Hawaii Massage Academy

Program Overview

Hawai’i Massage Academy is oldest State of Hawai’i Department of Education licensed massage school. Our school has been helping aspiring massage therapists achieve licensure since 1983. We believe the gift of touch is sacred and must come from the heart. It is encapsulated in our vision, “The Gift of Caring.” This philosophy has been instrumental in our graduates realizing their dreams of serving the well-being of others through the application of massage.

Our massage program focuses on guiding students on the relaxing, intimate, and healing aspects of massage. We share our collective knowledge of the art and science of massage through our six month basic program. 
Aspiring massage therapists must meet the following State of Hawai’i requirements for licensure:
Proof of having completed the education and training totaling 570 hours including:
  •  50 hours of in-class coursework on human anatomy, physiology and structural kinesiology; 
  •  100 hours of in-class coursework on the theory and demonstration of massage which shall include the following: 
    •  The proper procedure in massaging; 
    •  Record keeping; 
    •  Hygiene; 
    •  Theory; 
    •  Technique for specific conditions; 
    •  Contraindications of massage for specific techniques according to conditions; 
    •  Draping; and 
    •  Assessment of the client's condition and the general technique to be applied. 
  •  420 hours of practical massage therapy training either as a student in a licensed massage school that consist of at least 420 hours of practical massage therapy training under the supervision of a teacher in a school setting or 
  •  420 hours of practical massage training as a massage therapist apprentice under the Board's massage therapist apprentice program consisting of a course of study for a least six months that consist of the following: 
    •  Clinical operations (70 hours: 30 hours of sanitation, 30 hours of office procedures and 10 hours of record keeping), 
    •  Advanced techniques (40 hours: 20 hours of observation of classroom instructors and 20 hours of consulting), 
    •  Hands on supervised massage with record keeping (310 hours). 
  •  Current/unexpired cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate of completion for both infant and adult issued by the American Red Cross (ARC) or the American Heart Association (AHA). 
Hawai’i Massage Academy helps our aspiring students by offering the following programs which exceed the State of Hawai’i minimum requirements:
PRO I: The State of Hawai’i Massage Therapy (HMT) Program
Prepares students for licensure in the State of Hawai’i through an aggressive, self-motivated, and fast-paced instructional program. Prepares students for both the State of Hawai’i massage therapy written exam and the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx). The MBLEx, sponsored by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and administered by Pearson Vue, is utilized by over forty U.S. State and three U.S. Territory massage regulatory agencies to satisfy their written exam licensure requirements.
PRO II: The National Massage Therapy (NMT) Program
Prepares students for both the State of Hawai’i massage therapy written exam and the MBLEx. Prepares students for licensure in the State of Hawai’i and meet the requirements for Board Certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). Provides instruction in additional massage modalities and required minimum hands-on hours for NCBTMB Board Certification.
Students intending on obtaining licensing in another U.S. State should review the information below:
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