Many people have different reasons for taking a massage course. Some go to a school of massage just to learn massage techniques for personal application while many others see it as a career opportunity. Even a school of massage varies nowadays. Some only offer on-campus training while others provide distance learning or online curriculum. If you are one who is interested in taking up a massage course, whatever your reason maybe and whether you choose to study the traditional way or by online courses, these are the things you can expect to have and experience once you start to learn massage.
Common Subjects
You will be taught the basics of anatomy, physiology, pathology and kinesiology. These subjects are covered before you will be taught the techniques proper. This is to equip you with enough knowledge about your subjects before you handle them. Ethics, business and self-care practices are also covered. These are essential in taking care of your customers and your business in the future.
Curriculum Coverage
Your curriculum would really depend on your choice of massage courses. But more often than not, you will be taught several basic and common massages administered in most health clinics plus your choice of massage to specialise in. Reflexology, Swedish and Shiatsu massage are the most common. Whats good to know is that these three types of massages are also still very much in demand anywhere in the world. You can then choose to specialise in remedial massage, sports massage, Thai massage, deep tissue massage and many others. Most schools also offer a Bachelors degree in Health Science or a certificate IV in therapy practice where you can learn all types of massages.
Massage Classes and Training
Whether you learn massage online or go to the regular classes in your choice of school of massage, you will still take classes, submit assignments and interact with your teachers and fellow students until you complete your massage course. For online learning, your common means of communication with your teachers will be via chat and email for submission of assignments. Take advantage of this, since your teachers and trainers are all certified massage therapists and are experts in their fields. Your training does not end just after learning the videos or participating in classroom activities. Practical application is required, usually about 100-200 hours, before you can be granted a certification and accreditation. Just like other school courses, you need to go through an internship or on-the-job training. This is the best time to gauge your skills since you can and you need to apply the massage techniques to real people now.
Funding Assistance
A short massage course or the full certification course is quite costly but once you are certified, there are a lot of opportunities for moving up. The best thing about all schools is that they provide funding assistance to qualified students. You can expect to have several options for financial help as long as you are eligible.