Enrolling
How do your courses work?
What are the test questions like?
Do your courses come with videos?
How long do I have to complete the course?
What if I realize I won't be able to finish the course in a year?
Upon completion of a course will you send the certificate to the organization I need the credits for?
How do you determine how long it takes to finish the course; who determines the credit hours for a course?
Do I have to go somewhere to take the test?
Can I enroll in a course over the phone?
How can I enroll in a course?
How long will it take to complete the course?

Certificates
What type of Continuing Education Certificate is included with my tuition?
What information is shown on the Certificate included at no extra charge?
Does the NCBTMB, state boards and other sponsoring organizations accept these Certificates as evidencing my having earned CE credits?
What professional organizations will accept these Certificates?
Why would I want additional Certificates beyond the one Certificate of Achievement the Institute will give me?
What information is on the Display Certificate?
Why does it cost extra for an additional certificate?
Why does it cost extra for a display certificate?
For those that don't have the minimum number of training hours that you require, what does their certificate look like?

Enrolling

How do your courses work?

When you enroll, all of your materials are included in your tuition as well as one Certificate of Achievement and toll-free course advisory support during your studies. For courses that are 1-3 CE hours in length we can either ship the materials and the test to you or you have the option of accessing all of the materials through an online account. For courses that are 4 CE hours and higher we can either send all of the course materials to you or you have the option of just taking the test online. If you choose any of our online options you will have immediate access to your materials and/or test. Upon completion of the online test you will get your results instantly and you can generate and print your certificate immediately. If you do not choose to complete your courses online you will need to mail or fax back your test information and we will mail your certificate to you.
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What are the test questions like?

The test is multiple choice and open book.
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Do your courses come with videos?

All of our technique courses come with videos. Non-technique programs are text based.
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How long do I have to complete the course?

We require that you complete the course within one year from the date of enrollment.
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What if I realize I won't be able to finish the course in a year?

Please call us immediately and let us know that you will not be able to complete the course within the year. If we don't hear from you late fees may be charged depending on the length of time you have had the course.
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Upon completion of a course will you send the certificate to the organization I need the credits for?

We send the certificate straight to you. This way we avoid any confusion and you will have a master copy for your files. Also, state boards and sponsoring organizations that require continuing education credits typically require that you complete a form and you do not need to submit a certificate at the time of renewal. You will need to keep your certificate, as stated in your organizations' laws and rules, in the case of an audit.
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How do you determine how long it takes to finish the course; who determines the credit hours for a course?

When we develop a course it is determined how long it will take, on average, for a student to read through the materials, watch and review the videos as well as take the test. It is then submitted to the different organizations for approval. Please keep in mind that it may take some students longer to finish a course and others will finish it in less time than indicated by the credit hours as everyone's study habits are different.
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Do I have to go somewhere to take the test?

The multiple choice test is included with your course. So you can take it at home on paper or at your computer at your own pace.
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Can I enroll in a course over the phone?

Of course, we are available by phone Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm EST. We just need to ask you a few questions and we will process your order right away.
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How can I enroll in a course?

You can enroll here on our website, by fax at 845-361-1118 or by phone at 1-800-364-5722.
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How long will it take to complete the course?

The Continuing Education hours that are designated to each program are an approximate idea of how long it will take you to complete the course. Keep in mind that for some people it may take longer to complete the course than the hours specified but for others it might take less time.
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Certificates

What type of Continuing Education Certificate is included with my tuition?

When you complete any or all of our home study, distance learning continuing education programs, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement, at no extra charge.

What information is shown on the Certificate included at no extra charge?

This Certificate includes your name, license or membership number, your licensure board or sponsoring organization, the course identification, the instructor, that the course is based on distance learning or home study, and the number of CE Hours. (You can find the CE Hours, or credits, indicated within each course description on this web site.)

Does the NCBTMB, state boards and other sponsoring organizations accept these Certificates as evidencing my having earned CE credits?

The Certificate of Achievement is prepared in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of the state boards and the NCBTMB, AMTA and ABMP, in full satisfaction of their stated requirements at the time you completed your CE program.

What professional organizations will accept these Certificates?

The Institute's CE programs are designed based on the needs of the massage therapy professional’s continuing education requirements and to help enhance their skills as a massage professional. Other professions may accept these credits, however, you need to contact your board or sponsoring organization for more information. Our course advisors can help you determine if the Institute's credits meet your massage therapy continuing education needs; just call 1-800-364-5722 or click here for more information.

Why would I want additional Certificates beyond the one Certificate of Achievement the Institute will give me?

Our Certificates of Achievement are designed to the specifications required by the various state boards and sponsoring organizations. We use a simple design on our standard certificate because there’s too much information to fit on a more decorative Certificate. If you want another copy of the one you already have, you can photocopy it or request additional originals for a nominal fee. Or, if you prefer a more decorative display certificate with an attractive border and raised seal for framing instead of the standard certificate, just let us know and we’ll give it our undivided special attention. Note the attractive display certificate is not required by the boards or sponsoring organizations and will not contain all the information the standard CE certificate includes.

Why does it cost extra for an additional certificate?

We are endeavoring to keep the tuition low for massage therapists' continuing education needs. Additional un-needed certificates could be a waste of paper and time and would require raising our tuition in order to cover the cost. Therefore, each certificate after the one included certificate is available at an additional cost only for those rare instances when a massage therapist would need them.

For courses where you choose not to complete the test online, only one certificate is provided with each course. Generally, it is our understanding, that many sponsoring organizations don't require certificates be provided when renewing. If they are requested a photocopy of the certificate made out to the state board is usually sufficient.

Our organization does not require that a person purchase additional certificates. In fact, we inform our students that some organizations will accept photocopies so you don't incur additional, unnecessary charges. The quantity needed will vary from person to person, depending on the states, the associations and any other requirements they must meet. Remember, some states do not have any massage regulations but our students may belong to the NCBTMB, therefore they would only need one certificate. Also, students do not need to renew their National Certification as often as their state license therefore, they might only require one certificate.

Consider completing your program in the online format. By doing so you can generate as many certificates as you wish with different licensure and organization information on each.
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Why does it cost extra for a Display Certificate?

Please understand that many course participants do not need, nor want, a display certificate with every course. We feel that to include a display certificate with each course, which would inevitably raise the tuition cost for the course participant, is unfair to those who do not find it necessary to have one.

Our courses can be taken by someone with extensive massage therapy training as well as a person that has only taken a few massage therapy courses. To protect the integrity of massage therapists as fully trained professionals as well as to protect massage clients, not all course participants are eligible to earn a display certificate nor do they receive the same Certificate everyone else would receive.

The Institute requires that a course participant have a certain number of hours of professional massage training. Those that have not completed the required minimum number of training hours will not be able to receive a Display Certificate. These enrollees are still able to participate in our courses but we will not give them the same documentation that a licensed massage therapist with extensive training should receive. Therefore, a Display Certificate cannot be included with every course as every participant is not eligible. Again, not only are we protecting the integrity of massage therapists we are also demonstrating the professionalism of our organization and its enrollee screening processes.
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For those that don't have the minimum number of training hours that you require, what does their certificate look like?

The certificate is similar in look, however it states "this documentation does not certify the competency or qualifications of the course participant". We do this to protect the integrity of massage therapists as fully trained professionals as well as to protect massage clients. Those that are licensed and have the required minimum number of training hours will not have this language on their certificate.
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