About

The History of New York College of Health Professions

New York College of Health Professions was founded by a group of dedicated holistic health care providers more than four decades ago and is proud of its status today as a leading institution of holistic health education and care.

Through the professional clinic that was established in 1976 — and the many patient requests to learn the techniques that were healing them from a wide range of disorders — the school was formed in 1981 under the name The New Center for Wholistic Health Education and Research.

The school grew quickly as the community expressed greater interest in learning about the Eastern healing arts and their integration with Western medicine. An intensive college-level curriculum was developed for massage therapy and was approved by the New York State Board of Education in 1981 — the first such program in the state.

The program was approved by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York as a college degree program in 1996, the first independent degree in therapeutic bodywork in the United States.

The acupuncture program was approved by the New York State Board of Education in 1992, also the first such program approved in the state, and was accredited for Bachelor/Master's degree status in 1998, along with the oriental medicine program. That same year, the school changed its name to the New York College of Wholistic Health, Education, and Research.

All of the College's education programs have evolved over years of study and include curricula that integrate the methodologies of the East and the West for both preventive and curative medicine. The College continues to be a leader and pioneer in the field of holistic health.

Approved to be called New York College of Health Professions in 2002, the College is located on a 15,000-square-foot campus in Syosset, New York, with an onsite teaching clinic where all students complete their clinical internship.

In 2007, the College received institutional accreditation by the New York State Board of Regents and the Commissioner of Education. In September 2023, the College achieved institutional accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The Graduate School of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM). Both accrediting agencies are recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Key Milestones

Content sourced from the 2023–2026 NYCHP Catalog (Updated March 2026).