General Information
Students in the D.C. program receive their Doctor of Chiropractic Degree upon graduation. In order to practice chiropractic, however, the graduate must become licensed by the state (or Canadian province) in which the doctor intends to practice. Each state has its own laws and rules regulating the awarding of the license to practice; therefore, it is the responsibility of each student to know what is required for licensure by the state(s) in which he or she intends to practice and to fulfill those requirements. There are two major sources of information about licensing requirements. The most up-to-date information can be obtained by contacting directly the Board of Chiropractic Examiners of the state(s) in which the student may wish to practice. The other major source of information is a booklet entitled “Official Directory of Chiropractic and Basic Science Examining Boards with Licensure and Practice Statistics.” This publication may be obtained by contacting: The Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, 901 54th Avenue, Suite 01, Greeley, Colorado 80634-4400; (970) 356-3500. You may also print a copy from the FCLB website at www.fclb.org. In addition, information is available in the library of the College. Texas Chiropractic College offers a core curriculum and elective courses that are acceptable to each of the 50 states for meeting their licensure requirements. Should any change in this status occur, students would be notified.
National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) holds its examinations throughout the year. Part I examines the basic science subject areas, Part II examines the clinical subject areas, Part III focuses on the clinical skills related to examination, diagnosis, and treatment, and Physiotherapy examines active and passive physiotherapy modalities. Part IV is a practical examination. Additional, detailed information regarding the NBCE examinations can be found at www.nbce.org.
Texas Chiropractic College policies regarding student eligibility for the NBCE examinations are as follows:
Part I – Applicants must have successfully completed all course material in trimesters 1-4 that is covered on NBCE Part I examination at the time of the application deadline.
Note: All students must sit for all six sections of NBCE I prior to entering Clinic I.
Part II – Applicants must have successfully completed all course material in trimesters 1-7 that is covered on NBCE Part II examination at the time of the application deadline.
Note: All students must sit for all six sections of NBCE II prior to graduation.
Physiotherapy – A student is eligible to apply for the Physiotherapy examination after successfully completing, prior to the late cutoff application date, 120 hours in physiotherapy. 120 hours is successful completion (grade of C or higher) of the two courses (1) Passive Modalities and Therapeutics and (2) Rehabilitation & Active Care.
Part III – A student is eligible to apply for the Part III examination if he/she has successfully completed the NBCE Part I examination prior to the Part III application deadline and is within nine months of graduation by the Part III examination date.
Part IV – A student is eligible to apply for the Part IV examination if he/she has successfully completed all subjects of the NBCE Part I examination prior to the application deadline and is within six months of graduation by the Part IV examination date. (Trimester 9 and 10 students only)
Certification of eligibility by the TCC Registrar’s Office is required.
Note: Most states require NBCE certification in order to be eligible for licensure, as well as a state-specific jurisprudence examination. Some states may additionally require that all applicants pass a practical examination including patient examination, x-ray interpretation and adjusting procedures. The student is well advised to find out from the state(s) in which he/she intends to practice what the policies are relative to the NBCE. For further information on state requirements, you can contact the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards at www.fclb.org.