INSTITUTIONAL & PROGRAMMATIC ACCREDITATION
The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) accredits educational institutions and programs offering instruction in massage therapy and bodywork. Accreditation is a voluntary peer review process that identifies and acknowledges massage schools for achieving and maintaining a level of quality, performance and integrity based on educational and professional standards.
Programmatic or specialized accreditation
Specialized/programmatic accreditation focuses on curriculum and program content. This form of accreditation helps to ensure that graduates are prepared for licensure in jurisdictions requiring specific program content. This form of accreditation is suitable for programs within institutions that are institutionally accredited through another agency and/or where students are already eligible to receive federal student aid dollars. It may be important in some jurisdictions where licensure is contingent upon completing an “accredited program”.
In some professions, licensure is a nearly universal requirement (medicine, law and teaching are good examples); in other professions, great disparities in licensure requirements exist from state to state. In massage therapy and bodywork, for example, state regulations vary markedly with respect to the requirements for licensure. In some jurisdictions, graduation from an “accredited” program is required – but even here the definition of “accreditation” may vary (does the regulation refer to a specialized/programmatic or institutional/regional accreditor?).
Institutional accreditation
Institutional accreditation results in the accreditation of the entire academic institution and, through COMTA, makes that institution eligible to apply to administer federal student financial aid funds (Title IV funds). COMTA’s scope of institutional accreditation is, at this time, limited to schools offering massage and bodywork programs. Institutional accreditation is identical in most ways to programmatic accreditation, the primary distinction being the potential to receive eligibility to administer federal financial aid funds.
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Accreditation: an introduction An introduction to accreditation, including benefits and eligibility requirements. |
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Renewal process Information about the accreditation renewal process, including fees. |
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Accreditation process A detailed step-by-step guide to the accreditation process. |
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Volunteer opportunities: peer reviewers Information about becoming a volunteer, including qualifications, expectations and an application. |
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Fees An explanation of the fees involved in applying for, renewing and sustaining accreditation. |
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