They will be given classes in complementary treatments - such as aromatherapy and acupuncture - as part of courses beginning next year.
It will form part of a new hair and beauty diploma which was among five new qualifications approved by Ofqual, the official examinations regulator.
Other diplomas in business and finance, environmental and land-based studies, hospitality and manufacturing were also given official clearance.
They will be taught to 14 to 19-year-olds in schools and colleges from September 2009.
This month, 20,000 teenagers will start studying the first five diplomas in subjects including media and engineering.
Diplomas will be worth up to three and a half A-levels, with ministers hinting they could eventually replace traditional qualifications altogether.
But critics claim they may lack academic rigour.
Under one of the new hair and beauty syllabuses, pupils will study a unit on "exploring the world of spas".
They will get the chance to outline the debates about the effectiveness of spa and complementary therapies. They should also compare "holistic and self-healing principles with complementary, alternative and orthodox medicine".
Other modules are focused on the beauty industry, including skin treatments, media portrayal of celebrities and marketing.
But David Colquhoun, professor of pharmacology at University College London, said complementary therapies had no place in schools.
"It is quite absurd to think that students on a course like this could have the knowledge and background to assess complementary therapies in a critical way," he said. "There is a serious question that is not being addressed by the government or Ofqual. To what extent is it sensible to offer qualifications in subjects that are dishonest? Hair dressing is an honest job. Pretending that you can cure diseases with baths and sugar pills is not. Ofqual will have to decide whether the quality it is meant to regulate is measured by the incomes of people who get the qualifications or the honesty of the job that they do."
Kathleen Tattersall, Ofqual chairman, said: "The design of these diplomas has met Ofqual's high standards. We will monitor them closely as they are delivered to make sure that learners get a fair deal and that standards are set appropriately."
