RMT Course Curriculum

RMT Education – Learn to Canada’s Highest Standard

The Vicars School curriculum is based on Canada’s highest national massage education standards, and will prepare you for a successful massage career anywhere in the country.

Our RMT course includes the study of anatomy and physiology, hands-on massage techniques, massage theory, ethics, and business. You’ll learn how to perform an assessment on a client, and then create a customized treatment plan to effectively treat their needs. You’ll gain the skills to effectively treat clients with a wide range of complicated medical concerns.

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Areas of study

In your first year, you will learn how to perform an effective relaxation massage, and begin learning more advanced therapeutic assessment and treatment techniques. There is a strong focus on the science of the body, as well as massage theory and ethics. Midway through your first year, you’ll start gaining real-world experience by practicing your skills on members of the general public.

In your second year, you will learn how to treat a wide range of medical conditions, and perfect your assessment and treatment planning skills. You’ll continue to hone your skills in our supervised public clinic, and get to work on real clients with the specific conditions you’re learning about in our in-class teaching clinics and outreach events. With your second-year case study assignment, you’ll do in-depth research on a condition of your choice, and plan and execute a long-term treatment plan with a real client. You’ll also prepare for your career by creating a business plan.

Instead of dividing our subjects into different classes, our curriculum material is integrated together in the classroom. This is a more effective learning method, as it helps you make the connections between the concepts you’re learning and the hands-on techniques.

Year one subjects

Pathology I
Kinesiology I
Pharmacology
Nutrition
Medical Terminology
Massage Technique I
Massage Technique II
Adjunctive Therapies
Clinical Treatment Planning I
Assessment I
Hydrotherapy
Therapeutic Relationship
Research
Module Clinic
First Aid & CPR
Anatomy & Physiology I

Year two subjects

Pathology II
Kinesiology II
Clinical Treatment Planning II
Treatment Principles
Treatment Strategies
Assessment II
Public Clinic II
Research II
Case Study
Special Populations
Community Outreach
Business

About the national curriculum standard

You probably already know that it’s important to choose a massage therapy college that offers a 2200-hour program – but simply looking at the number of hours that a school offers isn’t enough. There are no official curriculum or entry-to-practice standards for massage therapists in Alberta. This means the quality and type of education that you get depends on the priorities and integrity of the school you choose.

The 2200-hour requirement was set by insurance companies, who were looking for an easy way to decide which therapists’ services their plans should cover. But they didn’t set any standards for what schools should teach, or how.

In provinces where massage therapy is a provincially regulated profession, there is a mandatory curriculum standard that all colleges must meet. It has been developed by education experts and experienced massage professionals to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need for a modern massage therapy career. It measures practice competencies, not just hours in class. In other words, it’s about what you know and what you can do. This approach to education creates better therapists, and better outcomes for clients.

We have chosen to teach the national curriculum because we believe that our students deserve the best. What that means is that you’ll get the same high-quality education as students in regulated provinces do and will be prepared for when Alberta becomes regulated. We have Preliminary Accreditation status from the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation. We are continually updating our program to stay on top of the latest massage research and industry needs.

Choosing a school that teaches the national curriculum standard means that you’ll be a better massage therapist, and will be in demand from clients, employers, and clinic owners. You will be able to treat your clients effectively and be prepared for the challenges of a real practice. And if you choose to practice outside of Alberta, you will have the knowledge you need to write an entry-to-practice exam in a regulated province. Contact us for more information about working in other provinces.

Because our program is a full-time, 2200-hour licensed program in Alberta, you will be able to join a professional association, and your training will be recognized by all insurance companies here.