Online Massage Therapy Schools

Online massage therapy schools offer a way to receive some of the education required to become a massage therapist from the comfort of your home. You can complete the classes on your own schedule and at your own pace and save money by avoiding childcare and commuting expenses.

Online massage therapy courses provide the education you need in areas such as anatomy, physiology, business, and ethics. The courses can even use video to teach you massage techniques. However, the online education option does not provide you with supervised hours doing massage, a requirement to become a massage therapist in many states, so you will still need to arrange this part of your massage education. Some schools that offer massage education online also offer the opportunity to travel to their location for the hands-on part of the training.

The most important consideration in choosing an online massage therapy school is that most states have massage laws with specific requirements for you to be licensed or certified to practice massage in that state. If you are enrolling in a massage school in your state, the school knows what's required, but if you are enrolling in a distance learning program from another state, you must make sure that the program will qualify you to practice massage in your state.

Most states that license massage require that you pass a written exam. Some states use their own exams, but many states use the exam given by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). So, one question to ask an online massage therapy school is if it prepares you to take your state exam or the NCBTMB exam.

Online Massage Courses

If you do enroll in an online massage therapy school, you usually receive both hard-copy course materials in the mail and online course materials that include written material and videos. Typically, you will go through a lesson, a reading assignment, and practice exercises followed by an online quiz.

Some programs offer online student support, including e-mail, live chats, and discussion forums.

Many schools found online have both online programs and programs at the school's location. Read all the massage program information carefully to understand what the school is offering.

Choosing an Online Massage Therapy School

As mentioned, the most important consideration in choosing an online massage therapy program is that it meet the requirements of the state where you want to practice massage. Beyond that consideration, you may want to ask the following questions:

• Exactly what material does the course cover?
• Is the school accredited?
• What are the qualifications of the course developer or instructor?
• What type of support do you receive?
• Does the school offer an option for receiving supervised clinical hours or will the school help find an opportunity for receiving supervised clinical hours?

Although the hands-on aspects of massage may mean that you need more than an online education, online massage therapy schools do give you the opportunity to do the book learning at home, which may make it easier for you to get started toward a career as a massage therapist.

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