Aromatherapy Education

Right to Review Previously Approved NAHA Schools/Educators

NAHA has the right to request a full curriculum review at any time, as well as review any additional educational aromatherapy programs that are offered by a current NAHA-approved educator/school. The request for a full curriculum review may be made by the NAHA board due to updates in the NAHA Education Standards, updates to course content made by the educator/school, and/or complaint/s submitted pertaining to the school's curriculum. The NAHA reviewer may also request additional materials such as marketing materials, website pages, school policies, etc. If the review process is being made pursuant to complaints, the school may be required to resubmit a new CASE application and pay the application review fee. Course materials must be supplied in English within the time frame specified by the NAHA board of directors.

NAHA reserves the right to make changes to the school application and review process at any time without notice.

Please Note: All NAHA school applications and their required documents are evaluated first to ensure that the information meets the NAHA application requirements at the time of application. If an application is not submitted with complete information that meets requirements, it may be rejected. If all appropriate documents are submitted in full, then the application review process may proceed. This review process also includes review of course curriculum, marketing materials, and the school's website. Please be advised that NAHA may utilize plagiarism software to check content during the approval process, however it is the school's responsibility to use original materials. Please follow the notations below to ensure that your school application follows NAHA’s Code of Ethics, and does not include content copied from other sources (e.g., colleagues, publications, books, etc.) without the proper citations/references and most importantly written and signed permission from the author (unless information is "public domain" which must be cited as such).

All school course content (including images, photos, graphs, and charts) and marketing materials must be original. The curriculum and required documents must be submitted in an organized format and include safety data with cautions, contraindications, and sustainability warnings (if applicable). Any sourced data (including photos, charts, and graphs) must be properly referenced/cited if used from another source (including “public domain”), and if required, include written permission from the originator/author of that said work (and submit the document of written proof of permission).

NAHA does not accept for approval any content which has been copied/pasted from other sources including websites, written texts (books, journals, manuals, etc.), and/or media that has not been properly cited/referenced (and attained written permission if required by the originator/author). This includes the use of essential oil profiles shared by businesses that sell essential oils/aromatherapy products and supplies in which they include profiles of these botanicals/ingredients on their website for the general public view.

Prior to submitting an application to become a NAHA –Approved School/Educator, please visit these important links listed below to read:

While it is acceptable to require school supplies and suggest a brand, educators and schools applying to become a NAHA-approved school must not require students to purchase any particular brand of essential oils/aromatherapy products, nor sign-up for an account/membership with another company that the educator/school is affiliated with, nor pay for any type of subscription in order to receive aromatherapy products in order to participate in the aromatherapy course program(s) offered by the school/educator.
The education standards published on naha.org/education/standards must be followed. While particular products or brands may be occasionally mentioned in curriculum content, courses must be educational in nature rather than being used as a venue for a sales pitch. Students must not be required to know any certain brand or product's names/ingredients in order to attend and complete a NAHA approved course.
If the educator/school is affiliated with a certain brand/company that will be promoted during the aromatherapy course, then this information must be clearly stated in the school’s policies/procedures, website, marketing materials, and to be included in a statement given to prospective students prior to registration to avoid any conflict of interest.
Please note that NAHA does not police educators/schools/businesses in regards to what aromatherapy products they sell and or make available to students. Individuals seeking education should read and understand any policies and procedures (including the refund policy) which are part of the educator/school/business’ educational program(s) prior to paying for any course, class, or workshop. It is the student’s responsibility to make themselves aware of any additional supplies that they may be required to purchase separately or as part of an educational program.

As the aromatherapy industry evolves and develops to meet the needs of integrative/holistic health practices, NAHA, as a leading organization in the aromatherapy field, reviews our education standards from time to time to keep them current, relevant and safe. Aromatherapy advocates, students and educators should review our standards of education periodically to stay familiar with and abreast of NAHA's existing and new guidelines.

NAHA does not provide an approval process for massage therapy programs. This should be done via the NCBTMB (National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork) and/or with the individual Massage Therapy Boards in your State/Country. Any hours pertaining to actual massage therapy do not to count toward NAHA’s education standard required hours (except for those that apply to safety in regards to topical application).

Precautionary measures should be taken with all application methods taught and practiced. Certain essential oils are unsuitable for undiluted application on the skin and may contain constituents which can irritate or sensitize the skin if applied without first being properly diluted in a carrier. NAHA does not support the use or application of "drop therapies" which utilize undiluted dermal sensitizing essential oils. Educational programs which teach excessive amounts of essential oils applied undiluted to the skin will not be accepted as part of any school application and are not part of the overall NAHA education standards. In addition, student case studies submitted as part of their graduation requirement which include the indiscriminate or unsafe use of essential oils will not be accepted.

Approved School Requirements

As part of the CASE application, applicants will be required to provide detailed information about your school, and submit the required documents/links listed below. All documentation must be submitted in English. Original documents not in English may be accompanied by a translated document (i.e.: business license, proof of insurance, marketing materials). Course curriculum documents must be submitted in English and include the number of hours for each module section, along with a list of assignments, case studies, and research paper required to complete the course/s. Please see the NAHA Education Standards for more details.

The NAHA Education Standards may be taught by approved educators/schools via the following formats:

In-person and hands-on program/s
Online programs (which may consist of online readable documents/webpages, audio/visual platforms (live or taped video, audio recordings, webinars, etc.)
Home-study/distance programs (which may consist of printed documents/manuals, audio/visuals (taped videos/DVD/CD, etc.)

Disclaimer:

NAHA reserves the right to amend, change and/or update the NAHA Approved School/Educator Guidelines and Requirements at any time without notice.

Required Documents for CASE Application:

Note that all materials submitted must be translated into English.

A detailed typed course outline or syllabus of your aromatherapy curriculum including: topics, requirements, learning objectives, and hours of instruction. You can find information on writing a syllabus here: https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/designing-your-course/writing-syllabus
Copy of all marketing and promotional materials including brochures, business cards, etc. Please provide the web-link/s to the school website, social media pages (if applicable).
Copy of your business license
A copy of the Certificate of Completion that your school will issue to students
Please upload a copy of your current NAHA Membership Certificate for the school owner and all aromatherapy instructor/s. Also include a typed list of all instructors including but not limited to names, alias/s, phone number/s, email addresse/s, and NAHA account/membership ID/s.

o School Owner (if not teaching the aromatherapy program) may be a NAHA Business Member (for one year or longer) to apply. Please note requirements for Aromatherapy Educators listed below.

o Primary Aromatherapy Educators must be a NAHA Member (Level 2 Professional Member (to teach Level 1-2) and or Level 3 Clinical Member (to teach Level 3)) for a minimum of one year and have taught the NAHA Education Standards for a minimum of one year or longer before applying).
Any franchise/partnership contracts allowed by your school. If there is a change in that relationship/contract/agreement, then NAHA must be notified within 30 days by all parties.
A typed professional CV or bio for all primary instructors.
Copy of Professional Liability Insurance for all primary instructors
One professional letter of recommendation
Two student recommendations including their certificates of completion
A copy of the School’s Policies and Procedures. This document (may be included within the course outline document) should include what is required for the student to successfully complete the aromatherapy course/s (assignments, case studies, quizzes/tests, etc.), refund policy, required reading, supplies to purchase, etc. The school’s policies and procedures must be listed on the school’s website for perspective students and existing students to read prior to registration.

You will also be required to agree to the CASE standards, the NAHA Code of Ethics , and the NAHA Logo use terms.

Becoming an approved school requires a yearly fee of $250 for US or Canadian schools, or $450 for international schools. If your school has multiple locations, each location must pay the fee, but there are discounted rates for locations beyond the first ($125 for US/Canada, $225 for international). You must pay the school fee prior to submitting your CASE application. If your application is denied, your fee will be refunded less a $100 processing fee.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our school team at schools@naha.org. Questions pertaining to pending CASE applications must be submitted with the following information: Applicant's Name, School Name, NAHA Membership ID #.

Follow these instructions to become an Approved School

Sign into your member page here.
You will need to be a Level 2, Level 3, or Business* member in order to proceed. If you are not, please reference #5 in the approved school requirements above.
On the right-hand side in the Account Navigation menu, find the Add a Subscription link and use it to add the appropriate School subscription for your region. You will be taken back to the main Account page afterward.
From the Account Navigation menu, choose Subscriptions and Billing
Locate your school subscription on the left and use the link there to fill out the CASE Application online.

NOTE: We will not be able to process your school application until you fill out the online CASE form.

All CASE Applications must be submitted through the online portal via the NAHA Membership account. Log into your NAHA Membership account and go to the 'subscriptions/billing' section. You will see SCHOOLS, pick the CASE Application option to pay the application fee, and upload all the required documents. Please be sure to have all the required documents at the time of submitting the application to avoid rejection of the application and duplication of the application fee.
By submitting a school application, you are agreeing to the NAHA terms and conditions, including adherence to the NAHA CASE Standards and NAHA Code of Ethics. Your application fee includes a non-refundable $100 processing fee.

NAHA considers plagiarism to be a serious offense. Plagiarism of materials is grounds for termination of membership and immediate removal from the NAHA-approved school list. New school applications containing plagiarized content will not be approved and may result in the applicant’s individual NAHA membership also being revoked.

*Business Membership applies to a school owner who does not teach the aromatherapy education standards and provides proof of aromatherapy educators who meet the NAHA CASE Requirements via the NAHA Membership Levels (Professional/Level 2 and or Clinical Level 3).

JOIN NOWfor new members

Right to Review Previously Approved NAHA Schools/Educators

NAHA reserves the right to make changes to the school application and review process at any time without notice.

We encourage students and prospective students to review a school’s policies and procedures.

Although NAHA does have a stringent approval process, NAHA does not address complaints pertaining to:

1. School Fees and Refund Policies

2. Curriculum/Presentation Formats

3. Personality Conflicts

4. Personal and Political Views

5. Teaching and Communication Styles

6. Conflicts regarding school partnerships or franchises

Note: Intellectual property disputes must be handled by your own attorney. NAHA is unable to accept intellectual property complaints without a judgement or court order.

-If this is a school complaint, you must provide evidence that you are a student of the school you are complaining against.

-If this is a complaint against a NAHA member, you must provide a copy of your NAHA membership certificate.

The NAHA board reserves the right to suspend or deny the renewal of any school for any reason at any time.

NAHA reserves the right to amend the complaint guidelines at any time without notice.

Click Here to access NAHA's complaint form which must be used to submit any complaints.

Affiliates/Franchises/Partnerships*

If you are a NAHA-approved school/educator that also offers your approved aromatherapy program through additional outlets such as affiliates, franchises, and partnerships, it is your responsibility to inform the individual/s of the following requirements:

1. Each Affiliates/Franchises/Partnerships with another aromatherapy school must apply through the NAHA CASE application process to become a NAHA-approved school/educator and in order to offer the aromatherapy program that applies to the NAHA Education Standards for Levels 1-3.

2. NAHA Membership Level required for Aromatherapy Instructors/Educators:

• Professional (to teach/offer Levels 1 & 2)

• Clinical Member (to teach/offer Levels 1-3)

NAHA-approved schools/educators are required to provide NAHA with a copy of the affiliate/franchise/partnership agreement (or letter of authorization giving you permission to use their content, curriculum, and other information), along with a list of the name/s and contact information for any affiliates/franchises/partnerships that have completed their aromatherapy program/s and are, and will be, participating in an agreement to offer the same program through their business/school/website, etc.

NAHA Approved School Logo and Approval Status

Only NAHA approved schools/educators may state that their aromatherapy program is approved by NAHA and meets the NAHA Education Standards. This statement may be used on the approved schools/educators’ website, marketing materials, and school certificates issued for the approved aromatherapy program/s.

Only current NAHA-approved School/Educator Members may use the NAHA School/Educator Seal on their aromatherapy course certificates issued to students upon successful completion of the course/s. This seal may also be placed onto the approved school/educator’s website. (See the NAHA Logo Permission Agreement Form for more details).

Those affiliates/franchises/partnerships (and school memberships that have expired) that do not comply with the NAHA Membership and CASE application process will be placed on a non-approved school/educator list with the NAHA office.

Any franchise/partnership contracts allowed by your school. If there is a change in that relationship/contract/agreement, then NAHA must be notified within 30 days by all parties.

*Note: Affiliate/Franchise/Partnership terminology is included to apply to any individual/business that is in an agreement/contract with an individual/business that offers that type of option through their aromatherapy course program/s and is not limited to these terms, and may also apply to other terms such as ‘teacher-training programs’, etc.

NAHA reserves the right to amend, change and/or update the NAHA Approved School/Educator Guidelines and Requirements at any time without notice.

NOTE: NAHA is not responsible for any legal issues which may arise between educators/schools and their partners or franchises.

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Become an Approved School

Right to Review Previously Approved NAHA Schools/Educators

Approved School Requirements

Follow these instructions to become an Approved School

Right to Review Previously Approved NAHA Schools/Educators

We encourage students and prospective students to review a school’s policies and procedures.

Affiliates/Franchises/Partnerships*

NAHA Approved School Logo and Approval Status

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