Questions for Massage Schools
Question:
I am making a career change and have always interested in massage therapy.
I will be interviewing two massage therapy schools in my area - CHUBB Institute in North Brunswick, New Jersey and the CITTRONE Institute in Edison, New Jersey.
What necessary questions should I ask when meeting with these two schools?
Thank you
Answer:
This is a frequently asked question and a very important one when it comes to choosing the right school both for your career and so you can make your educational experience more enjoyable. First of all, you should decide what type of massage practice you would like to focus on - medical, therapeutic, sports-specific, pregnancy, spa treatments or a little of everything. Many massage therapy schools will focus on different aspects of massage therapy therefore the school you choose can have a definite affect what you learn.
Some important questions to ask are:
- What type of Massage techniques does this school focus on? (Some examples are Swedish, deep tissue, sports, relaxation, etc.).
- Is this massage therapy school accredited and recognized by the federal department of education?
- Does this school offer additional courses, weekend workshops, seminars or advanced training on site? (Some additional courses offered may be - sports massage, pregnancy, aromatherapy, stone massage etc.).
- How large are the classes (teacher to student ratio)?
- Enquire about the course curriculum? More specifically, how many hours do they dedicate to practical hands-on experience, clinic experience, and anatomy and physiology courses?
- Enquire about the teachers' experience, background and expertise?
- Ask them to show you some success rates for graduates at the national board exams?
- Ask for the statistics on the number of graduates who have procured employment in the massage therapy field?
In addition, you can also check out the Massage Therapy Mailbag , where you'll find more questions that will be of benefit to you in your search.
One thing I would highly recommend is becoming Nationally Certified in the United States . This certification can be a huge benefit if you ever decide to move from one state to another, as requirements differ vastly from state to state and holding a national certification will eliminate having to go back to school. However, before seeking employment in another state you should first check the requirements for that state through the local Massage Therapy Association, the government office or town hall.
Thanks and Good Luck!
Karin
