Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy

Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy

The Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy Ltd. (OVCMT) is located in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, Vernon, British Columbia. We offer a massage program with a variety of options designed to meet your career needs.

The three-year massage program meets the standards established in British Columbia to write the Board exams to become a Registered Massage Therapist. By completing the first two years of the massage program, you will meet the education standards to practice massage in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The two year diploma may not meet the educational standards for Ontario and Newfoundland/Labrador.

Upon completion of the first year students are qualified to work in the spa industry, as certified spa practitioners. We also accept transfer students into our program, acknowledging previous massage education.

OVCMT has designed a massage program that allows you to choose three exit options within our educational plan. The full three-year massage program meets the standards established in British Columbia and has been designed to prepare students to successfully meet the requirements set by the College of Massage Therapists of B.C. Graduates from the three-year program can receive up to 90 credits towards a 120 credit Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc) degree at Thompson Rivers University.

The Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy works closely with the College of Massage Therapists of B.C. to refine and implement the 3000-hour curriculum that was introduced in 1996. Minor adaptations may occur throughout the program. However, the core content and the spirit of education described in this calendar remain constant. We are committed to continual improvement of our learning environment to best facilitate the development of skills essential for massage therapists.

Upon completion of the first year students are eligible for entry into the spa industry as certified spa practitioners. Graduates will have skill sets that match the spa industry's needs, and that are very much in demand. If at some time career aspirations change, spa practitioner graduates can return to the second year of the massage program provided the required academic standards have been met.

As the spa profession progresses, new techniques will be presented and old ones refined. We will present these current trends as determined by the spa industry.

Three-Year Program Themes

Integration

At every opportunity, all course materials are integrated to make them understandable and functional from a practitioner's perspective. Opportunities to work with the public are added to the daily classes as student skill and knowledge levels develop.

Communication

We recognize the communication challenges that can present themselves in a small college environment, within a professional client/practitioner relationship and in everyday life. Communication and ethics classes begin in the first week. The Communication Model that we present is practiced from the beginning of the program to the final farewells.

Professionalism

We feel that professionalism is a key element of a comprehensive massage education. To reflect this there will be course content on professionalism each term. This is a pass/fail component and is unique in that all instructors participate in the grading. The evaluation is based on students' professionalism in all courses.

Options for Credentials

One-Year Certificate

In the One-Year Spa Practitioner Certificate training, students learn to be knowledgeable about specific applications and contraindications, and therefore elevate the level of service provided to the public. Graduates will have a skill set that matches the spa industry's needs, and is very much in demand. This program also allows students to return to the second year of a massage program if career aspirations change.

Two-Year Diploma

This program has been designed to prepare students to successfully meet the requirements set by most of the Canadian Provinces. As stated above, by completing the first two years of the massage program, you will meet the education standards to practice massage in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The two-year diploma may not meet the educational standards for Ontario and Newfoundland/Labrador.

Three-Year Diploma

This program has been designed to prepare students to successfully meet the requirements set by the College of Massage Therapists of B.C. We are committed to continual improvement of our learning environment to best facilitate the development of skills essential for massage therapists. Minor adaptations may occur throughout the program, however the core content and the spirit of education described in this calendar remain constant.

Contact Us Today!

If you are interested in any of our programs and would like to find out more, please Request Information.