Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Aromatherapy Certification FAQs
These certification FAQs supplement the information provided by Instructor Cynthia McMullen in the “About Certification” file that is part of the Essential Oil Course Series Overview. You can enroll for free in the Overview at the following link to view the file:
Certification Course Costs
Q: The school site says that the courses in the Essential Oil Series are being offered at a discounted price at this time but that the prices will go up in the future. If a person is enrolled in a course now and intends to complete the entire series, will he/she be able to pay the discounted price for each course until finished, or will he/she need to pay for the entire series in full before the prices are raised?
A: Instructor Cynthia McMullen will make a special announcement to everyone who is enrolled in one or more courses before any prices are raised. It means a lot to her to have students going through the courses before the entire series is available online, so she wants to take extra good care of everyone.
Certification Information
Q1: Will I be able to say that I am a Certified Aromatherapist after I complete the series?
A1: Yes, you will be able to list Certified Aromatherapist (CA) (CAT) in your credentials.
Q2: Will this certificate allow me to work as an Aromatherapist in any state?
A2: Aromatherapy is not regulated in the United States at this time, so certification is not required by law. However, if you plan to practice as an Aromatherapist in some way, it is highly recommended that you be certified for both insurance and professional purposes. Yes, this certification will serve that purpose in the United States.
Q3: Will this certification be recognized nationally or in all 50 states, even though there is technically no regulation on aromatherapy?
A3: Our school, Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy, is an authorized school for Postsecondary Education. This is generally recognized across the United States. The certification shows that you successfully achieved recognized education in essential oils, which gives substance to your knowledge in using them in any state.
Q4: Is the certification recognized by any national organizations?
A4: The certification recognizes that you have met the requirements set by Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy to be considered knowledgeable, safe, and proficient in using essential oils. Alaska Institute is an authorized school for Postsecondary Education and an authorized provider of continuing education units (CEUs) through NCBTMB. It is up to each national organization as to what certifications they will recognize or not, so we cannot speak for others. If there is a specific organization that you are working with or applying to, Instructor Cynthia McMullen would be happy to send them an overview for their consideration.
Q5: How long will it take to learn everything necessary to complete the Aromatherapist certification?
A5: The 12-part certification series is designed to take up to one month per course, so the entire series could be completed within one year. If your schedule allows, you could go through the courses more quickly. It takes about 2 hours to go through the material for each course, plus additional time to actually play around with the information and complete the homework. The homework for each course takes the place of a formal test at the end.
Q6: Are there any case study or research paper requirements to obtain certification?
A6: Each course has homework that does require you to actually use the information and do a brief write-up about it to show what you did and how you did it. Instructor Cynthia McMullen wants to ensure that each certification student has real hands-on experience in properly applying the information in some way as opposed to just reading about it and answering questions on a test. The homework shows that you actually used the essential oils in ways that give you excellent and relevant experience with them.
Q7: What are the requirements for certification?
A7: The requirements for certification are outlined in the “About Certification” file that is part of the Essential Oil Course Series Overview. You can enroll for free in the Overview at the following link to view the file:
Q8: I want to incorporate essential oils into the specialized teaching work that I do, but I don’t want to have to earn another degree. If I spend time learning about essential oils to enhance my teaching so my students can benefit from my knowledge about the oils, I want to publicize that knowledge with some kind of credential after my name. What would you suggest is the best route for doing that?
A8: You don't need another degree; however, if you want a professional credential, you should become a Certified Aromatherapist (CA) (CAT) through a reputable organization. This is what Alaska Institute's Essential Oil Course Series offers, and it does take time, effort, and education to earn the certification. However, it is well worth it if you plan to work with essential oils professionally. You may even develop many unique ways of using the oils in your teaching work.
Q9: How do I get started if I want to become a Certified Aromatherapist?
A9: To start, just enroll in one of the 12 courses. They are numbered EO 1, EO 2, EO 3, etc., so you can take them in the order that is suggested, but that isn’t required. You have the option of taking the courses in any order. There is homework for each course that you will need to complete if you want to become certified. You can upload the completed homework to the Dropbox link included in the course material or email it to Instructor Cynthia McMullen. When you finish all 12 courses plus the homework for each course, you will be eligible for certification. Once you are approved for certification, we will send you a certificate and also list you on our school Website as being certified.
General FAQs
Email Notifications
Q: How can I discontinue the automated reminder emails that I am receiving from the Alaska Institute course site?
A: You can sign into your account and find an option there to turn off email notifications. That has to be done by the students.
Emailing Homework
Q: Can I email my homework to you instead of using Dropbox?
A: Yes. Please clearly name your homework file (with your name and the course number) and email it to the following address: [email protected]
Refund Policy
Q: Do you have a refund policy?
A: Due to the nature of digital courses, we are unable to offer refunds except in the case of mistaken purchase.
Code CMCM
Q: I tried to use Code CMCM when ordering essential oils from White Sage Landing, but it didn't work. Is the code still good?
A: No, Code CMCM is no longer applicable, but unfortunately, we can't go back and remove it from all of the course material where it is mentioned.
Troubleshooting FAQs
Browser Problems
Q: I’m having trouble viewing some of the course materials. What can I do?
A: Different Web browsers handle PDF files and hyperlinks in different ways. Some browsers work better than others on the course site. If you are a MAC user and are not able to view full PDF file pages on the course screen, try switching to Google Chrome browser. You could also try switching to Mozilla Firefox. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are recommended for both MACs and Windows because they will open hyperlinks in new tabs (or new windows), allowing you to easily move back and forth between the course curriculum files and linked Web pages by simply clicking on the respective tabs. If you try the recommended browsers and continue to have problems, email us for assistance at the following address: [email protected]
Homework Problems
Q: I'm having trouble uploading my homework to Dropbox. Can I email it to you instead?
A: Yes. If Dropbox isn't working right for you, please clearly name your homework file (with your name and the course number) and email it to the following address: [email protected]
Video Problems
Q: What can I do if a course video doesn’t load or play correctly?
A: Try to reload the video by going back up to the previous course curriculum item and clicking on that. If it is a PDF file or text file, quickly scroll through that, click “NEXT” in the lower right corner of the screen, and then try to replay the problematic video. If the previous item is another video, see if that will load/play correctly, and then click “NEXT” to try the problematic video again. Problematic videos will almost always play correctly on a second try. If you continue to have problems, email us for assistance at the following address: [email protected]