NZ college first to offer massage degree

The New Zealand College of Massage in November launched the first degree program in the Southern Hemisphere specializing in massage and neuromuscular therapy.

“This degree is a new benchmark for massage education in New Zealand and will give massage therapists a similar standing to physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors and other allied health professionals,” said the college’s director, Susan Penman, in a press release.

The new bachelor’s of health studies (massage and neuromuscular therapy) degree program, which began in February, integrates and expands on the college’s two-year diplomas in clinical sports therapy and neuromuscular therapy.

According to Penman, there has been a rapid increase in demand for massage and other body therapies, and the college’s graduates make up the majority of registered therapists in New Zealand.