Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are working towards statutory state regulation (SSR) and each is at a slightly different stage. In both cases, the government requires initial self-regulation as a preliminary phase before acts of parliament can be passed.

A graduate of the College's acupuncture degree course enters a profession that has been creating its own regulation and its own structure for over thirty years. There are currently over 2,800 acupuncture practitioners belonging to the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). The Council, along with another body called the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board (BAAB), has set ethical, safety and education standards for acupuncturists.

A House of Lords report published in 2000 recommended that acupuncture and herbal medicine should be fast-tracked towards statutory regulation. State regulation of acupuncture will be a major step forward, and it is expected to take place in the next few years. The profession will come under the umbrella of the Health Professions Council (HPC). In order to prepare for regulation the Department of Health is working with the acupuncture and herb professions to establish a system that will safeguard the public interest.

The College is fully committed to the accreditation process under the auspices of the BAAB. The BSc Honours Acupuncture degree was re-accredited by the BAAB from July 2004 for a period of five years, for intakes up to and including the academic years 2008-09. This means that students are eligible to join the BAcC when they graduate.