Chiropractic Education

Chiropractors go through an immense amount of schooling to receive a “Doctor of Chiropractic” degree (also known as a D.C.).


Their collegiate agenda is as follows:

  • Graduate from a four year college.
  • Completing at least two years undergraduate study, with a focus on the sciences.
  • Four years of Chiropractic Education.
  • Take mandatory internships.
  • At least 900 hours of work in a Chiropractic Clinic.
  • After graduating, pass a written and oral board exams, at national and provincial levels.

A Chiropractor may opt to choose to advance their degree in an area of specialty. These areas include: Chiropractic neurology, radiology, sports medicine, as well as many other fields.

This chart shows the number of hours served under study by Chiropractic students and Medical students.

Minimum Required Hours
Chiropractic Student HoursClass DescriptionMedical Student Hours
456Anatomy/Embryology215
243Physiology174
296Pathology507
161Chemistry/Biochemistry100
145Microbiology145
408Diagnosis113
149Neurology171
56Psychology/Psychiatry323
66Obstetrics And Gynecology284
271X-ray13
168Orthopedics2
2,419Total Hours for Degree2,047

A Comparison of Chiropractic Student Versus Medical Residents Hours of Study, http://www.drgrisanti.com/mddc.html