How to Choose a Massage Therapy School

Searching for the best schools for massage therapy can be a difficult task. The right massage school can be hard to find. There are so many options, and not all are created equal. As a prospective student, you’re planning on making a significant investment in money, time, and effort. Not to mention you’re taking some of the first steps into a new career. If you want to find the best schools with a massage therapy program, you want to choose a school that makes this transition as easy as possible, gives you the best training, and helps you deal with common obstacles and pitfalls. We know it’s not easy and it can be pretty stressful. So, we’ve put together this list to help you choose the right massage school for you.

Find an accredited massage school

Make sure the massage therapy school is part of a good association.

This is so important when choosing a massage school, but it often goes overlooked. If you want to know if a teaching staff meets industry standards or if the massage course you’re looking at is up to par, check out the school’s association.

For example the Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes (FQM), consistently audits their affiliate schools to keep their standards as high as possible.

For you, the future massage therapist, this can mean the difference between needing 415 hours of training vs. 1000 hours of training before being certified and recognized by insurance companies.

In the end, choosing a school that’s affiliated with a good association like the FQM can make your entry into the massage therapy world a whole lot quicker.

Check if courses fit your schedule

When researching massage schools, always ask, “does this school have scheduling options that meet my needs?” If you need to study part-time, do so. If you want to take an accelerated path, go for it. Just make sure the school you choose is set up with multiple scheduling options so that you get what you need.

Another critical point here is ‘make-up’ classes. The reality is that things happen. We get sick, emergencies arise, and we miss class. Make sure to ask the massage school you’re talking with what their policy is for making up classes.

In our Swedish massage course, for example, when students miss a class, they are easily able to make up for it by joining another group for that class. Our massage therapy training programs are very flexible in terms of scheduling!

Meet or speak with administrators

A massage school’s administration is there to facilitate your learning. So make sure that the school you choose has an administration that is available, approachable, and reliable.

Do they respond quickly to your emails? Are they able to answer your questions and address your concerns?

Make sure you feel comfortable with the administration and that you get the feeling that they’re there for you even before you’ve enrolled in any massage courses.

Like any other institution, a school for massage therapy has a culture that is influenced by its administration. You may get a feel of the standards, atmosphere, and instruction provided in a massage therapy school by paying attention to the programme directors.

Consider tuition and payment plans

If you need a payment plan, make sure you choose a school that makes that as easy as possible, without forcing you to pay more than necessary. At IKRA Academy, we understand that a payment plan can be the very thing that makes it possible for a student to start studying massage therapy. This is why we give our students the option to spread their payments out over the course of their studies, with no interest charges or other fees.

We pride ourselves on doing all we can for our students. We’re here to help you pursue your goals, and we believe this should be every massage school’s policy.

Check the qualification of instructors

A massage school depends on the competency, skill, and experience of its teachers. As a new student, you want to ensure that the teachers are adequately trained, certified, and meet industry standards.

But this is just the minimum requirement. Beyond technical ability, the best teachers are passionate about their subject, engaging, and present enough to meet each individual student’s needs. At IKRA Academy, we pride ourselves on our incredible teaching staff.

Teaching massage does not need teacher training. Unfortunately, the quality of instruction can vary greatly depending on the teacher’s backgrounds and credentials. When considering a massage school to study at, inquire about the credentials that the institution requires of its professors. You may also inquire about the types of continuous training that are provided or necessary for professors. Schools that encourage faculty professional growth show a genuine dedication to lifelong learning and are more likely to give students the most up-to-date theoretical, practical, scientific, and ethical underpinnings of massage-based therapy.

Read reviews from former students

It is beneficial to look up evaluations of the massage therapy programmes offered by the institution you want to attend on different professional platforms (such as Google Business) and social media. You can get unbiased opinions and information on the school’s teaching, learning environment, and graduate success rate. At IKRA Academy, we are proud that we have over seventy 5-star reviews on Google from satisfied students!

We are proud and delighted that so many IKRA student testimonials indicate how so many of our students not only enjoy the courses, but also are able to start a wonderful new career in massage therapy.

Visit the campus

You’ll be spending a lot of time at the massage school you choose. Which is why we highly recommend seeing the space before paying your deposit.

The moment you step into the space, you’ll get a chance to meet the administration, see the manuals and the books, and get a vibe for the place. Trust your intuition and you’ll know if it’s the right massage school for you.

In the end, you can have all the facts you like, but only once you visit the space will you be able to feel if it’s the right place for you.

IKRA Academy of Massage Therapy is an accredited massage school

Finally, you must enroll in a highly professional institution that will assist you in establishing a positive reputation in the industry. Here at IKRA Academy of Massage Therapy, we believe in a comprehensive approach that enables students to learn, grow and discover in a positive and friendly atmosphere. Check out our amazing massage programs. Good Luck!

If you are still weighing out the pros and cons of signing up for massage therapy training courses, read about why you should get started in massage therapy.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. Our team of academic advisors will be pleased to help you:

IKRA Académie de massothérapie
514-507-7399
info@ikramassage.com