Chapter 345-8 REQUIREMENTS - BOARD RECOGNIZED MASSAGE THERAPY EDUCATION PROGRAM
In order to be a Georgia Board recognized massage therapy
education program, the program must have a minimum curriculum of five-hundred
(500) total clock hours of supervised classroom and supervised hands-on
instruction. For purposes of this rule, "supervised" means the supervisor is
physically on-site, qualified and immediately available. The minimum required
subject matter and activities and the minimum required hours are as
follows:
| (a) |
A minimum of one hundred
twenty-five (125) hours of in-class supervised instruction in human anatomy,
physiology and kinesiology; |
| (b) |
A
minimum of forty (40) hours of in-class supervised instruction in
pathology; |
| (c) |
A minimum of
two-hundred hours (200) in massage therapy theory, technique and practice,
which must include in-class supervised instruction of clinical techniques and
hands-on clinical practice and must include, at a minimum, the following
subject matters: effleurage/gliding; petrissage/kneading; compression;
friction, tapotement/percussion; vibration; direct pressure; superficial
warming techniques; pumping; stretching; jostling; shaking; rocking; |
| (d) |
A minimum of one hundred twenty-five
(125) hours of in-class supervised instruction in contraindications, benefits,
universal precautions, body mechanics, massage history, client data collection,
documentation, and legalities of massage, professional standards including
draping and modesty, therapeutic relationships and communications; |
| (e) |
A minimum of ten (10) hours of in-class
supervised instruction in ethics and business (to include a minimum of six (6)
hours in ethics); and, |
| (f) |
Of the
five hundred (500) total clock hours, the curriculum must include a minimum of
fifty (50) hours in supervised student clinical practice, but no more than
sixty (60) hours in supervised student clinical practice. Nothing in this rule
shall be construed to prohibit a massage therapy school that has a curriculum
greater than five hundred (500) hours from having more supervised student
clinical practice so long as it has at least four hundred and forty (440) hours
of in-class supervised instruction. |
| (g) |
If an applicant transfers from another
massage therapy education program into a massage therapy education program
recognized by this Board and any of the clock hours from the original
program(s) are accepted as a part of the program to which the applicant
transferred, the name of the original program and the clock hours accepted from
that program must be identified on the transcript provided to the Board. If the
transferred hours are not from a board recognized massage therapy education
program, the hours may not be used to satisfy the curriculum requirements of
this rule. |
| (1) |
In order to be a Georgia Board recognized massage therapy education program,
the program must have a faculty that consists of a sufficient number of full
and part-time instructors to ensure that the educational obligations to the
student are fulfilled. Lab, clinical and community course core (lead) faculty
must demonstrate competence in their respective areas of teaching as evidenced
by a minimum of 2 years or 2000 hours of experience in their field. Faculty
instructor(s) shall hold a current state license, if a state license is
required to practice massage therapy in that state. Human sciences course core
(lead) faculty (anatomy, pathology, physiology) is not required to hold a
massage therapy license; however, the faculty member must demonstrate
competence in their respective areas of teaching as evidenced by a minimum of 2
years or 2000 hours experience in their field and/or by appropriate
degrees/certificates from approved colleges/schools/institutions. |
| (2) |
All program faculty members must teach at
the physical address which has been provided to the Board on the program's
application to become a board recognized massage therapy education
program. |
| (3) |
The Board must be
notified of any program faculty changes within ten (10) days of the date the
change becomes effective. |
| (4) |
If a
school utilizes faculty assistants, in order to be a Board recognized massage
therapy education program, it shall establish and maintain policies that set
forth qualifications, duties and procedures for use of these personnel. Faculty
assistants shall not be used as substitutes or replacements for regular
faculty; shall not be responsible for the overall evaluation of any student;
and shall work under the direct supervision of approved faculty. Faculty
assistants shall hold a current license, if a license is required to practice
massage therapy in that state. |
| (5) |
In order to be a Georgia Board recognized massage therapy education program,
the ratio of students to faculty in the lab/clinical/community area shall not
exceed 20 students to 1 instructor with no more than 10 student therapists and
10 students serving as clients. Lecture classes are not subject to this
ratio. |
| (6) |
When student clinical
practice is being performed on the general public, the supervising clinical
faculty instructor(s) shall hold a current Georgia massage license. |
| (1) |
In
order for a Georgia (physically) based massage therapy education program
location(s) to obtain the Georgia Massage Therapy Board "Recognized" massage
therapy education program status, the program must meet the requirements set
forth in rules
345-8-.01 and
345-8-.02, and the additional
requirements below:
| (a) |
the program must
require that each student have a minimum grade of 70% and the student have a
minimum attendance of 70% in order to receive credit/hours in massage therapy
related course and clinical work, and; |
| (b) |
the program must maintain a written
program, philosophy and objectives, and the program must maintain course
outlines or syllabi for all massage therapy courses, and; |
| (c) |
the program must provide a student
handbook, and; |
| (d) |
the program must
maintain permanent student records that summarize the credentials for
admission, attendance, grades and other records of performance, and; |
| (e) |
the program must possess a current,
unencumbered National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
(NCBTMB) School Provider Code. |
| (f) |
the program must possess a current, unencumbered Nonpublic Postsecondary
Education Commission (NPEC) Authorization number. |
|
| (2) |
If a board recognized program does not
meet or fails to comply with the curriculum, faculty, and additional
requirements noted in these rules, the Board may withdraw the "recognized"
status of the program.
| (a) |
the Board shall
promptly notify the program, in writing, of the withdrawn recognition
status. |
| (b) |
the program must
notify, in writing, current and potential new students of their withdrawn
recognition status within ten (10) business days from receipt of the Board's
notice. Simultaneously, a copy of such notification must be submitted to the
Board within the ten (10) business days. |
|
| (3) |
No other transcripts will be accepted
from a program whose recognition status has been withdrawn effective on or
after a date established by the Board. |
| (4) |
Programs losing Board recognition must
reapply for recognition by the Board |
| (5) |
A Georgia (physically) based recognized
program that is sold, physically moves or changes the recognized program's name
must file a new school recognition application with the Board within ten (10)
business days from the date of the action:
| (a) |
if sold to a new owner, the new owner must provide, within ten (10) days, a new
application and all supporting documents (including NCBTMB and NPEC current
code/number - see e & f above); |
| (b) |
if moving location, report within ten
(10) days the new physical and mailing address, in addition to any other
changes (faculty, curriculum, etc.); |
| (c) |
if changing the programs name, but not
physical location, report the name change to the Board within ten (10) business
days. |
|
| (6) |
Massage
Therapy educational programs located outside the state of Georgia
may be recognized by meeting the following criteria:
| (a) |
hold, and maintain, a current,
unencumbered NCBTMB school code number; and, |
| (b) |
be approved or recognized by the state
the program is located in as meeting the requirements for massage therapy
education (pursuant to the Georgia Board rules
345-8-.01 and
345-8-.02 ) for licensure in the state
the program is located and operating in; and, |
| (c) |
recognition by the Board of any massage
therapy educational program is at the sole discretion of the Georgia Board of
Massage Therapy. |
|
| (7) |
Recognition of massage therapy educational programs located outside of
the United States is at the sole discretion of the Board:
| (a) |
transcripts will only be accepted if
translated by a reputable and verifiable credential evaluation service. The
Board has sole discretion on the acceptance/approval of a credential
evaluations service utilized by an applicant; and, |
| (b) |
the foreign massage therapy education
program must at a minimum be determined to be substantially equal to or exceed
the curriculum requirements set forth in Board rule
345-8-.01; and, |
| (c) |
recognition by the Board of any foreign
massage therapy educational program is at the sole discretion of the Georgia
Board of Massage Therapy. |
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