Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The institutional accreditation process ensures that schools establish and maintain high quality standards in all aspects of school management and strive to provide ever-improving curricula and opportunities to students within our community.

Yes. SFSM is approved and recognized by the Bureau for Private and Postsecondary Education (BPPE) of California.

The California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) currently requires a minimum of 500 hours to become state certified. Presently, those 500 hours must consist of a minimum of 100 core hours such as Anatomy & Physiology, Ethics, and Health & Hygiene and 400 hours or less Massage Technique, Theory, and hands-on practice.

Easy! Students determined to obtain California State Certification can enroll in our 600-Hour Massage Therapist Program. This program is specifically structured to meet the training requirements of the CAMTC. Alternately, students with existing training can obtain additional hours needed to fulfill the state 500 hour training requirement by enrolling or transferring into our 600-Hour Massage Therapist Program.

Due to the flexibility of our schedules, the timing varies greatly. Programs can be completed in as little as six months with our Full-Time Days program or over the course of nine to twelve months in our various Part-Time programs. For specific advice concerning your personal availability and goals, please call our admissions team at 415-474-4600.

While California does offer a voluntary state massage certification that enable practitioners to work anywhere in the state, many individual cities and counties still maintain a local massage permit requirement for practitioners without state certification. Currently, San Francisco requires a minimum of 500 hours of training to practice within the San Francisco consolidated city and county. Despite these local permits, SFSM highly recommends graduates obtain the California State Massage Certification as it is the essential credential required by most employers in California.

Tuition for SFSM’s 600 hour Massage Therapist program is $10,500.00 cash price. The registration fee and all books are included in the tuition cost. The San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork is an approved Title IV Federal Student Aid institution and provides financial aid assistance in the form of grants and/or student loans to qualified students (FAFSA School Code 042734). We also offer a variety of interest free and flexible tuition payment options depending upon your particular needs and preferences. Please call to discuss your options and to determine eligibility.

SFSM is an approved Title IV Federal Financial Aid institution and provides financial aid assistance in the form of grants and/or student loans to qualified students. We also offer a variety of interest free and flexible tuition payment options depending upon your particular needs and preferences. Please call the SFSM office at 415-474-4600 to discuss your options and to determine eligibility!

Due to the scheduling flexibility of our courses, class times and the days offered vary greatly. Please take a look at our online calendar for a detailed schedule of our programs.

Easy! If you are a current or past student of SFSM and you need to request a transcript, simply click here to be taken to our online transcript request form.