The State Education Department – New York State

Transfer Credit

    When students apply to a New York State registered program from another program that is recognized by a jurisdiction, or a national accrediting body, or a nationally recognized massage therapy association acceptable to the Department, the program may accept up to 25% of the 1000 hour curriculum no matter how many hours the person completed in the other program; that is, the registered program may accept 250 hours of the 1000 minimum requirement for a registered program. The hours that are accepted should be done based on a review of the syllabus of the courses, challenge examinations, or some other measure that the school develops to determine that the hours are equivalent in depth and breadth of content.

     It would also be possible for courses taken in college, universities, or nursing and other professional programs that are recognized by the jurisdictions in which they are located, or by an accrediting body, to be accepted, but the total number of courses for which the person may receive credit cannot exceed 25% of the 1000 hour curriculum.

    While the registered program may accept  some of the credits or hours earned in another program, no experience may ever be used to meet the curriculum requirements. The Department does not accept any form of apprenticeship learning and does not equate experience with academic courses for the purpose of Massage Therapy licensure. We also want to note that courses taken in any school that claims to teach massage or bodywork therapy in New York State that does not have a registered massage therapy program may not be used to meet any of the education requirements. Such schools are illegal in this state.

    Since the massage therapy statute and regulations require "classroom" learning, distance learning in any form is not acceptable for the 1000-hour massage therapy curriculum.