NOMAA is the only accrediting agency in the United States advocating the first professional doctor of oriental medicine as the standard for acupuncture and Oriental medical training. NOMAA, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 educational corporation, was established in 2000 for the sole purpose of improving Oriental medical education.

The NOMAA is a national specialized accrediting body whose mission is to provide accreditation for educational institutions that will offer an entry-level, doctoral degree program in Oriental Medicine. The NOMAA entry-level doctoral degree program is designed to prepare students for professional, independent and primary care practice within the parameters of each state's scope of practice regulations.

The NOMAA Mission:

"to provide accreditation for educational institutions that will offer entry-level doctoral degree programs in
Oriental Medicine (O.M.) which will prepare students for professional, independent and primary
care practice within the domain of each state's scope of practice regulations."

To this end, NOMAA has established institutional requirements, polices and procedures and programmatic criteria/standards and processes to ensure and promote quality in the accreditation of eligible institutions of higher education in order to serve both the public and the students enrolled in such programs. The objective is the education and clinical training of independent primary care providers in Oriental Medicine leading to the Doctor of Oriental Medicine (OMD) degree. NOMAA standards are intended to improve quality of education, which in turn will lead to an increased quality of patient care.

"The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets
acceptable levels of quality." (US Department of Education)