Sanford-Brown Institute - Ft. Lauderdale

Diploma in Massage Therapy

The Massage Therapy program at Sanford-Brown Institute - Ft. Lauderdale (SBI) provides students with instruction in both practical and theoretical massage, anatomy, physiology, pathology, ethics, clinical practice, and hygiene. The program offers training in therapeutic massage principles, hydrotherapy and allied therapeutic modalities, including massage techniques, the external application of water, heat, cold, topical preparations, and mechanical devices. The core curriculum is structured to include a lecture component and a clinical component. The final externship portion of the curriculum consists of supervised experiences in a clinical environment, which requires competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student. At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and their externship, studied, and practiced their skills should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as massage therapists.

Graduates of the program are eligible for and encouraged to take National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) certification exam. This credential is a nationally recognized certification that could enhance employment opportunities, and may be required to practice in a particular state. Certification requirements for taking and passing this examination are not controlled by SBI but by outside agencies and are subject to change without notice. SBI cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take this certification exam at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

State Licensure Information

The state of Florida requires massage therapists be licensed in order to practice in the state. Passage of the NCBTMB certification exam is one of the requirements for state licensure. SBI does not control state licensure in Florida or in any other state, and cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to work as massage therapists in Florida or any other state, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

To work in the health care industry, professionals need the skills necessary to work under a variety of supervisors. In support of developing such skills, Sanford-Brown Institute believes that it is important for each student to be exposed to a variety of teaching styles and to learn to succeed and advance under the supervision of different instructors. Therefore, students will typically, but not always, be taught by more than one instructor during their program of study.

Accreditation/Certification Information Disclosure

Accreditation is a voluntary process which may be undertaken by schools to demonstrate compliance with specific standards designed to indicate a level of education quality. SBI is institutionally accredited (accredited in total) by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (DOE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This indicates that SBI substantially meets or exceeds the stated criteria of education quality established by ACICS, and approved by the DOE and CHEA. This recognition of institutional accreditation by ACICS entitles SBI to offer Title IV Financial Assistance to students who qualify.

An additional form of accreditation that a school may undertake to obtain is a specific, individual accreditation of certain programs (programmatic accreditation). Institutional accreditation is not the same as or a substitution for programmatic accreditation. Although programmatic accreditation is not required for employment in many cases, the existence of programmatic accreditation is a further indication that a program meets the standards of the profession, and may therefore indirectly enhance employment opportunities. Also, in some cases, programmatic accreditation will allow the graduates of the accredited program to sit for some credentialing exams immediately upon graduation without any requirement of work experience.

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

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