Press Release:
COMTA Obtains ASPA Membership
To view this information as a pdf, click here: COMTA Press Release – ASPA Membership – Dec 2016
The Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA) is proud to announce that, effective November 1, its application for membership into the Association of Specialized and Programmatic Accreditors (ASPA) has been accepted.
The Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) is an association of organizations that evaluate the quality of programs in higher education for more than 100 different professions and specialized disciplines.
ASPA is dedicated to enhancing quality in higher education through specialized and professional accreditation. Accreditation is the public recognition awarded to academic programs that meet established educational standards.
Why is specialized/programmatic accreditation important? Unlike institutional accreditation, which applies to a college or university as a whole, programmatic accreditation conducts an in-depth assessment of specialized or professional programs that may be available through a college, a university or an independent institution. Specialized and professional accreditation closely examines and evaluates measures of learning or competence that are fundamental to the discipline or profession. Students, Employers, Schools/Instructors, Regulators/Lawmakers, the Public and the Profession themselves all benefit from specialized/programmatic accreditation.
COMTA is the only specialized accrediting agency for massage therapy and esthetics. As such, COMTA is recognized by the USDE to accredit both institutions and the professional program curricula through the use of our national curriculum competencies. The Commission is proud to support ASPA’s work and uphold the ASPA Code of Good Practice.
Each ASPA member organization has a common commitment to uphold standards that are rigorous, comprehensive and outcome-based, with specific attention directed to the professional or special purpose curriculum. You may learn more about specialized accreditation and ASPA by visiting the ASPA website. Or view the short videos on the COMTA “About” or “Accreditation” Pages.
For additional information concerning this memorandum, please contact Kate Zulaski, Executive Director, at 202-688-6790 x101, or via email at kzulaski@comta.org. You may also email the chair of the Commission at chair@comta.org.