Garden City, MI--On Tuesday, July 14 the Massage Therapy program at Schoolcraft College will be hosting an orientation session from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Radcliff Center in Garden City. This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in a career in massage therapy to come and learn the requirements for earning a certificate or associate degree, as well as career opportunities in this rapidly growing healthcare field.

Participants in the orientation session will have the opportunity to meet instructors in the program, as well as current students, and tour the facility. Anyone is invited to attend, however, the orientation session is mandatory for any student who plans to enroll in the program for the Fall 2009 semester, which begins August 26. The Radcliff Center is located at 1751 Radcliff Street, just north of Ford Road between Wayne Road and Merriman Road.

Massage therapy is one of the fastest growing specialties in healthcare and is recognized as a valuable preventive health option as well as being a beneficial treatment modality following injuries and illness. Students at Schoolcraft can earn either a certificate or associate degree in massage therapy. Massage therapists may be employed in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, managed care centers, rehabilitation and sports medicine clinics, and group and private practices.

Those who complete the certificate program, which typically takes about one year to earn the 34.5 credit hours, are ready for the National Certification Exam (NCE) and the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) for licensure.

Those who complete the massage therapy associate degree program have the broad background and ability to work with diverse populations that both allied and complementary health care systems now require. Many graduates of the associate degree program take the knowledge and skills they acquire at Schoolcraft and apply them in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in another health or medical program of study.

For more information about the Massage Therapy Program call 734-462-4746 or email massage@schoolcraft.edu. Schoolcraft College is a public two-year college, offering classes at the Livonia campus, Haggerty Road between Six and Seven Mile Roads, at the Radcliff Center in Garden City and online at schoolcraft.edu.