COMTA Endorsed Curriculum

Many school owners and program directors have worked hard over the years to create a quality curriculum and instructional environment, and many have even used COMTA curriculum competencies as a model. However, they may not have the financial or staff resources to make accreditation a reality. This status was designed to serve this population in recognizing those schools/programs providing curriculum and instruction which meets the Commission’s expectations.

You can use this recognition status as a point of pride in promoting your program to prospective students. You can promote it to your state licensing boards who may want to ensure certain curriculum and instructional standards in practitioners’ schooling, but who may not have the resources to vet each school themselves.

You will also be joining a network of dedicated professionals around the country. The Commission encourages networking and mentoring among our members to collaborate in promoting the massage and bodywork profession in our
communities.

Any state-approved, post-secondary massage/bodywork institution or program which meets state professional licensing requirements (or a minimum of 500 hours in lieu of licensing) and the COMTA Curriculum Competencies is eligible to apply.

Four years for both initial and renewal.

The current pricing is effective March 2025.

$1,500 application fee (may be paid in two installments)
$450 annual sustaining fee

All currently accredited members of COMTA will automatically receive the COMTA Endorsed Curriculum designation to publish and promote. If you are accredited with another agency, you can add COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum as an additional badge of curriculum quality.

The Commission has designed the Endorsed Curriculum to streamline nicely into COMTA accreditation should an institution or program choose to continue. The application fee will be credited directly to the accreditation application fee. Contact COMTA staff for additional questions.

COMTA is pleased to announce a new opportunity for schools following NCBTMB’s recent decision to sunset its Assigned School Program.

In collaboration with NCBTMB, COMTA invites schools to apply for the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum recognition—a comparable alternative that not only maintains high standards but also offers enhanced resources and opportunities for ongoing community engagement.

This transition presents an ideal moment to align with COMTA and gain recognition for the strength and quality of your school’s curriculum and instruction.

Our team is here to support you every step of the way. COMTA staff are available to answer questions, provide guidance, and ensure a smooth, streamlined approval process. We look forward to learning more about your school’s mission and the programs you offer.

AMTA is playing a key role in supporting schools during this transition, in partnership with COMTA and NCBTMB. For a limited time, both the initial application and renewal fees will be waived—an almost $2,000 value—helping make this process as seamless and stress-free as possible.

Contact the COMTA staff at info@comta.org or 202-888-6790 for more details.

To start an application directly, you can also go to our online accreditation management system, EDvera, at http://comta.edvera.com and click “Request an Account.” Once your account is approved, the application will be accessible.

We look forward to welcoming you into the COMTA community!

Please see the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum Requirements document for a complete list of requirements and expectations.
This information will be verified by collecting three pieces of application in two parts:

Part 1
Initial Application, which includes:
a. Ownership information
b. State approval, other accreditation status
c. Catalog

Program Application, which includes:
a. COMTA Competency Chart (aligned with school’s program) b. List of courses/hours of program
c. Syllabi for each course in program
d. Sample assessment pieces

Part 2
Endorsed Curriculum Addendum, which includes:
a. Instructor Qualifications for each current instructor
b. State massage licensing information
c. Sample Transcript
d. Attestations for Endorsed Curriculum Requirements

The process is designed to be more streamlined and shorter than accreditation. Depending on how prepared the school and how aligned the program already is with the COMTA requirements, the process can take 1 – 3 months from application to approval.

No. Instead of an in-person site visit, the school undergoes a virtual interview with a COMTA evaluator to confirm the documentation submitted. The school will have an opportunity to make revisions/adjustments to its application if necessary.

Submit an annual $450 fee and a the COMTA Annual Report, including a current catalog, MBLEX pass rates and any changes made to the curricular program. Agree to adhere to all expectations as stated in the COMTA- Endorsed Curriculum Requirements.

The Commission has reviewed and endorsed the Coalition’s Entry-Level Analysis Project (ELAP) requirements which came out in 2013. These were compared with the current COMTA Competencies for alignment and were determined to be well-reflected.

Therefore, the Commission will maintain its process for verifying a school curriculum to the COMTA Competencies at this time. For those schools who have worked hard to integrate the ELAP requirements into your curriculum, you can see the ELAP alignment to the COMTA Competencies in this document. The Commission feels confident that the COMTA-Endorsed Curriculum process reflects the spirit of the ELAP requirements, thereby fulfilling the FSMTB’s Model Practice Act recommendation:
“…it is recommended that all educational institutions adopt a curriculum that reflects the ELAP recommendations and that is acceptable to an accrediting body recognized by the US Department of Education.”

Contact the COMTA staff at info@comta.org or 202-888-6790 and ask to be added to the COMTA online submission system to submit an application.

You can also go directly to http://comta.edvera.com and click “Request an Account.” Be sure to include the full name, address, phone number, web address of the institution, as well as the first/last name, position title and email address of all users to the account.