Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy

Welcome to the world of massage therapy! You have chosen a challenging and rewarding career opportunity.

Many more people are seeking massage every year as a way to alleviate pain and seek relaxation. You will enjoy helping your clients to better health through massage.

We are located in the Village Plaza in Germantown. We have a central classroom and 5 treatment rooms for practice time and clinic work.

Program Outline

The Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy, Inc. provides a program of 630 instructional hours. The Program Includes:

198 hours Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Kinesiology
324 hours Massage Theory and Practice
50 hours Professional Career Development
8 hours CPR and First Aid
50 hours Student Clinic

Course Descriptions

Anatomy/Physiology for Massage Therapists
70 Hours

Here students will learn about body organization, anatomical terminology, and the systems of the body. A general orientation to the healthy human body sets the stage for understanding musculo-skeletal pathologies.

Kinesiology
80 hours

This course helps students gain an awareness of how the body moves; which muscles are involved in movements, how the body was designed to move to stay healthy, and what happens to the structures when movements have become dysfunctional.

Pathology
48 hours

Massage therapists are in direct contact with clients’ bodies. Students learn what medical conditions make massage dangerous for the client as well as what conditions could be dangerous for the therapist. In addition, students learn how massage can be beneficial for many conditions.

Massage Theory and Practice
324 hours

Students will learn to:

communicate with clients by learning their medical backgrounds, expectations for a massage session, empathetic listening, and obtaining feedback.

create a treatment plan based on the client’s history, expectations, postural analysis, past massage/chiropractic experiences, and doctor’s recommendations.

develop, organize, and manage a client session.

keep accurate client records to document work accomplished and planned work for the future.

apply appropriate techniques using hands, fingers, thumbs, elbows, forearms, and hand-held tools.

develop palpation skills and knowledge of anatomy of the muscles and bones simultaneously.

self-assess, utilize self-care and stress management, and use good biomechanics.

set appropriate boundaries with clients.

use thermal therapies to supplement massage.

use Contemporary Western Massage techniques as well as Therapeutic Massage techniques as needed by clients.

use Sports Massage techniques to enhance athletic performance.

use acupressure both with clients and as self-care.

do a basic routine of chair massage as well as some advanced therapeutic techniques to use with clients in the workplace.

use Active Isolated Stretching both with clients and as self-care.

design sessions for special populations.

Students will be expected to complete at least 1 hour of massage practice outside of school hours as homework each week. Additionally, there will be typical assignments of reading and writing associated with class work.

Professional Career Development
50 hours

Students need to learn the basics of business practices relevant to the practice of massage therapy. Business structures, business plans, risk management, and business bookkeeping are some of the topics covered here. In addition, students will learn the law as it applies to massage therapy in Wisconsin and how to deal with various ethical situations which arise in the massage practice.

CPR and First Aid
8 hours

Since massage therapists are healthcare workers and could see a situation needing emergency procedures, certification classes in CPR and First Aid are included in massage training.

Student Clinic
50 hours

After several months of training, students will work with the public in the offices at the school. Instructors will supervise their work by assisting and reviewing what the student did afterward. This is an important step in helping the student feel confident and competent in working with previously unknown people. It will also provide a valuable service to the surrounding communities.

Full Time and Part Time Status

Full time evening class is 2 nights per week and 3 Saturday mornings per month for 14 months. Full time day class is 2 full days per week for 11 months.

Part time means the student takes science classes (Anatomy & Physiology, Pathology) the first year (1 night per week in the night class for 30 weeks and ½ day in the day class for 30 weeks.) The second year the student takes the rest of the course (1 night per week and 3 Saturday mornings per month in the night class or 1 ½ days in the day class.)

Grading Scale

The following grades are given for work completed at Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy, Inc.:

Grade Percentage Letter Equivalent
Excellent	A	93% - 100%
Very Good	B	85% - 92%
Satisfactory	C	75% - 84%
Unsatisfactory	F	Below 75%

This work includes homework, classwork, quizzes, exams, and practical bodywork. Students must maintain at least a C average in their work. In addition, all exams and bodywork scores below C must be redone once to achieve at least a C.

The fee for retaking an exam or bodywork test is $40.00. Retakes must be scheduled as an appointment with the instructor within 2 weeks of the original test. Students who do not achieve at least a C on a retake will have the higher of the two scores averaged into their overall grade.

Students who fail to appear for the testing appointments will fail the exam and will be charged the retake fee. Instructors will work with students to help them make tutoring arrangements if needed. Tutoring fees are $40.00 per hour and are the responsibility of the student. Progress reports will be issued monthly.

Student records will be kept permanently by the school. They are accessible to students by appointment only, and to authorized school personnel. The school maintains confidentiality by keeping the records locked. Students may obtain transcripts by sending $10.00 with a request in writing.

Code of Student Conduct

The Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy, Inc. expects that students preparing for a professional career will conduct themselves in a professional manner while in school. This includes treating students and instructors with respect, handling problems calmly, using appropriate language, being honest in their work, and avoiding anything which interferes with the learning of others. In addition, students are expected to come to school clean, with short nails, and wearing appropriate dress for professional massage work (nothing tight or revealing, feet covered.) Students should not come to school under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Smoking is not allowed in the school building nor on the school grounds. Students can expect the same conduct from instructors.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all class hours. They may be absent for illness or pressing family matters only. Students are expected to call the school if they are going to be absent. They may be absent 4 days only over the course of the program. If a student is absent more than 4 days he/she will be dismissed from the program. Any time missed must be made up within a week by the student in coordination with the instructor. This may mean coming to school more times than the regular days and/or traveling to other locations where an instructor is working. If the instructor must spend extra time with the student to make up the information missed, the student will be assessed a $40.00 per hour fee due at the time of make up. Students who fail to keep make up times and/or who fail to pay the fee will be dismissed.

All classes will start on time and students are expected to be present and ready to participate at the appointed starting time. Tardiness will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal.
Students are expected to complete the course of study in the appropriate time. Cases of leave of absence involving serious illness or family hardship will be determined on an individual basis.
Students are expected to notify the school if they intend to withdraw from the program. Any student who fails to attend school for 5 consecutive days without communication is assumed to be withdrawn.

Cancellation of classes due to weather may occur. It is the student's responsibility to call the school to find out if class has been cancelled. Additional Saturdays would be added near the end of the program if cancellation is necessary.

Probation, Dismissal and Readmittance

Students who have an average grade below C or 75% will be considered to be on academic probation. As soon as the student's average grade reaches C or 75% the student is no longer on academic probation. Students who are on academic probation and continue to fail one more month will be dismissed from the program. Clients who seek massage therapy deserve a therapist who has the knowledge necessary to perform the tasks well. Students unable to meet this requirement are probably not suited to massage therapy as a profession. This experience will give the student a better opportunity to find his/her true vocation.

Students who do not follow the Code of Student Conduct outlined above will be asked to leave for the day. Make up of missed work will be the student's responsibility. If extra instructor time is necessary for the student's make up the fee is $40.00 per hour to be paid at the time of the make up. Any student asked to leave more than once will be dismissed from the program. The student may appeal by writing a letter of apology and asking to be reinstated. The student may be reinstated at the discretion of the director. Any student who is dismissed may reapply for admission for the next term. Fees will apply.

Grievance Policy

We recommend that students who have concerns or complaints about the faculty or administrative procedures should first talk to the person with whom they have concern. If resolution cannot be achieved, we would like the student to talk to the director, Mary McCluskey. In addition, students may always submit their written complaint to:

State of Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
131 W. Wilson Street
P.O. Box 8696
Madison, WI 53708

After Graduation

When students graduate from WSMT they qualify to take the National Exam given by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB.) Students apply for and schedule the exam after graduation. WSMT helps students with this process by providing the paperwork and guidance for filling it out. After students pass the National Exam they may apply to be certified by the State of Wisconsin. Students apply for this and complete a computerized test covering the state laws pertaining to massage work after passing the National Exam. WSMT helps students with this process by providing the paperwork and guidance for filling it out.

Employment Assistance Services

The school will maintain an Electronic Employment Bulletin Board available for any massage therapist looking for employment. Offices at the school may be available for hourly rental for students who are beginning their own independent businesses.

Why Choose a Small School?

Wsmt is a small school providing training for 2 classes per year with a maximum of 12 students per class. This affords the students enormous benefits such as:

Greater Teacher Attention. In the beginning, especially when new therapists are developing their skills, focused teacher attention is essential.

Teacher Retention. Our teachers have such pleasant teaching conditions that we have an incredible teacher retention rate. Our staff has been with us for years. These teaching conditions are created by small class sizes, a consistent and consecutive curriculum which is easy to follow, and freedom in teaching decisions. These aspects of teaching at WSMT are conducive to learning and are of intentional design.

No Teacher Assistants. Our classes are so small we do not need inexperienced volunteer assistants (recent graduates) for our teachers. When classes near the size limit of 10 or 12 we employ another full-fledged teacher to come and assist as needed. We value your education that much that we happily invest dollars in more expert people to help the primary teacher when needed.

Flexibility for Problems and Personal Attention. We find that being small lets us respond flexibly to individual students’ needs. We don’t need to herd big groups through our program. We have the luxury of really caring for our students and helping them in any way we can to fulfill their dreams. We take pride in our extremely low drop-out rate which is a direct result of our desire to make every student successful.

We will Remain Small even as we Grow. We have made a commitment to small class sizes even as we grow because we know how important this aspect is to student success. We will always choose quality over quantity because we are passionate about graduating new people into the field who are competent and who contribute positively to the field of massage therapy.

Your tuition Stays in the Local Economy. We are a locally-owned company. Your tuition does not go to support a huge corporate conglomerate with little stake in your individual education nor your community. We believe in the small local company serving the community in which it is housed.

These are some very important considerations when comparing offerings of different types of massage therapy schools. Feel free to ask us to explain more about any of these concepts!

Thank you

Thank you for your interest in the Wisconsin School of Massage Therapy! We look forward to engaging you in dynamic and practical education in massage therapy. We will be constantly improving as we evaluate our programs with input from our students. We hope you join us for an exciting learning journey! Feel free to call us with any questions you have about our program. We will happily meet with you to answer your questions and to offer you a tour of the school. In addition, arrangements may be made to have you observe a current class to give you an even better feel for the massage school environment.