Blue Cliff College

At Blue Cliff College our job is to make you successful. This institution is primed to provide the specific job skills demanded by employers that will insure financial success. You could be ready to start your new career in only 9 to 15 months.

At Blue Cliff College you can earn an occupational associate's degree or diploma that will launch your new career in Massage Therapy, Medical Assistant, Criminal Justice, or Cosmetology, depending on individual campus offerings.

Massage Therapy can be described as the balancing of body energy for the purpose of maintaining good health and good physical condition, as well as manipulating connective tissues and soft tissues within the body.

Massage therapy combines both science and art. Message therapists is somewhat a science because of the focus on body systems, correcting imbalances, inducing relaxation, reducing stress and promoting an overall sense of well being. It has been found that Massage Therapy has many positive health benefits, including such things as better awareness of your body, stress reduction, an boost in your vitality and an overall improved sense of health. Massage Therapy is an art form too, helping in a positive exchange of mental, emotional, and spiritual energies that lead to holistic healing.

Career Opportunities are popping up everywhere! You may find work in:

• Massage Offices & Private Practice
• Group Practice
• Home Offices
• Physicians' Offices & Clinics
• Hospitals & Wellness Centers
• Nursing Homes/Hospices
• Chiropractic Offices
• Pain Management Centers
• On site Locations (In Offices, Airports, Public Events, Etc)
• Health Clubs & Fitness Centers
• Sports Teams & Events
• Spas & Resorts
• Hotels
• Beauty And Hair Salons
• Cruise Ships

The benefits that you will enjoy because of your career in massage may include:

• Developing a Fulfilling Career with New Job Skills and Abilities.
• As a private massage practitioner ,you will find flexibility is available in your job schedule.
• * Become independent financially working in a field promoting personal growth and development.
• Working alongside other Professionals in a Health-Care Environment.
• Improving the health and quality of life of your customers.

The Massage Therapy Diploma program enhances the students' ability to provide therapy based on a foundation in anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. Once the diploma is obtained the student is qualified for a variety of massage techniques. Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular Therapy, Sports Massage, Basic Shiatsu, Swedish Massage and Supervised Clinical Practice are among the hands-on techniques. Graduates of the program will be well prepared to obtain entry level positions within the massage therapy industry.

Jobs available to our graduates include athletic team massage therapist, private practice, hospital massage therapist, massage therapist in an athletic club, on-site massage therapist, hair salon massage therapist, physical therapist or chiropractor assistant massage therapist, as well as cruise ship massage therapist.

Successfully finishing this course allows the student to apply for massage therapy licensing and/or registry in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, and it also allows the student to be eligible to sit for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Examination. The diploma program exceeds the total contact hours required by either state. Blue Cliff College makes day and evening classes available in order to match your particular schedule of work and leisure. Usually it will take you nine months to complete the day program and fifteen months to complete the evening program. A supplement to this catalog offers the class schedules (refer to the "Greeting" letter). You must complete 53 quarter-credits for a diploma. Successful completion of the program earns you your diploma.

The Associate in Occupational Studies Degree in Massage Therapy program is an extension and expansion of the training provided in the diploma program. A well rounded massage therapist trained in management and communications is provided with courses in the associate degree program and broadens the scope of massage technique training provided and adds courses in general education. The associate degree program prepares the student for entry level positions in the massage therapy industry and provides additional training for future spa managers and business owners.

A variety of jobs including private practice, athletic team massage therapist, massage therapist in a hospital, athletic club massage therapist, on-site massage therapist, massage therapist in a hair salon and/or assistant to physical therapists or chiropractors, and massage therapist on cruise ships are taken by our graduates. Our graduates normally complete the day program in eighteen (18) months, and our flexible evening program takes just twenty-seven (27) months to complete. In order to become a graduate of Associate in Occupational Studies Degree in Massage Therapy, students must successfully complete a total of 96 quarter credits, including those credits that are completed in a diploma program. 25% of the 96 quarter credits in the diploma program must be completed at Blue Cliff College in order to satisfy minimum degree requirements.