Standard Program

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Entry Options

We offer a 2,004.5 hour full-time program with three start-date options.

Each program year is divided into two terms, i.e., first year consists of Terms 1 and 2; second year is Terms 3 and 4. Terms 1 & 3 are 14 instructional weeks plus a study week and an exam week. Term 2 is 16 instructional weeks plus one study week and two weeks of exams.  Term 4 is 18 instructional weeks plus a study week and two weeks of exams. All terms also have a mid-term reading week.

OPTION 1: August Start (2 Academic years)

Students who begin in August have a more traditional two-year program with the summer off in between.

OPTION 1: AUGUST START

OPTION 2: 20-MONTH CONTINUOUS

There is also an option that allows the student to attend school for 20 months straight. You begin in January and end in August of the following year or begin in April and end in October of the following year.

OPTION 2: JANUARY START

OPTION 3: APRIL START

In deciding which option is best for you, it is important to take into account your finances (do you need to work in the intervening summer?) and your other personal resources. While the 20-month continuous option is ideal for some, for example, parents and out-of-town commuters, it is a long stretch to be continuously in school, especially if you have many other obligations. Most people underestimate how much work and challenge is involved in becoming a massage therapist.

Q: Is there a part-time option?
A. We do not have a part-time program. However, based on Ministry guidelines, some students may qualify to take some or all of the program on a partial load basis:

• Individuals with qualifying illnesses or disabilities
• Students who are repeating failed courses
• Individuals who qualify for advanced standing in some courses
• In certain compassionate or hardship scenarios, on a case-by-case basis (generally after having started the program full-time)

Curriculum

Sutherland-Chan’s program is designed to progress students through academic, practical and clinical skills development. In the first term they encounter basic academic courses as well as an introduction to hands-on techniques. In the second term, the curriculum builds on the early sciences, advances technical proficiency, introduces clinical elements such as hydrotherapy, educates students about commonly seen musculoskeletal and cardiovascular conditions, and begins developing assessment and treatment planning skills. Term 2 students engage in their first public clinic (Student Clinic), where they treat healthy adults.

In second year students encounter a greater emphasis on integrating their knowledge base and clinical skills to prepare them for working with patients who have more complex health conditions and pose more intense clinical challenges. They continue in Student Clinic and add the Specialty Clinic program, which begins in Term 3 with patients who are senior citizens and post surgical units in hospital. In Term 4 it expands to include opportunities to work with on-site and off-site patients who have multi-faceted health challenges.

For more information about:

• A course-by-course program description, click here.
• Our Specialty Clinics, click here.
• For our standard program fees, click here.
• Our admissions requirements and process, click here.

Schedule

While schedules fluctuate somewhat by term, students are generally in school for full days Monday through Friday. Typically each student has 10-12 classes/clinics per week. Classes and clinic shifts are 3-hour time slots, the majority of which begin at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., but occasional classes and all Student Clinic shifts take place in the late afternoon/early evening.

A Sample Term 1 Schedule

Q. What student:teacher ratios will I find in the classroom?
A.In academic classes we average 36:1 and in practical classes, 18:1. In certain key  Term 1 hands-on classes, for example, Techniques and Anatomy Lab, the average is 12:1.

Q: What kind of time commitment do I need to make? Can I work part-time?
A.You will be in classes or clinics 30-36 hours per week. You can expect 15-25 hours per week for pre-reading, class prep and study time. With reasonable time management and study skills, and assuming you have good support systems in place, limited part-time work is possible.