Choosing the Right Massage Therapy College to Succeed In a Highly Competitive Job Market

Massage Therapists have become one of the most sought after health care professionals in the past few years. This increase in demand stems from the public’s growing interest in natural complementary medicine and doctors recognizing the benefits of this practice. To meet the demand, the educational system has also grown and set higher standards for its graduates. Amidst the many Massage Therapy Colleges nationwide, it becomes more difficult for students to choose the school that will best help them be successful in this highly competitive field.

Although the interest in using massage therapy as a method of natural healing is rather recent, the use of massage therapy as a form of healing dates back over 5,000 years. First incorporated into India’s traditional holistic medical system, Ayurveda, massage therapy has been practiced in numerous societies over millenniums. In the United States, massage therapy was first publically used to treat injured soldiers who suffered from nerve damage in World War I.

It is not until the late 20th century that massage therapy had gained the recognition of its benefits as a means of natural healing. As a result, more Massage Therapy Colleges were established and regulatory bodies began to accredit schools. The first college in the United States to award an independent massage therapy degree in therapeutic bodywork was New York College of Health Professions (1996).

New York College offers its students a 72-degree Massage Therapy Program and grants successful graduates an Associates Degree in Occupational Studies. Their program’s curriculum includes both European massage and Asian Bodywork, Western health sciences as well as Oriental anatomy and physiology. By studying both Western and Eastern medicine, students are best prepared for the competitive field of Massage Therapy. Students are also required to train in Yoga, T’ai Chi Chuan, and Qi Gong in order to better understand how their bodies function, enhancing their ability to diagnose and treat their patients. In order to receive real-life practice, students must practice at the College’s clinics that are open to the public at New York College’s main campus in Syosset, New York and at their midtown location in New York City.

A prospective Massage Therapy student should find a program which not only meets the requirements set by regulatory bodies, but exceeds them and prepares them to pass their licensing exam, as New York College of Health Professions does. As a convenience to their students, New York College has 3 locations in New York that are easily accessible by public transportation and car. They also offer part-time scheduling for students that have full-time jobs.