Students from all schools of Ayurveda are invited on a journey into the world of traditional Ayurveda. From the root Vedic texts and healing traditions of Kerala, India, preserved for thousands of years, our curriculum team passionately channels the ancient teachings into streamlined programs for modern professionals.
Kerala Ayurveda Academy is committed to offering the highest quality of education and services to our students so that they become the finest Ayurvedic health professionals and educators for the future. Our aim is to maintain the authenticity of Ayurveda in the U.S. The Ayurvedic Doctor (AD) program curriculum is based on an educational curriculum from Indian universities and is both academically challenging and rewarding. We have assembled the most qualified and experienced faculty to teach each classroom session, covering theoretical Ayurvedic principles, hands-on learning, clinical encounters and contemporary topics of the wellness industry.
Our Academy heralds the tradition of passing on the torch of this sacred lineage to our students. With the support of the Kerala Family, you will receive an authentic Ayurvedic education with a prestigious heritage, shared by passionate advocates of the Vedic principles, and supported by a growing global network of alumni, staff, faculty and wellness providers.
Who Should Take This Course
Prerequisites
- Completion of the Ayurvedic Practitioner (AP) certification program or an equivalent level II program from another institution.
- Applicants who completed level I and level II certifications with other institutions: if these courses are approved by the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA), accepted applicants may enroll directly with existing credentials. Applicants completed these prerequisites with other institutions whose programs are not NAMA-approved are required to submit detailed credentials including transcripts. Our Admissions team will review the documents and may advise on additional academic requirements to satisfy the prerequisites. If additional coursework is required, accepted applicants are invited to enroll under the condition that the prerequisite coursework is completed within the first year of the AD program.
- It is important for Ayurvedic students of professional programs to have adequate knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology (A&P). The equivalent of 6 college level Anatomy & Physiology credits are required. It’s not required to complete the A&P course prior to enrollment in this course; it can be taken simultaneously as a corequisite, as long as it is completed for certification. If you need to satisfy the A&P corequisite, we offer a partner course you can take entirely online. Students are required to provide proof of A&P course completion to receive this certification. To view our partner course or submit your corequisite documentation, click here to learn more >
- Ayurvedic Doctors with a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery (BAMS) degree may join the program directly.
Application: Please note an application is required to join this program and documentation of prerequisites is requested for submission during this process.
Scope of Practice
The general scope of practice of the Ayurvedic Doctor (AD) is similar to the Ayurvedic Practitioner (AP), with key differences including the following:
- Ayurvedic Doctors posses more extensive, in-depth education and relevant clinical experience in Ashtanga Ayurveda – all eight branches of Ayurvedic medicine.
- Ayurvedic Doctors have more experience in teaching, demonstrations, practical Panchakarma training and research methods.
- They possess a working knowledge of medical pathology, pharmacology, diagnostic reports, and treatments, in order to interface with the Western medical community. Note: they are not required to order Western diagnostic tests and do not prescribe Western medicines.
- They have an informed awareness of public health and epidemiology (Janapadoddhvamsa) from the Western and Ayurvedic scope of practice for the Ayurvedic profession.
- They are informed consumers of research pertaining to the Ayurvedic field, and are able to evaluate, discuss, and apply contemporary research within the context of Ayurvedic knowledge. As the most highly skilled professionals in their industry, they are able to make significant contributions to the profession such as participating in research, review articles, conferences, teaching, or presentation of case studies.
For more detail, please see the complete Scope of Practice: Ayurvedic Doctor.
Program Overview
The Ayurvedic Doctor (AD) 2,660-hour program is designed to train professionals of the highest caliber in Ayurveda for accomplishing the two goals of Ayurveda—Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam: to preserve the health of a healthy person, and Aturasya Vikara Prashamanam: to heal the imbalances of the sick. Students will gain the advanced Ayurvedic tools necessary to support healing of imbalances in the human mind-body systems and prevent future disease. These tools include a comprehensive nutritional education (Ahara), daily routines and practices to maximize health (Vihar), a clear understanding of the mind and thought processes (Vichara), plus their relationship to well-being, herbs and herbal formulation to facilitate healing, and personalized Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation (Panchakarma and Rasayana) protocol.
The unique feature of this program is the specialty track to enable our Ayurvedic Doctors to specialize in their chosen clinical area of passion. Upon successful completion of the AD course you will be awarded an Ayurvedic Doctor Certificate.
Program Format
The AD Program consists of three major components: Master Track, Allied Programs and In Person Experiential Programs. Students must complete all components in order to graduate from the program. The Master Track program can be taken completely online or in person. Students who are unable to attend available Master Track programs in person are required to attend additional hours of Clinical Internship, Doctor Residency, or Specialty Internship.
3 Years – 2,660 Total Hours
Master Track
- 24 Three-Day Weekend Intensives – in person or live streamed*
- 2 Four- and one-half day Panchakarma Practicums – in person
- 36 Saturday Virtual Classes – live streamed*
- 36 Mentoring Sessions – live streamed*
- Dissertation – self-paced
- Clinical Encounters – in person
- Online Recorded Lectures – elearning**
- Assignments – elearning**
Allied Programs
- 2 Three-Day Workshop Weekend Intensives – in person or live streamed*
- 2 Weekday Evening Series – live streamed*
- 3 Recorded Series– elearning**
In Person Experiential Programs
- Clinical Internships – in person
- Doctor Residency – in person
- Specialty Internship – in person
- Externship – in person
*All classes which are live streamed are also recorded for later viewing.
**Internet connection required.
Curriculum
The AD curriculum provides advanced clinical study in the foundations of Ayurvedic theory and practice. The program features a comprehensive curriculum designed to provide the student with in-depth knowledge and understanding in the philosophy, principles, theory and practical application in Ayurvedic disease management. The course aligns with classical Ayurvedic texts, offering an authentic education in the traditional Vedic system of knowledge, with a perspective from conventional medicine so Ayurvedic Doctor graduates may interface with the Western medical community as needed.
At this level, students are taught and trained in clinical assessment with a comparable scope of practice to the level II practitioner. This includes the disease process, the pathways of disease and management protocols in different stages of disease. With guided references to Ayurvedic texts, presentations, case studies, hands-on internship and mentorship, students gain confidence and consistency in thoroughly understanding the etiological factors which contribute to any disease. With this knowledge, they will become skilled independent professionals adept at creating management plans for different stages of disorders.
Master Track Topics
The cornerstone of the program is conducted in our Master Track Weekend Intensives, including the following topics:
- KAA 301 Preventative Health Management (Swasthavritta)
- KAA 302 Ayurvedic Etiopathogenesis Part I (Roga Vijnana & Vikriti Vijnana)
- KAA 303 Ayurvedic Etiopathogenesis Part II (Roga Vijnana & Vikriti Vijnana)
- KAA 304 Ayurvedic Materia Medica Part I (Dravyaguna Sastra)
- KAA 305 Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics (Bhaishajya Kalpana)
- KAA 306 Ayurvedic Purification – Clinical Application (Panchakarma in Chikitsa)
- KAA 307 Ayurvedic Materia Medica Part 2 (Dravyaguna Sastra)
- KAA 308 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Pranavaha and Udakavaha Srotases
- KAA 309 Ayurvedic Clinical Management Annavaha and Rasavaha Srotases
- KAA 310 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Raktavaha Srotas
- KAA 311 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Mamsavaha and Medovaha Srotases
- KAA 312 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Asthivaha and Majjavaha Srotas
- KAA 313 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Mutravaha, Pureeshavaha and Swedavaha
Srotases
- KAA 314 Ayurvedic Clinical Management of Manovaha Srotas Mental Disorders
- KAA 315 Yoga in Clinical Application Part I (Yoga Chikitsa)
- KAA 316 Shalyatantra: Ayurvedic Management of Injuries, Kshara Karma, Agnikarma and
Marma Chikitsa
- KAA 317 Shalakyatantra: Ayurvedic Management of Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat and Oral
Disease
- KAA 318 Streeroga: Ayurvedic Management of Artavavaha Srotas and Stanyavaha Srotas
- KAA 319 Prasooti Tantra: Ayurvedic Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth
- KAA 320 Kaumarabhritya: Ayurvedic Management of Pediatric Health
- KAA 321 Ayurvedic Management of Immunological and Environmental Diseases
- KAA 322 Rasayana & Vajikarana: Ayurvedic approach to Rejuvenation and Regeneration
- KAA 323 Yoga in Clinical Application Part II (Yoga Chikitsa)
- KAA 324 Ayurvedic Toxicology, Medical Ethics and Medico Legal Regulations
- KAA 325 AD Panchakarma Practicum 1: Prep and Purvakarma
- KAA 326 AD Panchakarma Practicum 2: Main Panchakarma Techniques and Specialty
Therapies
Allied Program Topics
To deepen the student’s knowledge in individual aspects of Ayurveda, specialty workshops and class series are provided on individual topics, including:
- Ayurvedic Assessment and Pulse Diagnosis
- Ayurvedic Formulations & Herbs
- Panchakarma
- Sanskrit
- Ashtanga Hridayam
- Clinical Topics, Case Studies and Protocol Development
Clinical Specialty and Dissertation
AD students are required to select a specialty in one of the following areas, which will provide a focus for their practice.
Kayachikitsa: Ayurvedic General Medicine
Manasaroga: Ayurvedic Psychiatry
Streeroga and Prasooti Tantra: Women’s Health
Digestive and Metabolic Disorders
A dissertation assignment offers the student an opportunity to research and present a thesis on their clinical specialty of choice.
For more information about the curriculum, please consult the course catalog.
In person and convenient online learning
Kerala Ayurveda Academy connects a global community of students of Ayurveda with our live streaming technology. All of the classes in the Master Track and most classes in the Allied Programs are live streamed and recorded for later viewing. Whether students choose to participate in these classes in person or online, they may revisit the online archived classes later at their convenience. Online learners join a virtual classroom environment where they may interact with their instructor and fellow online peers.
Note: all students live stream Weekday Evening Series, as these programs are not offered in person. The U.S. and India Clinical Internships, as well as the Panchakarma Practicums from the Specialty Workshop Five-Day Weekend Intensives (KAA 327 & KAA 328) are in person requirements.
Clinical Internships in the U.S. and India
Kerala Ayurveda Academy offers multiple internship format options for AD students. Locations include our U.S. Academy & Wellness Center in Milpitas, CA, plus our training centers in India. For more information about the internship options, please consult the course catalog.
Faculty
Kerala Ayurveda Academy offers a premier faculty of Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners with vast clinical expertise and experience in teaching, research and practice in several clinical settings, including Ayurvedic hospitals and centers in India.
For more information about our Faculty, please visit our Faculty section.
Student & Alumni Services
At Kerala Ayurveda Academy, our students are for life! Guidance and support is available through completion of the program and beyond.
During the AD program
- During the live streamed classes, online students are able to interact directly with faculty.
- Academic Advisors are assigned to all students so they can receive guidance and support from Kerala Ayurveda’s seasoned Ayurvedic doctors (BAMS).
- Student Support is available anytime to assist with educational planning and tuition management.
For graduates: alumni benefits
- Continued access to curriculum
- Discounts on educational programs, products and wellness services
- Feature listing in our online Alumni Database