 Becoming a Massage Therapist?! Great! Get ready to love guitar strumming, nature sounds, and singing bowls for 6 hours a day. Only joking. Massage Therapy is an incredibly rewarding career – you get to help people with their aches and pains, musculoskeletal dysfunctions, reduce their stress, improve their health, all in an incredibly flexible job. Here is an outline of things you can expect on the road to becoming a Massage Therapist in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Remember to do your own research and confirm information, things are always changing and evolving. How to Become a Registered Massage Therapist 1. Get your High School Diploma – all massage therapy colleges require your diploma. No program requires specific high school prerequisites. Post-secondary credits can also be transferred to massage college and reduce your course load in some cases. 2. Figure out funding to pay tuition for college. All of the colleges are applicable for Manitoba/Canada Student Aid and some colleges offer flexible payment plans. View the 4 Winnipeg massage therapy college options below and contact each one to find the right fit for you. 3. Spend 2 years / 20 months / 2200 hours completing massage college. That’s a pretty fast process to a career if you think about it! Drink coffee, get some sleep, practice your techniques on friends and family, then ace the final exam. Passing rate is very high for massage college, but most who aren’t ready for college leave the program within the first year. 4. Congrats! You graduated! Now you need to decide on which massage association you would like to pay for and represent you (no, MTAM is not the only association!). Don’t forget they also provide your liability insurance so read the fine print. 5. Maintain your license by recertifying your CPR & First Aid, and expanding your knowledge through massage therapy workshops. Winnipeg Massage Therapy College Options Probably the most important factor in your future as a massage therapist is your education. To practice as an RMT you need to graduate from a 2200 hour, 2 year, college program. Currently in Winnipeg there are 4 massage colleges you may graduate from. I don’t want to provide much opinion here so I’ll stick to the facts and provide public opinion on each college based on online reviews. Ranked in order of Google reviews:
Evolve College of Massage Therapy 4.9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 45 Google Reviews Location: 1445 Portage Ave. Next to Polo Park Shopping Centre, 10 minutes from downtown Winnipeg. Tuition for 2021: Year One: $12,772.44 Year Two: $11,705.00 Total: $24,477.44 Distance/Part-Time Program: Yes - limited spaces. 3 year part-time program: 1st & 2nd year part-time, 3rd year full-time. 4 year part-time program: 4 years part-time. Admission Requirements: 18 years old, High School Diploma, no specific prerequisite courses. Class Schedule: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm, with some days that are from 1:00pm to 7:00pm. Clinic is Wednesday or Thursday, afternoon or evening. Basic Massage Certificate: No, only 2 year RMT program. Parking: $35.00/month at the Clarion Hotel parkade. Uniqueness: Started 20 years ago as the Massage Therapy College of Manitoba. Recently rebranded and in a new and modern facility. Small class sizes with instructors that have many impressive qualifications.
Robertson College 4.7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 200 Google Reviews (for the entire college, not only the massage program) Location: 180 Main St. Downtown Winnipeg, across from The Forks. Tuition for 2021: Year One: $10961.00 Year Two: $9827.30 Total: $20788.30 Distance/Part-Time Program: No – Brandon Campus massage program closed. Admission Requirements: High School Diploma, no specific prerequisite courses. Class Schedule: Monday to Friday, Clinic is Monday or Thursday afternoons or evenings. Basic Massage Certificate: No, only 2 year RMT program. Parking: limited to local downtown paid parking. Uniqueness: Offers a blend of science-based and professional integrity classes. Some courses available online. Unique location in the bustling heart of downtown Winnipeg – lots of food, gyms, and cafés nearby.
Wellington College of Remedial Massage Therapy 4.1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 22 Google Reviews Location: 435 Berry St. 10 block from Polo Park Shopping Centre, 13 minutes from downtown Winnipeg. Tuition for 2021: Year One: $12364.27 Year Two: $10961.31 Total: $ 23,325.58 Distance/Part-Time Program: Yes - 3 year part-time distance program. Weekend seminars and student clinic in Winnipeg part-time. Admission Requirements: parent/guardian approval if under 18 years old, High School Diploma, no specific prerequisite courses. Class Schedule: Monday to Thursday, 8:15am to 4:20pm, mid-August to June. Student clinic once a week in the evening. Basic Massage Certificate: Yes – 1 year unregistered massage therapist diploma. Parking: free local street parking on suburban streets. Closest street parking has time limits. Uniqueness: Long history in Manitoba including being the first registered vocational school for massage in Manitoba. Two college leaders are trained in Osteopathy and share this knowledge in the program.
Hua Xia Acupuncture, Massage, Herb College 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2 Google Reviews Location: 2810 Pembina Hwy. 20mins from downtown Winnipeg in Fort Richmond. Tuition for 2021: Year One: $11938.00 Year Two: $11714.00 Total: $23652.00 Distance/Part-Time Program: no information. Admission Requirements: High School Diploma, no specific prerequisite courses. Class Schedule: Monday to Friday daytime classes. Basic Massage Certificate: No, only 2 year RMT program. Parking: free local street parking on suburban streets. Uniqueness: Smallest class sizes out of all four colleges. Some course instructors are trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Massage. It’s no easy task to choose the right college, just know that you have the ability to shape and create the career you want once you have graduated.
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1 Comment
11/25/2022 11:35:31 am
Hey Jonathan, I came across this article and thought it was really helpful for you to put together a guide for those thinking of becoming a massage therapist! Leave a Reply. |
Jonathan Diotte
Owner of Mint Massage and Registered Massage Therapist ArchivesCategories |
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