Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 4 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION › Chapter 117 - MASSAGE THERAPY › Subchapter F - LICENSED MASSAGE SCHOOLS › Section 117.59 - Massage School Curriculum Outline and Internship

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Each massage school shall follow the
				  curriculum outline prescribed by the department for the minimum 500-hour
				  supervised course of instruction.
(b) A student must successfully complete the
				  first 250 hours of the supervised course of instruction, including the
				  successful completion of at least 100 hours of massage therapy techniques and
				  theory, before the student is eligible to enter the internship
				  program.
(c) A classroom hour or
				  instructional hour shall include at least 50 clock minutes of actual
				  instruction time and may include a maximum of 10 minutes of break time. Break
				  time for hours which are taught consecutively in one sitting (i.e., in one
				  evening) may be aggregated into a single break time during those consecutive
				  hours, not to exceed 3-hour blocks of instruction, but not at the end of those
				  hours. The 10 minutes of break time may not be accumulated and used in lieu of
				  lunch or dinner breaks.
(d) An
				  instructor must be physically present with the student(s) during any in-person
				  classroom hours, including in-person make-up work. Any make-up work completed
				  through distance learning must comply with the distance learning provisions in
				  this chapter.
(e) An internship
				  program must provide a student with a minimum of 40 hours of hands-on massage
				  therapy experience at the location of the student's enrollment. A student
				  enrolled at an additional location shall not be required to travel to another
				  location to complete the internship. The internship may not be offered through
				  distance learning. The internship must be completed at a massage school
				  licensed under this chapter.
(f)
				  During the hands-on experience during the internship, a massage therapy
				  instructor must be available on the premises of the massage school and be
				  immediately available to the student(s).
(g) A massage school shall not require a
				  student to advertise for clients or to obtain clients as part of the internship
				  program. At the student's option and with the massage school's permission, a
				  student may obtain clients for the student's hands-on massage therapy
				  experience.
(h) Unless otherwise
				  agreed to by both the student and the massage therapy educational program, a
				  massage school must provide all of the minimum 500 hours of the supervised
				  course of instruction at the physical location of the licensed massage school
				  where the student enrolled or, if otherwise allowed under this chapter and the
				  Act, through distance learning.
(i)
				  A massage school shall schedule instruction and internship clients so that the
				  students will be able to complete the program during the length of time
				  stipulated in the pre-enrollment information. No evening class or required
				  instruction may be scheduled to extend beyond a reasonable time.
(j) Individuals who have completed the
				  required minimum 500-hour supervised course of instruction, including the
				  50-hour internship, are eligible for examination and licensure.
(k) A massage school shall not allow a
				  student to receive any form of compensation for massage therapy or other
				  massage therapy services.
(l) A
				  massage school shall not allow, authorize, or contract with a student enrolled
				  in any course or portion of a course offered by the school to provide massage
				  therapy or other massage therapy services to the public for compensation in
				  excess of the internship.
(m)
				  Distance learning.
(1) A massage school must
				  verify the identity of a student receiving instruction through distance
				  learning.
(2) A massage school must
				  accurately track the hours each student completes through distance
				  learning.
(3) A massage school must
				  monitor each student's participation in distance learning to ensure that the
				  student is receiving instruction.
(4) Any class, lecture, or recitation,
				  whether offered through live instruction or not, must offer an opportunity for
				  direct interaction between the instructor and the student. The direct
				  interaction may be synchronous or asynchronous. If the direct interaction is
				  asynchronous, the instructor must respond within a reasonable amount of
				  time.
(5) When distance learning is
				  provided through a method other than live instruction, the instruction must
				  involve academic engagement. Academic engagement is active participation by a
				  student in an instructional activity related to the student's course of study.
				  It includes but is not limited to:
(A)
				  participating in an activity where there is an opportunity for interaction
				  between the instructor and the student;
(B) completing and submitting an academic
				  assignment;
(C) taking an
				  assessment or an exam;
(D)
				  participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive
				  computer-assisted instruction;
(E)
				  participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is
				  assigned by the school; and
(F)
				  interacting with an instructor about academic matters.
(6) A massage school must document compliance
				  with paragraphs (1)-(5) for each student who receives instruction through
				  distance learning.
(7) A massage
				  school must ensure that students receiving instruction through distance
				  learning have the educational materials necessary to fulfill all course
				  requirements.
(8) A massage school
				  may not use distance learning to provide the instruction required by Section
				  455.156(b)(1)(A) of the Act.
(9) A
				  massage school using a time clock or similar technology to track student hours
				  completed through distance learning may not alter the time clock records,
				  except in a documented case of technological failure or other situation which
				  is documented by the school.