3 Things to Consider When Choosing a School of Massage Therapy

It seems that all things natural - as far as the environment and the body are concerned -- are hot right now. Massage therapy is no different. It is growing by leaps and bounds in popularity. If you want to jump on the bandwagon of this exciting career, following are three things to consider when choosing a school of massage therapy.

Certification: Ensure that the institution you're considering is recognized by state and other educational authorities. This usually means making sure that it is accredited.

This cannot be stressed enough when choosing a school of massage therapy, for it will impact your employment opportunities upon completion.

Massage therapy training varies state by state and institution by institution. For this reason, many states won't accept training that was done in another state. You compound this problem if you don't attend an accredited institution, which can greatly enhance the likelihood of your training being accepted by other states.

How do you find out if an institution is accredited? There are a number of ways. You can: (i) go online and do some research; (ii) ask school officials; and (iii) check with the Better Business Bureau. In this way, you don't want valuable time and money considering with non-certified institutions.

Tuition: It's a fact of life that many of us are limited in our educational choices based on the cost. Choosing a school of massage therapy is no different. However, student-focused institutions offer a wide variety of financial aid packages to help students afford it.

Look for schools that offer flexible payment programs, federal loan programs, scholarships, and/or work exchange programs. The more financial aid options a school offers, the better chance you have of finding one to fit your needs.

Specialization: Just like other disciplines, when choosing a massage therapy school, seek institutions that specialize in their educational offerings.

In the case of massage therapy, a school that is primarily a healthcare educational provider would be ideal. This way, you get the benefit of the best instructors who tend to be specialists in their field, which is probably what attracted them to that school in the first place.