Choosing a Massage Therapy Education Program Choosing a massage therapy school is a very personal choice. For many prospective students, the choice involves complex trade-offs between massage program necessities and "nice to have" features. For instance, if massage therapy education is your first step on the path to a career change, you may need a program that has flexible hours and will accommodate your work and family obligations. Other important factors in your massage school selection may include location, cost of tuition, availability of financial aid, program accreditation and time to completion—just to name a few. You'll also want to consider whether a massage program will help you reach your career goals. Ask yourself what you wish to achieve in your massage therapy education. Then ask these questions to help you narrow your search: - Do I want my own practice?
- Do I want immediate employment in a spa, salon, gym or hospital?
- Do I want to practice massage for medicinal or recreational purposes?
- Who do I want to treat: athletes, the elderly, injured patients or the general public?
As you begin making important decisions about your massage therapy education, it's best if you can go to the school you are considering and meet the staff. Tour the facility to get a general feeling for how the school is run. What are the overall conditions? Does it seem like the kind of place where you'd be happy for the next seven to 12 months?  Questions for Massage Therapy Training Schools Here are some helpful interview questions: - Does the school assist in work placement?
- Is the school accredited?
- Does the school prepare you to get your massage therapist license and certification?
- Does the school specialize in a certain type of massage?
- Does the school document your course hours with the national certification board?
Massage Therapy Education: Time to Completion A full massage therapy education program that prepares you for the certification exam can be as little as 300 hours, plus an externship, for a total of up to 1,000 hours. The national certification exam requires 500 hours of coursework before you can take the exam. State regulations for massage therapy licensing may require more than 500 course hours. Whichever program you choose, you must complete the entire program before taking the exam. Completion of a full-time massage therapy training program can be done in 12 months or less. Massage Therapy Education Courses A school that focuses on preparation for the national exam will offer courses that fulfill the exam requirements. Below is a sample of courses you should expect to see in a massage therapy education program: - Anatomy and physiology
- Theory of massage
- Health values of massage
- Self care
- Hygiene
- Pathology
- Professional ethics
- Business and license procedure
- Contraindications and limitations
You will also learn various types of massage techniques, such as: - Chair massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Infant massage
- Shiatsu
- Sports massage
- Swedish massage
- Trigger point/Acupressure massage
Schools may also offer courses in specific holistic practices, such as: - Aromatherapy
- Reflexology
- Hydrotherapy
- Ayurveda
Massage therapy education programs should also be concerned with the amount of hours spent on each course in order to comply with exam requirements. They may keep a log of those hours for you and submit them to the National Certification Board of Massage Therapists and Bodyworkers prior to your taking the exam. Massage Therapy Education Accreditation Accreditation is a standard set by an accrediting organization that regulates a massage school's curriculum, training competency and financial standing. A school or program earns accreditation only if it meets the requirements of the accrediting body. Schools can be accredited separately from programs. In other words, an accredited school can offer a massage program that is not accredited. Accreditation becomes important if you wish to pursue further education, such as a physical therapy degree, and want to transfer credits from one institution to another. There are many different organizations that give accreditation to schools and programs. One popular accrediting body for massage programs is the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). COMTA is affiliated with American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and is dedicated to maintaining standards of excellence in massage schools nationwide. Accreditation is voluntary and is used to distinguish accredited schools or programs from those that choose not to meet the accrediting standards.  |
