focused business.
7. Integrative Psilocybin Mushroom Specialist (IPMS)™
The Integrative Psilocybin Mushroom Specialist (IPMS)™ micro-credential provides an introduction to psilocybin mushrooms, including their history, biology, research, safety considerations, and evolving legal landscape. Students also explore psychedelic effects, the role of trip sitters, and potential applications in mental health and clinical care.
8. Master Herb Gardening for the Home Herbalist™
Grow your own herbs with Master Herb Gardening for the Home Herbalist™, a self-paced course covering garden planning, planting, sustainable wildcrafting, harvesting, drying, and storage. Students also learn how to identify poisonous plants and apply safety practices when growing and preparing herbs.
9. Integrative Cannabis Specialist (ICS)™
The Integrative Cannabis Specialist (ICS)™ micro-credential provides a foundation in cannabis and hemp for those interested in wellness, cultivation, product development, healthcare, or regulatory compliance. Topics include cannabinoids, terpenoids, chemovars, the entourage effect, and responsible use considerations.
10. White Sage Essential Oil: History, Sustainability, & Clinical Profile
Learn about the botanical characteristics, history, essential oil profile, traditional uses, and sustainability of white sage (Salvia apiana) in White Sage Essential Oil: History, Sustainability, & Clinical Profile. The course also explores responsible sourcing, safety considerations, and applications for wellness, household, and perfumery products.
11. Certified Aromatherapy Safety Professional Program (CASP)™
The Certified Aromatherapy Safety Professional (CASP)™ program provides focused training in essential oil safety and administration. Across four courses, students explore safety, toxicology, allergic reactions, proper storage, first aid, adverse reactions, and safe topical applications.
12. Aromatherapy for Caregiver Burden and Professional Burnout
Aromatherapy for Caregiver Burden and Professional Burnout explores caregiver needs, workplace stressors, professional burnout, and strategies for supporting well-being. Students examine current research and consider how aromatherapy can complement individualized support strategies for caregivers and professionals.
13. Cultivating Resilience: Practices to Reduce Stress and Release Trauma
Cultivating Resilience: Practices to Reduce Stress and Release Trauma combines science-informed education with experiential practices focused on stress, resilience, and whole-person well-being. Across eight modules, students explore breathwork, movement, mindfulness, creative expression, nature-based practices, gratitude, rest, and journaling while developing a personalized "Resilience Go-Bag."
Build Your Education One Course at a Time
You don't have to complete a full degree program to keep learning. ACHS micro-courses provide flexible opportunities to develop focused knowledge and practical skills at your own pace.
Explore All ACHS Micro-Courses & Enroll Today
Your learning can also continue beyond a single course. Stack your credentials by building on the knowledge you develop through ACHS micro-courses and progressing into ACHS certificates and degrees.
Not sure which course or program is right for you? Speak to an ACHS Admissions Advisor to get more insight.
This article is for informational purposes only. Please contact ACHS Admissions at admissions@achs.edu or 800-487-8839 for additional information and to apply for admission. Graduation from any ACHS program does not confer a license to practice medicine. ACHS graduates do not claim to treat, diagnose, cure, or prescribe. Please note that professional success is achieved by a number of factors beyond education and experience, including soft skills, work ethic, integrity, and other skills that may not be developed through education and training alone. Not all graduates will achieve the career outcomes provided as examples in this article and other ACHS marketing materials.