Description

The Associate of Applied Science in Massage Therapy gives students a unique opportunity to earn a degree alongside licensure. COCC is the only massage school to offer this on the west coast. The AAS degree integrates science with the human body alongside a wide variety of Eastern and Western massage therapy applications. Students also develop skills in business, computer skills, and health while working in the community.

Students have two opportunities to enter the program each year: a Fall term daytime program and a Spring term evening program. Students may take certain program and/or non-massage therapy courses any time before enrollment into the program or during enrollment in the program.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the degree, students will be able to:

1. Understand and apply a wide variety of specialty massage skills.
2. Design and manage professional business practices that demonstrate ethical standards, legal compliance, and sound operational guidelines.
3. Provide massage therapy in supervised community and externship settings utilizing specialty skills, professional communication, and analysis of case studies and research.

Entrance Requirements

Recommended:

• BI 105 Human Biology for Health Science Careers or BI 231Z Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• Completion of MTH 015 Basic Mathematics or higher or minimum placement Math Level 7
• Completion of WR 065 Rhetoric and Critical Thinking II or higher or minimum placement Wr/Comm Level 7

Required:

• Must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• High school diploma or GED

Additional Costs (Beyond standard tuition/Fees and Textbooks)

Enrollment Fees

• $17 per credit for 2nd-4th term LMT 100 level courses (covers expenses to minimize delays in licensure for graduates). 
• $25 per credit for all other LMT courses for COCC general fund.

Course Requirements

Advising Notes

Why choose the AAS over the Certificate of Completion?

• Obtain a degree; open more doors
• Earn a higher wage
• Offer specialized modalities that set you apart from other therapists
• Reach a much broader client base
• Complete the certificate, license, and work toward completing your degree while working in the field
• The AAS can typically be completed in an additional 2-4 terms for most students

Students have two opportunities to enter the program each year:

• Fall term: morning and day courses
• Spring term: evening courses
• Students may take certain program and/or non-massage therapy courses any time before enrollment into the program or during enrollment in the program

Performance Standards

• Academic Requirements:
  • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
  • All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Additional Requirements:
  • Verification of contact hours is required by the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists licensing requirements. Students must meet the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists attendance requirement of 90% contact hour completion for each LMT course contact hours as identified on all LMT course syllabi.
  • Students are required to adhere to the professional conduct standards outlined within the student handbook.

Sample Plan

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Students may take BI 231Z/ BI 232Z/ BI 233Z sequence in lieu of BI 105 Human Biology for Health Science Careers.