Curanderismo Certificate

The Curanderismo program offers two distinct certificate pathways based on the applicant's enrollment status. Please note that the curriculum requirements vary by pathway, including the total number of courses required for completion.

Please be advised the Curanderismo Program offers a Cetificate of Knowledge. We do not issue certifications of skill or licensures. Please see definitions below:

• Certificate of Knowledge: Serves as evidence of completed education and coursework.
• Certification: Serves as official evidence of verified professional skills, typically evaluated through rigorous examinations administered by a formal regulatory body. To our knowledge, a regulatory body of that nature does not exist for this field anywhere in the state.

1. The UNM Undergraduate Student Academic Certificate: This academic pathway is extended to all current, degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolled at the University of New Mexico, regardless of their chosen major or field of study.

2. The Continuing Education Community Certificate: issued through UNM Continuing Education, this pathway is specifically designed for non-UNM students. We welcome all interested community members and professionals from the general public to pursue this enriching track.

As you consider which option is right for you, please pay careful attention to the specific requirements for each program. It is important to note that the academic certificate and the community certificate have distinct curricular structures and require the completion of a different number of courses.

We encourage you to review the specific guidelines below for your chosen pathway to ensure a smooth registration process. We look forward to welcoming you and supporting your journey in the study of traditional healing.

UNM Undergraduate Student Academic Certificate

Program Overview

• Reclaim Ancestral Knowledge: Fosters critical thinking and reclaims traditional healing concepts to inform cultural competency across the humanities, social sciences, and health professions.
• Nationally Recognized Leadership: Offered by UNM—a designated Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution—delivering a culturally rooted curriculum that connects academic study with community wisdom.
• Advance Health Equity: Prepares students and working professionals to deliver responsive, culturally grounded care that supports health equity in local and global communities.

• Healthcare, Nursing, & Medicine.
• Mental Health, Counseling, & Behavioral Health.
• Social Work & Community Advocacy.
• Holistic Healing & Integrative Wellness.
• Chicana/o Studies, Latin American Studies, & Humanities.
• Public Policy & Philosophy.

1. CCS 306: The Art of Traditional Mexican Healing.
2. CCS 307: Curanderismo Traditional Medicine without Borders.
3. CCS 308: Global Perspectives of Traditional Healing.
4. CCS 332: Introduction to Chicana & Chicano Studies.
5. CCS 384: Community-Based Learning in Chicana and Chicano Studies.

* Although the Curanderismo program is academically housed within the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, select courses are cross-listed across multiple academic departments and campuses throughout the University of New Mexico system.

Subject to semester availability and program approval, courses completed under these cross-listed designations may count toward the fulfillment of certificate requirements. Students are advised to consult with the Curanderismo program coordinator to verify course applicability prior to registration.

Note: Cross-listed course availability varies by semester. Please consult the active UNM Schedule of Classes or contact the program coordinator to verify eligible sections.

• Understand Historical & Global Roots: Explain the history, traditions, and global influences shaping Curanderismo.
• Explain Foundational Tools: Describe core concepts, techniques, and practical applications of traditional healing used today.
• Appraise the Use of Plant Medicine: Detail how medicinal plants are used to support physical body systems as well as energetic and spiritual well-being. (this is not an herbal medicine training program)
• Identify Regional Healing Practices: Recognize medicinal herbs of the Rio Grande Valley and traditional New Mexican healing rituals within an Indo-Hispano cultural framework.
• Integrate Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Connect Curanderismo with historical and contemporary research in Chicana/o Studies, transborder and cultural studies.
• Address Community Needs: Apply concepts of traditional healing to meet community-based wellness needs across various professional fields.

Registration

Continuing Education Community Certificate

Program Overview

• Ancestral Knowledge & Cultural Competency: Gain a deep focus on community-defined, culturally competent healing concepts rooted in Hispanic and Indigenous traditions that inform our diverse community professions and roles.
• Integrative Health Understanding: Explore the intersection and integration of traditional healing practices with allopathic (Western) medicine.
• Sociocultural Insight: Enhance your understanding of how historical ancestral healing traditions shape cultural diversity today and where traditional medicine is headed in the future in the United States and Mexico.

• Health Professionals & Medical Practitioners.
• Social Workers & Counselors.
• Holistic Health Practitioners.
• Educators, Researchers & Authors.
• Community Artists and Practicioners of Healing Arts.
• Members of the General Community.

1. Course 1: Curanderismo: The Art of Traditional Mexican Healing (Offered every Fall semester).
2. Course 2: Curanderismo: Global Perspectives of Traditional Healing (Offered every Spring semester).
3. Course 3: Curanderismo: Traditional Medicine without Borders (Offered every Summer term).

• Understand Ancestral Healing Practices: Explain how our ancestors used traditional healing methods in everyday life to treat and diminish various ailments across Hispanic and Indigenous communities in the Americas.
• Recognize Traditional Healing Modalities & Rituals: Gain knowledge of specific healing techniques and rituals, including:
  • Hands-on traditional massages for intestinal blockage (empacho).
  • Spiritual and energetic cleansings (limpias).
  • The Temazcal (Mexican Sweat Lodge)
  • Shawl alignments (manteadas).
  • Fire cupping (ventosas).
  • Preparation of medicinal teas, tinctures, and micro-dosages.
• Grasp Historical Usage of Traditional Healing in Diverse Communities: Develop a foundational understanding of Curanderismo and its historical applications for addressing illness of the body, mind and spirit throughout culturally, linguistically and spiritually diverse communities.
• Analyze Global Traditions & Integrative Health Systems: Examine the cross-cultural and global traditions that historically inform and continue to shape Curanderismo today and analyze the contemporary integrative health models that synthesize traditional healing modalities with conventional medical practices, preparing learners to appraise culturally responsive, patient-centered healthcare frameworks that advance health equity and community well-being.