Massage Therapy Certificate

Important Information

Semester Sequence

Click on the Day Program or Evening Program to see the recommended schedule, or sequence of courses.

• Day Program   
• Evening Program   

Courses Needed for This Program*

Total Number of Credits Required for Certificate: 35*

Notes

*Credit students who are new to college (no successfully completed transferable college credits from other institutions) are required to take ACDV 101 - Academic Development: Transitioning to College . This 1-credit course is designed to be taken in the first semester at CCBC. Students must provide an official transcript(s) from an accredited institution to document successful completion of college coursework for the ACDV 101 requirement to be waived.

Note: The state of Maryland recognizes two different levels of massage therapy practitioners, Licensed and Registered. A Licensed Massage Therapist must have completed 60 credit hours of college course work (24 of these must be in health or biological sciences), a minimum of 600 hours of massage therapy education at an approved/accredited school, provide proof of passing the MBLEx examination, and pass the Maryland massage therapy jurisprudence examination. Licensed Massage Therapists may practice in all related business settings including health care. A Registered Massage Practitioner must meet all of the requirements of the Licensed Massage Therapist with the exception of 60 credit hours. Since Registered Massage Practitioners do not have the 60 credit hours, they may not practice in any health care setting but may practice in all related business settings.

Program Description

The certificate option is designed for students actively registered in the Associate of Applied Science Massage degree program. This allows the degree-seeking student flexibility to complete their core massage course work and gain professional experience in the field while completing the requirements for the Associate of Applied Science degree. Those individuals who are not currently interested in an associate degree, but who wish to enter the massage therapy profession, can seek this option. Upon completion of the certificate program, the successful individual will be prepared to apply for the MBLEx examination and Maryland State licensure examination. Once the graduate has passed the examinations, they will then be eligible to use the designation of Registered Massage Practitioner (RMP).

The massage program courses are only offered on the Essex campus.

School of Health Professions Policies

Students in the School of Health Professions are expected to conduct themselves according to an honor code; exhibit professional behavior; communicate effectively in English; provide proof of health insurance, immunizations, and a tuberculosis (TB) test; and submit to a criminal background check and random drug testing. Students are expected to pay the costs associated with these requirements.

Admission

Effective January 5, 2015, applications for all School of Health Professions programs, except Dental Hygiene and Physician Assistant, are processed in a new Central Application Service called CCBC CAS. The link to the CAS and the application instructions are located in the program admissions packet at the School of Health Professions website. You will need a CCBC student ID number and a CCBC student account password to complete the application. If you have questions about the CCBC CAS process, contact the School of Health Professions Admissions Office at (443) 840-1989 or read the FAQ selections at the bottom of each page inside the CAS application.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this certificate, students will be able to:

1. fully comprehend and utilize knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and musculoskeletal kinesiology in the application of massage therapy;
2. locate, analyze, assess and apply current outcome-based research in massage therapy; 
3. provide a full body massage using a variety of techniques including Relaxation, Deep Tissue and Myofascial Massage;
4. identify and understand client pathologies and health conditions, cautions and contraindications to massage, and appropriate massage techniques for each individual; 
5. use a deductive reasoning process to assess, set goals, plan appropriate massage approaches and evaluate outcomes for each client; 
6. create a therapeutic relationship, maintain boundaries, provide a supportive environment for their clients, and effectively communicate with clients and professionals using appropriate written and verbal skills including documentation/maintenance of client records;
7. develop successful and ethical business, accounting and marketing plans for their practice; and 
8. take and pass National Certification Exams, become a Maryland State Licensed Massage Therapist and work as a professional Massage Therapist in the setting of their choice including spas and salons and private practice but excluding allied health, integrative medicine teams, and wellness centers.

Other

Students who have successfully completed college level work at other institutions may be eligible to transfer in any courses which they have already taken which meet program requirements. Details of the CCBC transfer policy are located in the Admissions section  of the college catalog. Transfer students must meet with either the Academic Advisor for School of Health Professions students, or the Director of the Massage Therapy program, to determine possible transfer credit, course waivers and substitutions.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

http://www.ccbcmd.edu/migrate/gainfulemployment/massage therapy.html