New Zealand Diploma in Wellness and Relaxation Massage

at Southern Institute of Technology

MT5110  Surface Anatomy

Demonstrate knowledge and skills of basic concepts of anatomy and surface anatomy, that provide a sound theoretical and practical foundation for therapeutic and sports massage knowledge.
 

MT5120  Physiology for Massage Therapy

Learn basic concepts of physiology as they relate to the human body. Be able to describe the biology and chemistry of the cell and tissues, and the systemic and inter-systemic functions, and the physiological underpinnings of massage therapy practice.
 

MT5140  Foundations of Therapeutic and Sports Massage

Learn principles and concepts of wellness, relaxation, therapeutic and sports massage; health philosophies; history of massage; contraindications, ethics, legalities, boundaries and scope of practice and how they are applied in a wellness and relaxation and sports massage setting; and identify research findings on the effects of relaxation, therapeutic and sports massage.
 

MT5160  Professional Studies

Develop knowledge and skills in a range of professional areas: academic skills, reflection, scientific enquiry, critical thinking, personal growth, caring skills, and professional and ethical behaviour. Professional skills will be applied in a clinical practice setting.
 

MT5170  Therapeutics I

Learn wellness/ relaxation and therapeutic/remedial massage interventions to meet individual clients’ needs for a range of healthy populations.
 

SE5101  Health Aspects of Exercise and Nutrition

The paper will develop an understanding of the relationship between physical activity, health and nutrition across the lifespan. Nutritional aspects related to health and exercise for the general population and special population groups will be investigated. The paper will further examine body composition, sound nutrition, weight control and nutrition for exercise performance.

School Leavers 
 

NCEA Level 2 - 60 credits at Level 2 or above plus 20 credits from any level. In addition the literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA Level 1 must be met as follows:
 

Literacy requirement

Minimum of 10 credits through either:
 

• Specified assessment standards - available through a range of subjects and English for Academic Purposes unit standards 22750 and 22751 (minimum total of 10 credits), or
• Unit standards - package of three literacy unit standards (26622, 26624, 26625 total of 10 credits- all three required).
   

Numeracy requirement

Minimum of 10 credits through either:

• Achievement standards - specified assessment standards available through a range of subjects - (minimum total of 10 credits), or
• Unit standards - package of three numeracy unit standards 26623, 26626,26627 (total of 10 credits - all three required).
   

Mature Applicants

Applicants in this category will have achieved the age of 20 by March 1 of the first year of enrolment in the programme. Preference will be given to those mature aged applicants who can demonstrate evidence of successful completion of a programme of study to NZQA Level 4.
 

Special Admission 

Mature aged applicants who do not fit the above entry criteria may be considered for entry if they can demonstrate likelihood of success in the programme: For example two years or more voluntary or paid work experience in the health industry or in business, coupled with an academic record of achievement to NZQA Level 3, and/or the ability to demonstrate achievement at NZQA Level 4 through literacy testing prior to acceptance into the programme.
 

Additional Criteria

Successful applicants will be required to complete a New Zealand Police Consent to Disclosure of Information form. The form will be sent by SIT to the Police Licensing and Vetting Service, and returned in confidence to the Head of Department/Programme Manager delegate. Information on the NZ Police Vetting Service is available from the New Zealand Police website. Applicants are asked to make a confidential declaration as to whether or not they have prior criminal convictions. They are advised at the time of the request for information that a prior conviction may not necessarily exclude them from admission.
 

In addition, the following requirements also apply to applicants in all admissions and categories.

• Applicants may be required to participate in an interview, or if they live some distance from the campus, complete a telephone interview, and must produce copies of applicable certificates and/or evidence of prior achievements before interviews
• Applicants may also be required to participate in a pre-entry testing process and/or demonstrate successful completion of prior learning at NZQA Level 4
• Applicants are required to provide two confidential references from people who are able to affirm that the applicant is of good character and reputation, and is suitable to work with vulnerable clients
• Applicants must have a level of health and abilities commensurate with achieving practice competencies in the programme. Applicants are required to complete a health declaration and further reports may be requested with the consent of the applicant
   

English Language Requirements
 

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following
 

• NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
• an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or
• Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or
• Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
• Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
• Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or
• Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment
   
• IELTS test - Academic score of 5.5 with no band score lower than 5
• TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score of 5 TWE)
• TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 46 (with a writing score of 14)
• Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 162. No less than 154 in each skill
• OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
• NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 4 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 4 (General) or (Employment)
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 42 with no band score lower than 36
• Language Cert - B2 Communicator International ESOL Written (LRW) HIGH PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
• Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than merit in any band

Diplomas   NZ$16,500    Per academic year

Graduates of this diploma will be qualified to enter the Massage Industry as wellness and relaxation massage therapists in a broad range of wellness and relaxation massage settings.