Accreditation & Approvals
Choosing a school that is accredited and continually updates its curriculum means that you’ll be a fully competent massage therapist, and will be in demand from clients, employers, and clinic owners.
Why does Accreditation Matter in Alberta?
Vicars School students are getting the education they need to be skilled, effective, and successful health care professionals. The Vicars curriculum—and how it is delivered—meets the highest Canadian standards for massage education.
But don’t take our word for that! Our program has earned full accreditation status from the CMTCA, the only national body that examines and approves massage therapy programs. We earned their highest rating—five-year accreditation—something that no other private college has done in Alberta.
Vicars School was the first Alberta private school to achieve full accreditation status, and the second Alberta institution overall, after Mount Royal University.
As a member of the Canadian Council of Massage Schools since 2001, Vicars has always promoted provincial regulation of massage therapy. We believe that regulation of massage education is the single best way to protect the public by ensuring that every RMT they go to has the skills and knowledge to assess and safely treat the wide variety of conditions that respond to massage therapy.
For various reasons, Alberta has resisted the call to regulate. But Vicars (along with Mount Royal University and Lethbridge College) has chosen not to wait for a political solution. We have voluntarily undertaken to meet the same standards as those required by regulation in BC, Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador, and to have that verified by CMTCA accreditation.
Vicars graduates have successfully passed the entry-to-practice examinations in regulated provinces, including BC and NL. This is a big step for labour mobility across Canada. Being registered by the professional body in one regulated province means being able to practice in any of them.
CMTCA Accreditation
The CMTCA—the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation—is the independent agency that evaluates massage programs across the country. Their job is to review each school’s materials and resources and visit each campus to interview staff, students, and faculty to decide whether the program meets a set of rigorous curriculum and delivery standards.
The CMTCA evaluation rates a school’s performance in seven important categories:
- Curriculum content
- Faculty and learning
- Student support
- Leadership and administration
- Human resources
- Resources and infrastructure
- Quality improvement
MTAA Approval
Vicars is a Massage Therapist Association of Alberta Approved School.The MTAA is one of Alberta’s leading massage therapy professional associations. The Approved Schools list is their way of continuing to make sure that their members meet the association’s education standards.
Approval is based on a rigorous evaluation process that assesses a school’s curriculum content, delivery, and student experience. The criteria are based on FOMTRAC’s Inter-Jurisdictional Practice Competencies and Performance Indicators for Massage Therapists at Entry-to-Practice standards.
Other Professional Associations
As well as the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta, our graduates are recognized by all major professional associations in Western Canada, including the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan, Natural Health Practitioners of Canada, Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association, and the Certified Registered Massage Therapist Association.
Alberta Advanced Education
Vicars School is licensed by the Private Career Colleges branch of the Alberta Ministry of Advanced Education. Although Alberta does not regulate the massage profession or massage education, the PCC branch serves to protect students’ investment in tuition, protect against fraudulent practices, and mediate complaints.
We’re also approved by industry professionals in the know
Get in Touch
Our friendly and knowledgeable admissions advisors will help you decide for yourself if Vicars school is a good fit for you.
