Massage Therapy

Admission

Students may enroll into the program without any academic prerequisites. However, students will need to be proficient in the English language. Also, it is highly recommended that students have had some college experience since all courses will be conducted with college-level academic expectations.

Students will be enrolled as soon as payment is received on a first-come-first-served basis. There is limited seating for this program.

The initial payment to enroll is $2,905, which includes costs for Module One courses with textbook and student liability insurance. Thereafter, additional course payments will be incurred for subsequent program courses. Please see the list of courses and costs under Program Curriculum and Tuition.

Licensure & Certification

Graduates of the KCC Massage Therapy Program are eligible to take the Hawai‘i State Board of Massage License Examination and the MBLEx (Massage and Bodywork License Examination) for national certification. Students will also receive a UH Certificate of Competence.

Summer 2024

Program begins June 3rd, 2024

Table of Contents

Program Overview

Massage Therapy is a personal health service utilizing soft-tissue manipulations to treat pain, improve range of motion, reduce stress, and promote relaxation. Massage therapists obtain the basic medical history for a client, assess any problems or conditions, and perform appropriate massage techniques based on the current health of the client. Licensed massage therapists may find work at spas, fitness centers, athletic teams, chiropractor and physician clinics, hospitals, physical therapy clinics, or be self-employed. Wages vary widely and can range from about $30-$100 per treatment hour.

The Kapi‘olani Community College’s Massage Therapy Program is a non-credit evening and weekend program comprised of coursework with theory, hands-on practice, competency testing and clinical experience. The length of the program is approximately 11 months long and meet from Monday through Thursday evenings from 5:30pm-8:30pm and Saturdays from 9am-12noon.

Students who successfully complete the entire program at Kapi‘olani Community College will receive a University of Hawai`i certificate of competence and be eligible to take the Hawai‘i State Board of Massage License Examination as well as qualify for the Massage and Bodywork License Examination (MBLEx) that is required for most U.S. mainland states.

Contact Information

Registration Procedure

STEP 1: Attend a mandatory information session to learn whether this program will fit your needs or not and to learn about what to expect while in the program.  These sessions are free and no appointment is necessary.

All information sessions are conducted through Zoom at: https://tinyurl.com/KAP21RHEP

  • March 20, 2024  Wednesday   4:00pm to 5:00pm
  • April 17, 2024  Wednesday      4:00pm to 5:00pm
  • May 15, 2024   Wednesday     4:00pm to 5:00pm

STEP 2: Register online after attending the information session.  Total initial payment is $2,905 to secure your seat in the program. Textbooks will be issued on the first evening of class. If you experience any difficulty with registration, please contact the registration office directly at (808) 734-9211 for assistance.

*** Please note that additional payments for subsequent courses will be incurred.   Please see the listing of program courses and costs in the Program Curriculum and Tuition section.

REFUNDS: A 100% tuition refund is given for cancellations made on or before 10 business days prior to the start of class.  A 50% tuition refund is given for cancellations made within 5 to 9 business days prior to the start of class.  No refunds will be given

Program Curriculum & Tuition

The following are courses that students will need to complete to fulfill Kapi`olani Community College’s requirements in earning the completion certificate and be eligible for state license and national certification exams. 

Initial tuition is $2,905 (Module One, Textbook, and Student Liability Insurance) to be paid in full to begin the program.

*** We reserve the right to cancel the course due to insufficient enrollment or for other reasons.  All dates, times, and other information may be subject to change with or without prior notice.

Module 1

Total Hours
Costs
Introduction to Massage Therapy--Includes Textbook and Student Liability Insurance
15
$415
Your Body and Your Health 1–Human Anatomy with Musculoskeletal Kinesiology
51
$495
Your Body and Your Health 2–Human Physiology
24
$275
Your Body and Your Health 3–Pathophysiology
30
$365
Massage Practice 1–Basic Massage (Swedish)
45
$495
Massage Practice 2–Advanced Massage (Swedish)
45
$495
Professional Issues
30
$365
Module One Total Hours and Cost
240
$2905

Module 2

Total Hours
Costs
Your Body and Your Health 4–Advanced Anatomy/Physiology/Kinesiology
30
$365
Lomi Lomi
33
$400
Foot Reflexology
33
$400
Advanced Lomi Lomi
21
$270
Myofascial Release
36
$460
Shiatsu
33
$400
Module Two Total Hours and Cost
186
$2295

Module 3

Total Hours
Costs
Sports Massage
33
$400
Pregnancy Massage
21
$270
Trigger Point Therapy
33
$400
Thai Massage
33
$400
Massage Clinical Internship
30
$350
Module Three Total Hours and Cost
150
$1820

Total Program Hours and Total Tuition : 576  Total Cost $7,020

Program Information

Learning Outcomes

Upon satisfactory completion of this program, students should be able to:

  • Recognize the role and scope of the massage therapist as a member of the health care team.
  • Demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and application of basic principles of human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and pathology for massage.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic principles of documentation, ethics, legal liability, and business practices involved in a massage therapy practice.
  • Understand the theory and rationale for the various massage techniques learned.
  • Demonstrate safe and effective application of general and specialty massage techniques to meet the needs of various situations and people.