21 NCAC 30 .0620             PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Pursuant to G.S. 90-631(a)(1), programs shall meet the following requirements:

(1)           A school shall develop and adhere to a set of educational objectives that describe the intended skills and knowledge that the program is designed to develop in the student by the completion of the program;

(2)           The program shall have a core curriculum of at least 650 classroom hours of supervised instruction. The core curriculum shall contain the following hours of specific course work:

(a)           230 hours in the fundamental theory and practice of massage and bodywork therapy that is designed to produce comprehensive entry-level skills in the application of direct manipulation to the soft tissues of the human body, and is based in therapeutic methods consistent with the definition set forth in G.S. 90-622(3) such as Swedish massage, acupressure, shiatsu, deep muscle massage, trigger point therapy, and connective tissue bodywork. Of the 230 hours in this category, at least 115 hours shall be in the application of hands-on methods. The balance of the hours shall include client assessment skills, indications and contraindications for treatment, body mechanics, draping procedures, standard practices for hygiene and control of infectious diseases, and the history of massage and bodywork therapy;

(b)           100 hours in anatomy and physiology related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy that shall include the structure and function of the human body;

(c)           55 hours in kinesiology related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy that shall include the function of movement;

(d)           45 hours in pathology related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy;

(e)           20 hours in professional ethics for the practice of massage and bodywork therapy;

(f)            10 hours in North Carolina laws and rules for the practice of massage and bodywork therapy;

(g)           15 hours in business management practices related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy;

(h)           25 hours in psychological concepts related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy, including dynamics of the client-therapist relationship and boundaries, professional communication skills, and the mind-body connection;

(i)            150 hours in other courses related to the practice of massage and bodywork therapy. The courses may include additional hands-on techniques, specific applications, adjunctive modalities, in-depth anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, psychological concepts, or supervised clinical practice. First Aid or CPR shall not be included in this category. Techniques that are considered exempt from licensure pursuant to G.S. 90-624(6) or (7), and that are further defined by Rule .0203(a) may constitute up to 50 hours of the 150 hours in this category.

(3)           Student clinic or fieldwork experiential programs shall not exceed 100 of the 150 hours required by Sub-item (2)(i) of this Rule. All work shall be in the presence of and directly supervised by and evaluated by an instructor;

(4)           For programs that include an externship component, the hours shall not be included in the requirements set forth in Item (2) of this Rule, and shall not comprise more than 20 percent of the total program hours. All work at the externship site shall be supervised by a person at the externship site who meets the school's guidelines and is approved by the school, and shall be monitored and evaluated by the school;

(5)           The program shall provide curriculum hours that allow its graduates to meet the minimum eligibility requirements for at least one of the competency assessment examinations that are approved by the Board as meeting the licensure requirement set forth in G.S. 90-629(5) and Rule .0201(a)(15);

(6)           Programs shall consist of a series of courses that are organized so that each class prepares the students for the next class and are consistent with the program's educational objectives. Material shall not be presented unless students have the necessary skills and knowledge to utilize the material;

(7)           Course titles shall match the content of the course and published course descriptions shall reflect the specific learning objectives of each course;

(8)           Course requirements and competencies shall be consistent from instructor to instructor. Teaching materials, including lesson plans for every class taught, shall be developed and maintained for each course to ensure consistency. Teaching methods shall adapt to course content, and diverse learning styles;

(9)           Programs shall be at least 25 weeks in length, with no more than nine instructional hours in one day. There shall be no more than two hours of instruction without a break. There shall be no more than four hours of instruction without a meal break;

(10)         For a student to receive credit in a course, the student shall attend 80 percent of the instructional hours of the course. The student shall also make up missed instructional hours to equal no less than 98 percent of the instructional hours in the course according to the procedures established by the school;

(11)         A syllabus shall be developed for each course that shows the basic content of each individual class in the course in the sequence presented and provided to students prior to the beginning of instruction. The syllabus shall include the following elements:

(a)           course title;

(b)           course description;

(c)           learning objectives;

(d)           teaching methodologies;

(e)           total number of instructional hours;

(f)            meeting dates and class times;

(g)           assignments;

(h)           textbooks;

(i)            evaluation methods;

(j)            quiz and examination dates; and

(k)           performance standards.

(12)         Any course taken at a college, as defined in Rule .0602(4) of this Section, in a department other than the massage and bodywork therapy department shall fulfill the requirements set forth in Item (2) of this Rule; and

(13)         For classes that involve hands-on practice, the student to instructor ratio shall not exceed 16 to 1. Both instructors and teaching assistants, as defined in Rule .0602(5) and (12) of this Section, shall be considered in calculating these ratios.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 90-626(9); 90-631;

Eff. October 1, 2007;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. November 12, 2014;

Amended Eff. February 1, 2025; April 1, 2017.