Frequently Asked Questions

What sets Herbalism Roots apart from other schools?

Our instructor team, curriculum variety, schedule flexibility, affordable payment options, internship program, supportive administrative team, and plethora of herbalism & skincare products all set Herbalism Roots apart from other schools.

Our instructors collectively bring together 80 years of herbalism experience. Each of our instructors is friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and dedicated to helping you be the most professional and skilled herbalist. They have knowledge and experience with everything we teach, but they also have specialties within the industry that we highlight and share in classes and at clinic.

Our curriculum is unique because it offers a variety of herbalism topics that will help you cultivate your own unique herbalism style and practice. It’s a solid foundational program that prepares you to work with family, friends, and communities as a Professional Herbalist. Through the study of medicinal herbs within a pathophysiological paradigm – connecting plants with the body systems they affect – it prepares you to safely and effectively assist people with herbal recommendations to facilitate wellness.

Our curriculum includes classroom instruction in Pathophysiology, Materia Medica (formal study of plants and their therapeutic uses), Field Botany, Phytochemistry 101, Herbal Pharmacy, Botanical Safety, Herbal Folk Medicine, Aromatherapy, and Gardening/Permaculture.
It also includes hands-on, “in the field” learning experiences in Ethical Wild Harvesting, Plant Identification, and Medicine Making during two weekend Field Trips to the Mountains.

We offer schedule flexibility for some of our classes. We have a hybrid program, where you do some hours at-home, online, and then you come in-person for weekend classes & clinics. The online portion has live zoom classes, but students can watch the recordings at a later time if the live zoom class doesn’t work for them. The weekend class schedule is one weekend per month on a Saturday & Sunday, for 6 months. The Saturday clinics are 1x/month & are flexible, meaning a student can attend or not based on their schedule.

Our tuition is competitively priced, and we offer discounts to pay in full, a discount to pay a 12-month, zero interest payment plan, and a zero-interest 18-month payment plan. Our goal is to offer students tuition-payment options and to meet students at their varied financial situations.

Our internship program is unlike anything other schools are doing. We have robust professional connections with our Internship Partners, which are herbalism businesses throughout Colorado that bring on our students to intern and work at their business as a student herbalist, while the student is in school and for school practicum hours. Our Internship Program is an incredible way for students to work with real work situations, to explore the work environment they like best, to learn from other herbal professionals, to learn invaluable business and communication skills, to improve on their clienteling capabilities, to add experience to their resumes, to have a potential job lined up immediately upon graduation, and to have professional connections for life.

Our administrative team is dedicated to the life cycle of the students – that means from the moment they reach out to us in admissions, to every detail and question they have along the way as a student, to their graduation experience, and beyond that to supporting them as alumni. This administrative team is supportive, caring, understanding, helpful, highly communicative, and an overall ally for every student. They do regular check-ins with students as well as schedule meetings to review any and all aspects a student may need help with.

We love herbalism products, and we have many different kinds of products for students to practice with and learn about at class and clinic. We have an Apothecary that is a learning Apothecary, meaning it’s primarily for our students to use. We have Bulk Tinctures as well as Bulk Teas so you can customize your own tincture blends and tea blends. You can try out singles of each as well. We have numerous essential oils (singles & blends) as well as our own homemade flower essence collection (over 60+) that we’ve made with students on our herbal mountain retreats. It’s a very special Hogwarts-style room that’s filled with these magical plants! In addition, we have 7 different product lines we carry that include lotions, creams, salves, and essential oils, that are connected with our sister schools of massage and skincare. You’ll get to learn about those product lines as well.

How much does the program cost?

The base tuition is $5,300. We offer different tuition discounts when paying in full and interest-free payment plans that allow students to pay month by month. Find detailed tuition information on our tuition page.

How long does it take to finish the program?

This program is mostly self-paced, so students get to decide how quickly they finish. We give students 18 months to complete the program, so they can take the full year and a half, or finish in as little as 6 months! There are specific weekend classes that need to be attended that span across 6 months.

Do you accept FAFSA?

While we are not able to accept any FAFSA, federal aid, or military benefits, we do offer interest-free payment plans that allow you to pay month by month without accruing interest. We are also happy to accept any personal loans or any scholarships that you’re able to find through your own organizations, businesses, etc, as long as they do not require a tax or federal ID number.

Can I continue working full-time while completing the program?

We have many students work full time while completing the program since most of it is self-paced and self-scheduled. Students only need to be here in-person one weekend a month for six months. The rest of the classes are done online via Zoom. This way, students can either attend the live session or watch a recording at their convenience. Students have 18 months to complete the program, so they can take their time and continue working.

What can I do with this certificate when I graduate?

We’ve seen our students take this forward in many, different ways. Some already have their own practices where they can integrate herbalism, such as massage therapists, estheticians, & nutritionists. Others have started their own product lines, creating their own medicine, tinctures, skincare products, etc. We’ve also seen students offer wellness consultations, where they recommend herbs for clients that are seeking support for their conditions, while others go on to work in an apothecary or herbal center.

Can I complete the program if I live in another state?

Students can complete up to 400 hours of the program online from another state, with only 100 hours that must be completed here in the state of Colorado. The six weekends of hands-on classes that are done here in person would be the only portion that must be completed here in Colorado.

Do you have financing options available?

We have low deposit requirements and accept tuition through interest-free payment plans. We don’t participate in federal accreditation for student loans and grants in order to keep our costs down and maintain a private school status. We are also happy to accept any personal loans or any scholarships that you’re able to find through your own organizations, businesses, etc, as long as they do not require a tax or federal ID number.

How do you help prepare students for employment after graduation?

Our internship program gives students the opportunity to earn their hours working in the public, allowing them to build a foundation with businesses that could hire upon graduation. We also send out job leads and contacts with trusted businesses or partners that are hiring after students graduate as those become available.

Is there regulation or licensure for herbalism?

There is no license or regulations for herbalism on either a federal or state level. Students who graduate from this program receive a 500-hour herbalism completion certificate. Our program is approved through the Colorado Division of Private and Occupational Schools (DPOS).

Do you offer continuing education?

We do not offer any continuing education or separate specialty classes. Our core curriculum is very comprehensive by including a diverse range of topics, allowing students to explore the diversity of herbalism. Our instructors are happy to advise about CE classes they recommend.

What will I be learning in the curriculum?

What prerequisites do I need to start?

Our only requirement is that students are 18 years or older to enroll. We do not require a high school diploma or GED.

Can I get any credit for previous experience in a related field?

We offer comped hours for varying levels of experience, from acupuncturists to registered nurses. This allows students to move quicker through the program by reducing the number of required hours. If you think this could apply to you, feel free to reach out for information!

What happens if I can’t make it to every class?

While students have a live session available to them, our online zoom classes are recorded so you can watch them at your own convenience. The weekend classes need to be attended – we don’t have any makeup dates available for those classes. Graduating from our program does require 500 hours of work, but you have 18 months to finish.

Are you accredited?

We are certified through the Colorado Division of Private and Occupational Schools (DPOS). This is the only certification necessary for a school to be an occupational school in the state of Colorado. We don’t participate in federal accreditation for student loans and grants in order to keep our costs down and maintain a private school status. Accreditation merely gives a school the means to accept loans and grants but does not determine the status of a school, the quality of the school’s education, or affect the future employment of a student who has attended the school.