You are also required to pass NCCAOM board exams to be licensed in New Jersey. Just to sit for the exams you must be enrolled in an accredited degree program. Later to receive your Dipl. of Acupuncture, or Diplomate of Oriental Medicine from the NCCAOM you must provide transcripts demonstrating graduation from the accredited program.(2)

1 -http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/laws/acuregs.pdf
2 -http://www.nccaom.org/applicants/eligibility.html

You should be aware that the CFI (Center For Inquiry) have just released a position paper on acupuncture. From the website:

“Proponents of acupuncture repeatedly make the unjustified claim that acupuncture is an efficacious and cost effective complement to conventional medicine. These claims rely on dubious and discredited research data. During the past ten years, however, an increasingly robust body of research has accumulated showing that acupuncture has no intrinsic clinical value. Despite mounting empirical evidence against it, however, acupuncture has become increasingly embedded within the American healthcare system, in part through government funding of integrative medical clinics.”
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/news/cfi_publishes_position_paper_criticizing_government_funding_of_acupuncture/

You can download the paper here, and all those who have an interest in acupuncture would be well advised to read it: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/uploads/attachments/Acupuncture_Final_Paper.pdf

Having said all that, a degree is better than a diploma any day. If I had to put my health into the hands of an acupuncturist, I’d be looking for the most qualified, and not someone who may take shortcuts.