Section 041-300-3 - Guidelines for Approval of Massage Therapy Education CurriculumThe following are guidelines for Department approval of the required 500 hour training course which is required for licensure as a massage therapist according to 32 MRSA §14306-D.
Applicants must, at a minimum, provide the following in order to be considered and approved by the Department.
A. Core curriculum. The curriculum must include a minimum of supervised 500 clock hours of classroom and clinical instruction.B. Curriculum content. The program curriculum must include at least the required subject matter described below and the hours allotted to each required area. The following are the minimum program elements that a curriculum must contain: 1. Human Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology (120 hours minimum);2. Massage Therapy Theory, Technique, and Practice which includes, but is not limited to the following: Gliding Strokes; Kneading; Direct Pressure; Deep Friction; Superficial Warming Techniques; Percussion; Compression (pumping); Vibration; Jostling; Shaking; Rocking;3. Contraindications, benefits, universal precautions, body mechanics, business, history, ethics, and legalities of massage and professional standards regarding draping and modesty; and4. A minimum of 100 hours of supervised hands-on practice.C. First Aid/CPR. Proof of current certification of completion of First Aid and CPR courses taught by an instructor certified by a nationally recognized organization. CPR or First Aid instruction hours may not be counted as part of the 500 minimum hours.D. Demonstration of course completion. The applicant must submit an official transcript of the massage therapy program. At a minimum, the official transcript must contain the student's name and address, the number of hours of classroom instruction completed in each subject, the name and address of the institution, date of admission and date of graduation.E. Submissions. If schools wish to seek pre-approval of courses or programs, the following documentation must be submitted: 1. A copy of the school's catalog or program curriculum or syllabus describing the minimum approved 500 hour massage courses as outlined in Sections 3(A), (B), and (C), the total hours for each course, the number of hours of lecture and practical instruction;2. If the course includes supervised hands-on practice, the school shall provide clear and concise information on how the supervised hands-on practice is integrated in the overall course; and3. A list of all faculty members and their credentials.02-041 C.M.R. ch. 300, § 3