Massage Therapy College Program

A massage therapy career can lead to employment in spas, fitness centers, physicians’ office and other health related industries. Many massage therapists become self-employed setting their own hours and charging their own fees. Employment opportunities in massage therapy are expected to grow as the U.S. population becomes older and more people become aware of therapy as a health benefit.

Massage therapy can be described as the practice of pressing, rubbing or manipulating the muscles and soft tissue to boost the flow of blood and oxygen for the purpose of relaxing and decreasing pain. To be successful in

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this career, therapists should study anatomy and physiology, medical ethics, injuries, business, the muscular & skeletal system, various therapy applications and massage techniques among other college courses.

Self-employed massage therapists consist of the largest group in this career field. Therapists who own their own therapy business must know how to attract and keep customers, manage schedules, set fees and most notably, provide a good massage. They should also know different types of therapy and types of injuries to attract more clientele. As with many careers, education and experience are the keys to success.

Massage Therapy State Certification

Certification varies from state to state with a minority states not requiring certification so those seeking a massage therapy career in another state must contact their state’s health department for more information.

To be licensed in South Carolina the candidate must have a high school diploma or graduate equivalency and be eighteen years old. They must also have finished a five hundred hour program at an approved massage therapy school and passed an approved exam. For complete details, please visit the South Carolina Massage Bodywork Panel page of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

To become certified in the State of Virginia, the candidate must provide a transcript of their massage therapy college program directly from the school they attended to the Virginia Board of Nursing and must provide verification of having successfully passing the national certification exam. If applying for provisional certification, they must provide a copy of the eligibility letter from the national certifying agency.

Licensure as a massage therapist in Florida is slightly different. To become certified in the State of Florida, candidates must be 18 or older, or have a high school diploma or equivalent graduate diploma. They must also have completed a college program of study at a Florida Board of Massage approved school or Florida Board approved apprenticeship program.

Another requirement for certification in Florida is the candidate must pass the National Certification Examination and complete a two-hour course on medical error prevention. Additional requirements for Florida massage therapy certification are they must submit an application and fee to the Board.

If you would like to learn more about a career in massage therapy and our school, please select your city above. Our school offers this program in the cities of Virginia Beach, Richmond, Newport News, Chesapeake, Washington D.C. Metro, Charleston and Orlando. For faster service, call us at the phone number indicated by the city. You are under no obligation and a career college specialist will be standing by to assist you.