How long does it take to complete a massage therapy training program? Read on to learn about the different types of licensed massage therapist (LMT) programs and how long they take to complete at schools across the U.S.
How Long Is Training On Average?
It takes between 8 and 9 months to complete most of the massage therapy certificate training or diploma programs we researched. We used a sample of massage schools listed on this website so you’d have some real examples, not just approximations. There are some programs that may take as few as 5 months and others could be up to 2 years long, but those are not average.
Example Massage Therapy School Programs
These are real examples of massage therapy schools listed on this website.
Minnesota School of Cosmetology - “As little as 5 months” (700 clock hours).
Arizona School of Integrative Studies - 26 week certification training (6 months).
Arizona College - 8 month massage therapy certificate program, “approximately 35 weeks.”
Centura College - 8 month diploma program (24 total credit hours).
Southeastern Institute - 8 month certificate in clinical massage program, 16 months part-time.
Carrington College - 8-9 month massage therapy certificate of completion. 34 credit hours.
Altierus Career College - 9 month diploma program, 780 contact hours, 56 credits.
Berks Technical Institute - 9 month diploma program, 710 total clock hours.
Center for Natural Wellness - 9 month full-time program, 14 month part-time morning program.
Fortis - 300+ to 1,000 clock hours depending on your state requirements.
McCann School of Business & Technology - 9 month diploma program
Swedish Institute - 20 months full-time program, 64 semester credit hours.
The above-noted program lengths are taken from the official school materials or website.
How Long To Earn An Associate Degree?
There are some schools who offer programs such as the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Massage Therapy. These programs take 2 years to complete and will include all your general education courses as well as your massage therapy-related curriculum. Diploma and certification training programs will include only massage therapy-related classes.
Since the amount of training you need to become licensed depends on the state you’ll be practicing in, the massage therapist program you take may be longer or shorter than those listed above.
Find a local massage therapy school now.
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