Master Massage

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Massage therapists held nearly 118,000 jobs in 2006 in the United States. About 64 percent were self-employed. Increased interest in alternative medicine and holistic healing will translate into new openings for those skilled in massage therapy.

Start a rewarding new career - Become a certified massage therapist in as little as 14 months!

The Master Massage Program offered at SWIHA is designed to far exceed the requirements for massage therapy training in all states in the USA (with the exception of New York). This program is one of the most exciting massage therapy programs in Arizona because you have so many choices.

With a career in therapeutic massage, the power to heal is in your hands. At SWIHA you will gain the knowledge and experience to excel in message therapy. Many students chose to start their own business, while others are employed by one of the many businesses looking for newly certified therapists.

• With a certification in Massage you can work in a variety of environments
• Hospitals
• Sports Clinics
• 5-Star Resorts
• Nursing Homes
• Fitness Centers
• Studios
• Private Offices
• And so much more!

What We Teach

Our 1000 hour Master Massage Program includes all of the core competencies required of a classically trained massage therapist, as well as the opportunity to incorporate two or three specialties, known as Certificates of Excellence, into this comprehensive program. This gives YOU an edge above other licensed massage therapists when applying for employment or starting a private practice.

This 1000 hour program has twice the number of hours required to apply to take the National Certification to become a Nationally Certified Therapeutic Massage Body-Worker. Many five-star resorts require 1000 hours of training in massage therapy to even be considered for employment.

Students who attend the Master Massage Program full-time may be completed in as little as 14 months, while earning up to 50 credits. Students who chose to attend part-time may complete the certification in 29 months.

Now you can see why we named this our Master Massage Program. We truly want to help you become a 'master' in the field of massage therapy and will we give you the tools to be just that!

Certificates of Excellence

• Aromatherapy - Therapeutic
• Chinese Shamanistic Medicine
• Cranial Unwinding
• Entrepreneur
• Holistic Nutrition Specialist
• Myofascial
• Polarity APP
• Polarity RPP (includes APP)
• Reflexology
• Reiki
• Spa Treatments
• Special Touch
• Spiritual Studies
• Therapeutic Imagery
• Therapeutic Myotherapy
• Tui Na
• Zen Shiatsu

Externship Requirement

Massage therapists licensed in the state of Arizona may use employment hours accumulated at their place of work to fulfill externship hours for the Master Massage Practitioner (1000-hour) Program if they meet the following prerequisites:

1. Graduate from a massage program from an accredited massage institution (copy of transcript/diploma required upon enrollment).
2. Hold a current massage license in the state of Arizona as a licensed massage therapist (copy of license required upon enrollment).
3. Non-SWIHA transfer: A student who has graduated from an institution other than SWIHA may transfer up to half of his/her massage program hours into the Master Massage Practitioner 1000-hour program (MT-1000) upon acceptance/approval of the program by the Director of Education.
4. SWIHA transfer: A graduate of SWIHA massage programs may transfer all of his/her massage program hours into the Master Massage Practitioner 1000-hour program (MT-1000).
5. Enroll in the Master Massage Practitioner 1000-hour program (MT-1000).
6. Work as a licensed massage therapist in a supervised facility. Privately-owned businesses by the individual and/or licensed massage therapists in an out-call business are not eligible.
7. Arrange externship site with the approval of the SWIHA Clinic Director. A written externship application must be submitted to Clinic Director regarding the reason why he or she is requesting supervised clinic hours off campus.
8. Students are evaluated throughout the experience with continuous feedback from their sponsors and co-workers. In addition, sponsors will be called upon to provide additional information as to the quality of the student’s work. The final interview with a sponsor becomes a permanent part of the student's record.
9. Pay the full amount of tuition required to fulfill the externship hours required. There is no tuition concession for completing any part of the externship off-site.

*Please note: Students working towards the following specialties under the Master Massage Practitioner 1000-hour program are not eligible to perform externship hours off site: Cranial Unwinding, Polarity, Reflexology, Zen Shiatsu Massage Therapy Career Information

Massage therapists held about 118,000 jobs in 2006 in the United States. About 64 percent were self-employed. There are many more people who practice massage therapy as a secondary source of income who were not included in these statistics. As a result, some industry sources estimate that more than 200,000 people practice massage therapy in some capacity.

Of those self-employed, most owned their own business, and the rest worked as independent contractors. Others found employment in salons and spas; the offices of physicians and chiropractors; fitness and recreational sports centers; and hotels. Employment growth for massage therapists is expected to grow faster than average compared to other occupations, leading to very good job prospects, particularly for those seeking part-time work. Employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016. Employment will grow as more people learn about the benefits of massage therapy.

Health-care providers and medical insurance companies are beginning to recognize massage therapy as a legitimate treatment and preventative measure for several types of injuries and illnesses. The health care industry is using massage therapy more often as a supplement to conventional medical techniques for ailments such as muscle problems, some sicknesses and diseases, and stress-related health problems. Massage therapy’s growing acceptance as a medical tool, particularly by the medical provider and insurance industries, will have the greatest impact on new job growth for massage therapists.

One of the ways we support our graduates is to feature them on GreatTherapists.com. Please spend a few minutes on this dedicated site to review the successes our graduates have experienced. You might even want to e-mail a few of the graduates and ask them questions.

The faculty and staff here at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts invite you to shoot for the stars! We invite you to contact us today to assist you in your success.