Our Story

The Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SITCM) has a proud history of providing quality traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) education.

In 1980, the NSW College of Natural Therapies began delivering Australia’s first comprehensive TCM qualification: a four-year Diploma of TCM that covered both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. While that college closed its doors in the late 1980s, many of its TCM teaching staff jointly established SITCM as the first – and still the only – institute in Australia fully focused on TCM education. They preserved the four-year Diploma of TCM, allowing NSW College of Natural Therapies students to smoothly complete their studies at SITCM and enabling new students to take their first step in a TCM career.

Throughout the 1990s, various graduates of China’s leading TCM universities joined SITCM and refined its curriculum to reflect global best practice.

The Diploma of TCM became an Advanced Diploma of TCM in 2005 and then an Bachelor of TCM degree in 2012, with the duration remaining a constant four years. The Bachelor program is fully accredited by Australia’s higher education regulator (the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) and relevant heath regulator (the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia).

In addition to its flagship Bachelor of TCM , SITCM now offers accredited short courses in remedial massage and first aid.  The Institute is located in the heart of Sydney’s Chinatown district and remains fully owned by TCM practitioners. Our Mission, Vision and Values reflect their passion for ensuring that an outstanding TCM education is available in Australia.

In November 2024, SITCM celebrated its 35th anniversary. To acknowledge this milestone, we published a commemorative book detailing our history. For a PDF of the book, click here.