An Overview of NUMSS (Spain) Admissions to the Doctor of Naprapathy (DN) Program

Why Choose Naprapathy?

Naprapathy (founded in 1907 in the United States) which has roots in chiropractic and osteopathy is a gentle form of manual therapy that focuses on connective tissue disorders. Naprapathy is not naturopathy. These two similar sounding professions are quite different from each other. Naprapaths are connective tissue specialists. By becoming a naprapath you can help people with various pain and dysfunction conditions of the connective tissue. Anyone can suffer from connective tissue disorders, from babies to older people and from elite athletes to less active people with acute, subacute or chronic conditions. Naprapathy is a unique profession and quite unknown around the world. Naprapaths basically have no competition as aside from Sweden, Illinois and New Mexico in the United States, there are rarely any connective tissue specialists elsewhere. This brings many career opportunities to naprapaths as they are in high demand. Our DN graduates find employment right after graduation or open their own lucrative private naprapathic clinic.

Why Choose to Study Naprapathy at NUMSS (Spain)?

Because we prepare you to be a successful naprapath. Our DN program is clinically oriented. You learn lessons that can be used the next day in your practice. We prepare you for the real world by teaching clinically relevant subjects. Our doctor of naprapathy program also includes lectures on orthopedic bracing, custom made orthotics, decompression therapy, clinical ergonomics, physiotherapy modalities, work & auto injury rehabilitation. The DN program also includes the 250 business management lectures given by our president, Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD. These lectures prepare you to manage your private naprapathic clinic effectively to ensure you become a financially successful naprapath. We also offer a chance to take the DN program as a dual degree program with any of our other degree programs in osteopathy, botanical medicine and physiotherapy. Along with our sister school the National University of Medical Sciences (USA), registered in Florida in 2016, we are the only universities offering the DN program through 100% online education. Almost all naprapaths in Canada and many other countries are NUMSS graduates including Dr Dasha Veprjitska, the president of Canadian Naprapathic Association which awards the title of CNAP (Certified Naprapath).

Our Doctor of Naprapathy program is accepted by the American Naprapathic Association (founded in 1907) and one of our American DN graduates sits on the Executive board of ANA since 2022. NUMSS DN graduates who wish to practice in Illinois and New Mexico can join the Naprapathy Clinical Internship Bridge program offered by National College of Naprapathic Medicine (founded in 1908 in Chicago). Major insurers approved association in Canada such as ACMA and ACTMD accept our DN graduates for membership which permits these graduates to bill private health insurers in Canada for naprapathic care they provide under naturotherapy.

NUMSS DN graduates have the option of attending a week-long practical naprapathic technique class either with us or offered in Los Angeles by the California Health University, in Panama City by Pourgol Osteopathy Chronic Pain Hospital, and Sevilla by Seville University of Health and Medicine.

Undergraduate Admissions

You require a bachelor’s degree as per-requisites to enter the Doctor of Naprapathy (DN) program. You have an option to take the prerequisite courses concurrently while attending the doctor of naprapathy program. The prerequisite Bachelor of Science program in Osteopathy can be taken concurrently with the DN program. Upon completing the 4 years of studies students graduate with two degrees; a Bachelor of Science in Osteopathy (BSc) & a Doctor of Naprapathy (DN). The dual degree program while being more condensed and harder to complete, offers the students a chance to become a doctor in four years instead of seven and to save on tuition. Graduates then can work as a naprapath as well as an osteopath.

Doctor of Naprapathy (DN) Curriculum

There are 4 different curriculums for the DN program:

  1. Curriculum for category 1 students (4 years) without previous health education
  2. Curriculum for category 2 students with previous health education (2 years)
  3. Curriculum for category 3 students who have a doctoral or physiotherapy degree (1 year)
  4. Curriculum for category 3 students who have a doctor of osteopathy (DO) degree (6months)

Curriculum for DN category 1 students without prior health education (4 years – 4480 hours total – 560 hours per semester)

1st Year (1st Semester) 1st Year (2nd Semester) 2nd Year (3rd Semester) 2nd Year (4th Semester) 3rd Year (5th Semester) 3rd Year (6th Semester) 4th Year (7th Semester) 4th Year (8th Semester)
HA 101   Human Anatomy NS 102   Naprapathic Skills II MM 201   Medical Microbiology DS 202   Diagnosis & Symptomology OR 301   Orthopedic Examination NP 302   Naprapathy Principles, Practice, Ethics& Jurisprudence AT 401   Auxiliary Naprapathic Therapy (decompression therapy, foot orthotics, orthopaedic shoes, orthopaedic bracing, support hose fitting) NT 402   Naprapathic Techniques XI
HP 101   Human Physiology NA 102   Neuro Anatomy PA 201   Pathology ND 202   Neuro-Diagnosis NT 301   Naprapathic Techniques VIII NE 302   Neurology SN 401   Sports Nutrition & Weight Loss Management NS 402   Naprapathic Skills IX
NT 101   Naprapathic Techniques I CN 102  Clinical Nutrition IM 201  Immunology FA 101  Fitness Assessment and Trainig NS 301   Naprapathic Skills VI RM 302  Rehabilitation Medicine RX 401  Principles of Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging FC 302  Pathomechanics and Foot care
NS 101   Naprapathic Skills I NS 103   Naprapathic Skills III NT 201   Naprapathic Techniques V LD 202   Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis GB 202   Gait Biomechanics and Anatomy of Lower Limb NT 302   Naprapathic Techniques IX NT 401   Naprapathic Techniques X CE 402   Clinical Ergonomics
NM 101 Theory, Philosophy & Methods of Naprapathy NS 103 Naprapathic medicine Skills III NS 201 Naprapathic Skills IV NT 203 Naprapathic Techniques VII NC 301 Clinic Management in Naprapathy NS 302 Naprapathic Skills VI NS 401 Naprapathic Skills VIII SI 401 Sports Injuries
NT 102   Naprapathic Techniques II TE 102   Therapeutic Exercises NT 202   Naprapathic Techniques VI NS 202  Naprapathic Skills V PT 301   Physiotherapy Modalities DA 202   Lower Limb Diagnosis and Assessments PA 301   Lower Limb Patient Assessment TH 402   Research Project and Thesis
CR 101   Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) NT 104   Naprapathic Techniques IV CB 102   Clinical Biomechanics TP 102   Orthopedic Taping Techniques

Curriculum for DN category 2 students with previous health education (2 years – 2368 hours total – 592 hours per semester)

1st Year (1st Semester) 1st Year (2nd Semester) 2nd Year (3rd Semester) 2nd Year (4th Semester)
NT 101   Naprapathic Techniques I NT 102   Naprapathic Techniques III NT 103   Naprapathic Techniques VII NT 104   Naprapathic Techniques X
NS 301   Naprapathic Skills I NS 302   Naprapathic Skills II NP 302   Naprapathic Principles, Practice, Ethics & Jurisprudence NC 301   Clinical Management in Naprapathy
CB 102   Clinical Biomachenics NT 202   Naprapathic Techniques IV LD 202   Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis PT 301   Physiotherapy Modalities
DS 202  Diagnosis and Symptmology OR 301   Orthopedic Examination RX 401   Principles of Radiology and Diagnosis Imaging TE 102   Therapeutic Exercises
NE 302   Neurology ND 202   Neurodiagnosis PA 301   Lower Limb Patient Assessment SI 401   Sport Injuries
TP 102   Orthopedic Taping Techniques CE 402   Clinical Ergonomics NT 401   Auxiliary Naprapathic Therapy: Orthotics and Casting FC 302   Pathomechanics and Foot care
FA 101   Fitness Assessment and Health Promotion GB 202   Gait Biomechanics and Anatomy of the Lower Limb NT 401   Naprapathic Techniques VIII NS 402   Naprapathic Skills IV
NM 101   Theory, Philosophy and Methods of Naprapathic Medicine DA 202   Lower Limb Diagnosis and Assessment NS 401   Naprapathic Skills III NT 203   Naprapathic Techniques XI
NT 301   Naprapathic Techniques II NT 302   Naprapathic Techniques V NT 201   Naprapathic Techniques IX TH 402   Research Project and Thesis
CN 102   Clinical Nutrition NT 403   Naprapathic Techniques VI

Curriculum for DN category 3 students with doctoral degree (1 year – 1120 hours total – 560 hours per semester)

1st Year (1st Semester) 1st Year (2nd Semester)
NT 101 Naprapathic Techniques I NT 104 Naprapathic Techniques VII
NS 301 Naprapathic Skills I NS 402 Naprapathic Skills III
NS 302 Naprapathic Skills II NS 401 Naprapathic Skills IV
NT 102 Naprapathic Techniques II NT 201 Naprapathic Techniques VIII
NT 103 Naprapathic Techniques III NT 203 Naprapathic Techniques IX
NM 101 Theory, Philosophy ,and Methods of Naprapathy NT 401 Naprapathic Techniques X
NT 301 Naprapathic Techniques IV NT 202 Naprapathic Techniques XI
NT 302 Naprapathic Techniques V TE 102 Therapeutic Exercises
NP 302 Naprapathic Principles ,Practice, Ethics, & Jurisprudence NC 301 Clinical Management in Naprapathic Medicine
CE 402 Clinical Ergonomics PT 301 Physiotherapy Modalities
RX 401 Principles of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging PA 301 Lower Limb Patient Assessment
TP 102 Orthopedic Taping Techniques FC 302 Pathomechanics and Foot care
FA 101 Fitness Assessment and Training TH 402 Research Project and Thesis
NT 402 Naprapathic Techniques VI

Curriculum for category 3 students with Doctor of Osteopathy degree (6 months, 1 semester – 560 hours total)

1st Year (1st semester)
NT 101   Naprapathic Techniques
NS 101   Naprapathic Skills
NM 101   Theory, Philosophy & Methods of Naprapathy
NC 301   Clinical Management in Naprapathic Medicine
TH 402   Research Project and Thesis
Our DN students have access to one week of in-person practical naprapathic technique class in Los Angeles, Panama City and Seville. This practical technique review class is not mandatory as it is not part of our Doctor of Naprapathy program. It is considered a continuing education program. DN Students receive a certificate awarding them 40 hours of continuing education credit towards fulfilling their association continuing education requirements. Students can take the class in our campus in Spain or at California Health University (Los Angeles), Pourgol Osteopathy Chronic Pain Hospital (Panama), or Seville University of Health and Medicine (Spain). Based on demand we may also offer the class at selected locations of Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (OCPCC) that operates 378 clinics in the United States, Canada, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Namibia, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom and a few other countries. OCPCC is founded in 2017 by Canadian certified naprapath and registered manual osteopath, Dr Shawn Pourgol who is serving as our president.