Community College of Rhode IslandTherapeutic Massage program granted accreditation, first in RI
Based in Newport, the CCRI Therapeutic Massage Program is the first such program in Rhode Island to receive an accreditation from COMTA—The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, headquartered in Evanston, Ill. To earn its five-year accreditation, the program had to meet or exceed national standards in curriculum and competencies, methods, faculty and student outcomes, among other criteria.
Other Accreditation News
The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs recently reaccredited CCRI associate degree programs in business administration, including: general business, accounting, management, marketing, financial/banking, fashion merchandising and mass merchandising.Program Director Regina Cobb states, “COMTA is a well-rounded accreditation that looks at the whole student, from scientific knowledge to interpersonal skills.” She adds that preparation for the accreditation—including a self-study and on-site visits—took nearly 24 months to complete.
Begun in 2005, the Community College of Rhode Island Therapeutic Massage program is a two-year, evening and weekend degree program that combines Eastern and Western approaches to soft tissue manipulation. Students learn Swedish massage, deep tissue massage (friction massage, effleurage and petrissage), Eastern massage (reflexology, acupressure and shiatsu), and sports massage. Therapeutic massage can improve a patient’s circulation and skin condition, can aid in athletic conditioning and can instill a sense of well being.
The only degree-granting program of its kind in Rhode Island, the CCRI Therapeutic Massage Program is one of three Rehabilitative Science Programs located at the college’s Newport satellite. These programs, which include Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant, will relocated to the new CCRI Newport County Campus when it opens this fall.
