Board-Approved Massage Therapy Schools

About 28 minutes · s. 480.033(4), F.S.; Rules 64B7-32.001, 64B7-32.002 and 64B7-32.003, F.A.C.

8.1 Why the school rule matters to everyone

Chapter 5 told you that one gate to licensure is graduation from a board-approved school. This chapter explains what "board-approved" means in practice. The rule is directed at schools, but it affects students (whose eligibility depends on it), owners (whose approval depends on it) and employers (who need to know whether a new hire's training counts).

The key provision is Rule 64B7-32.003, "Minimum Requirements for Board Approved Massage Therapy Schools." It has been amended many times since 1986, most recently in the versions effective in 2020 through 2023, which is why this chapter, like the others, tells you to confirm the current text before relying on any summary.

8.2 Two layers of approval

Chapter 2 gave the statutory definition of a class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="a school whose program the Board has approved as meeting its standards.">board-approved massage therapy school. The rule shows how an in-state school actually earns and keeps the status. Under Rule 64B7-32.003(1), an in-state school (and any satellite location of a previously approved in-state school) must:

1. Apply to the Board on form DH-MQA 1266, "Application for Massage Therapy School Approval" (01/18), which the rule incorporates by reference (the same legal technique you saw for license applications in Chapter 5).
2. Hold education licensure. The school must meet the requirements of, and be licensed by, the Department of Education under Chapter 1005, Florida Statutes, or be within the public school system of Florida.
3. Offer the required course of study (Section 8.5).
4. Meet the graduate pass-rate standard (Section 8.11).

So there are two layers: the Department of Education licenses the school as an educational institution, and the Board approves its massage therapy program. Losing either can end the school's ability to graduate people who qualify for licensure. A school that violates a standard that applies to it through Department of Education licensure also risks its Board approval, as Section 8.15 explains.

8.3 Due diligence for a prospective student

Choosing a school is one of the largest financial and professional decisions a future therapist makes. It involves tuition, months of time and, above all, the chance to become eligible for licensure. Because the consequences of a poor choice fall on the student, it is worth treating the choice as a matter of due diligence, with specific questions and written answers.

The questions below are drawn from the rule you are studying. Ask each one, ask for the answer in writing, and keep what you receive.

A good school will answer these questions directly. Be cautious about a school that is vague, that discourages written answers, or that promises a license. Schools do not issue licenses. The Department does, and only after the applicant satisfies every requirement.

It is also wise to speak with recent graduates and to ask them whether they were able to obtain proof of graduation and whether the program was delivered as promised. Their experience is evidence, though it is not a substitute for checking the school's status with the Board.

8.4 Vocabulary from Rule 64B7-32.001

The school rules begin with definitions that you will need for the rest of the chapter.

• class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school.">Course of study: all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school, meeting or exceeding the subject area requirements of Rule 64B7-32.003.
• Subject area: a specific area of focus that makes up a portion of the course of study. It may span several classes.
• Class: a series of lectures or lessons in a required subject area.
• Classroom hour: "no less than 50 minutes of any one clock hour" during which a student participates in a class. Classroom hours must be completed at an approved campus or facility of the school, in the physical presence of a faculty member.
• Instruction hour: also "no less than 50 minutes of any one clock hour" of participation in a class, but instruction hours "may include classes or portions of classes where the delivery method is correspondence, home study, video or digital media, or instructor-led virtual or distanced learning."
• Graduate: a student who has completed a course of study at a board-approved school.
• Graduate list: an electronic list submitted by a board-approved school, within 10 business days of graduating, in a method designated by the Board office, identifying graduates.
• Approved signer: a faculty member, school owner, registrar or other designated staff member authorized by the school to sign transcripts and submit graduate lists.

Two points are easy to miss. First, an "hour" in this rule is 50 minutes of participation, not 60. Ten required hours therefore means at least 500 minutes of instruction. Second, the rule distinguishes the place and manner of delivery (classroom versus instruction hours), which turns out to be one of the most important features of the school rule today.

8.5 The 500-hour minimum curriculum

Rule 64B7-32.003(1)(c) requires every approved school to offer "a class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school.">course of study that includes all required hours in each subject area listed below in chart A," with all hours completed "at a rate of no more than 6 hours per day and no more than 30 hours per calendar week."

Chart A: Minimum course of study (required classroom hours)

The subject you are studying now is the seventh line: ten hours on the laws and rules of massage therapy practice. Several other lines connect to this course. The HIV/AIDS hours come from the school curriculum alone, because the continuing education statute for HIV/AIDS (s. 456.033) does not list Chapter 480 (see Chapter 18), the medical errors and ethics hours reappear in continuing education (Chapter 9), and the hydrotherapy hours relate to the Act's definition of massage therapy (Chapter 2).

The daily and weekly limits protect learning quality: a student cannot be credited for, say, ten hours in one day, and a school cannot compress the program into a few weeks by stacking hours.

8.6 Doing the arithmetic of the curriculum

The curriculum chart is full of numbers, and working with them shows what the rule means in practice. None of the following arithmetic adds a new requirement. It simply unpacks the numbers that the rule already contains.

The total. The ten subject areas add up to 500 hours: 150, 100, 125, 76, 15, 15, 10, 4, 3 and 2. Anatomy and physiology is the largest block, at 30 percent of the total. Basic theory and history is 20 percent, and the class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the hands-on portion of the course, 125 hours under Chart A.">clinical practicum is 25 percent. Together those three blocks account for 375 of the 500 hours, which is three quarters of the program.

The pace limits. The rule limits study to six hours per day and thirty hours per calendar week. Dividing 500 hours by six hours per day gives about 83.3, so a student needs at least 84 days of instruction at the maximum daily pace. Dividing 500 by thirty hours per week gives about 16.7, so the program cannot be completed in fewer than 17 calendar weeks. A school that advertises a 500-hour program completed in two months is either not counting the hours the rule requires or is not following the limits.

The length of an hour. Because an hour is at least 50 minutes of participation, 500 hours is at least 25,000 minutes of class participation. That is the equivalent of about 417 sixty-minute clock hours. The rule counts the 50-minute unit, and a school that counts shorter units is not counting hours as the rule defines them.

Where the rule meets this course. The Florida laws and rules subject area is 10 hours, or at least 500 minutes, and is one of the smaller blocks. Its brevity is not a sign that it matters little. Florida law governs every day of practice, and the subject is one of the most common sources of problems for new licensees.

Comparing the two charts. Chart B, the temporary chart, also totals 500 hours. Adding up its required classroom hours gives 0 plus 75 plus 125 plus 76 plus 0 plus 12 plus 0 plus 0 plus 0 plus 0, which is 288 hours. The remaining 212 hours could be delivered as instruction hours. Under Chart A, all 500 are classroom hours. The difference is about the place and manner of delivery, not about the total.

Learning to do this arithmetic is useful for more than the examination. A student who understands the numbers can quickly see when a school's promises do not fit the rule.

8.7 Classroom hours, instruction hours and the end of 2025

The most consequential recent feature of the rule is a temporary exception. The introductory sentence of paragraph (1)(c) says that all required hours must be offered as shown in class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the minimum 500-hour course of study with every hour a classroom hour.">Chart A, "except that from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2025 some hours may be delivered as instruction hours as detailed in chart B." The start date reflects the pandemic period, when the Board allowed more distance learning.

Chart B: Temporary course of study (March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2025)

Under Chart B, the subjects with zero required classroom hours (anatomy, business, Florida laws and rules, ethics, HIV/AIDS and medical errors) could be delivered entirely as instruction hours, including online or by home study. Under Chart A, every one of the 500 hours is a classroom hour: it must be taken at an approved campus, in the physical presence of a faculty member.

What this means now. The date in the rule text we reviewed has passed. Unless the Board has amended the rule since the last version we reviewed (effective December 3, 2023), Chart A governs, and the ten hours of Florida laws and rules are classroom hours that must be delivered in person. Online delivery of this course would not satisfy the requirement under that reading.

That is a significant practical point, and it is exactly the type of change that Chapter 1 warned about. The Board has changed this rule repeatedly, and extensions of temporary delivery rules are common. Before offering any part of this course online, confirm the current text of Rule 64B7-32.003 at flrules.org and check the Board's most recent meeting notices and rule notices. If the temporary chart has been extended or replaced, follow the current rule; if not, deliver the course in person at the approved campus.

8.8 Reading charts A and B side by side

class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the minimum 500-hour course of study with every hour a classroom hour.">Chart A and Chart B look alike, and it is easy to confuse them. A side-by-side comparison, organized by what each requires, can make the difference clear. The figures below come directly from the rule text reviewed for this course.

Three patterns stand out. First, two subject areas, the clinical practicum and allied modalities, required the same classroom hours under both charts. Hands-on skills were not moved out of the classroom even during the temporary period. Second, the largest shifts under Chart B were in the subjects that are mainly knowledge rather than touch: anatomy, business, laws, ethics, HIV/AIDS and medical errors. Third, the total in every row is the same in both charts. Chart B changed how hours could be delivered, not how many were required.

The practical lesson is to identify which chart is in force on the date a student takes a course. The rule's own language ties Chart B to a period of dates. A student who completed hours during that period, under a school that followed Chart B, is evaluated under the chart that applied then. A student who enrolls after the period ended, absent an amendment, is evaluated under Chart A. Because the rule has been amended repeatedly, a student or school with a question should ask the Board how the current text applies to the dates involved.

8.9 Proving graduation: Rule 64B7-32.002

Chapter 5 said the applicant must provide proof of graduation. Rule 64B7-32.002 defines what counts. An applicant may be acknowledged as a class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="a student who has completed a course of study at a board-approved school.">graduate when proof is shown by submission of either:

1. A graduate list from a board-approved Florida school that identifies the graduate (a school submits it within 10 business days of graduation, as defined above); or
2. An official transcript from a board-approved school (or from the custodian of records if the school has closed), which:
   • identifies the graduate;
   • identifies the school;
   • identifies the campus or facility, by address, where classroom hours were completed;
   • shows dates of enrollment and graduation;
   • indicates that the graduate successfully completed a course of study meeting or exceeding the Chart requirements of Rule 64B7-32.003(1)(c), by completing all classes in the course of study;
   • is signed and dated by an approved signer, with the signer's name and title; and
   • is sent directly from the school or custodian of records to the Board office in an envelope sealed by the signer and marked "official transcript."

The last requirement is practical and often misunderstood. A transcript the student carries to the Board does not meet the rule. It must arrive directly, sealed, from the school. Students should ask their school how and when it sends the transcript, and schools should follow the sealed-envelope procedure exactly.

8.10 Proof of graduation in practice

The proof-of-graduation rule is simple to state and surprisingly easy to get wrong. This section follows the two routes from the point of view of the student and of the school.

The class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="an electronic list of graduates a school submits within 10 business days of graduation.">graduate list route. The school submits an electronic list identifying its graduates within ten business days of graduation, in a method the Board office designates. A student on the list is acknowledged as a graduate. For the student, the work is to confirm that the school actually submitted the list, that her name appears exactly as she uses it elsewhere, and that the date of graduation is correct. For the school, the work is to submit the list on time, to check it for accuracy and to keep a record of when and how it was sent.

The official transcript route. The transcript must contain specific information: the graduate's identity, the school and campus address where classroom hours were completed, dates of enrollment and graduation, a statement that the graduate completed a course of study meeting the chart requirements, and the signature, name and title of an approved signer. It must be sent directly to the Board office in a sealed envelope. For the student, the work is to request the transcript early and to ask the school to confirm when it was sent. For the school, the work is to use an approved signer, to include every required element and to follow the sealing procedure exactly.

When a school has closed. The rule allows an official transcript from the custodian of records if the school has closed. A student whose school has closed should ask the Board how to identify the custodian, and should gather any records she has, such as her certificate, attendance records and receipts for tuition. Time matters, because records can be harder to locate as years pass.

Common problems. A name that differs between the school record and the application, a missing campus address on the transcript, an unsigned or undated transcript, a transcript that does not state that the chart requirements were met, and a transcript that reaches the Board through the student rather than directly from the school are all typical reasons for delay. Each can be prevented by a checklist.

Why the strictness? The rule's formality serves a purpose. Proof of graduation is the foundation of a license. A system in which students could carry their own documents would invite alteration. Direct delivery from the school preserves the integrity of the record and protects honest graduates, whose credentials are only as trustworthy as the process that proves them.

8.11 The pass-rate standard and probation

The Board does not judge schools only on paper. Rule 64B7-32.003(1)(d) requires each school to "achieve a class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the share of first-time examinees from a school who pass an approved examination in a calendar year.">graduate passage rate not lower than 10 percentage points less than the average passage rate for graduates of comparable degree programs who are first-time examinees on a board approved examination during a calendar year." Three features:

• First-time examinees only. The measure looks at graduates taking an approved examination (Chapter 5) for the first time, so retakes do not hide a weak program.
• A relative standard. The benchmark is the average for comparable programs, minus 10 percentage points, not a fixed number. If the average is 80 percent, the floor is 70 percent.
• A calendar-year measure. The rate is calculated for each calendar year.

Probation. If an in-state school's graduate pass rates "do not equal or exceed required passage rates for two consecutive calendar years," the school is placed on probationary status under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. The Board may require the program director to present a plan for remediation at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. The Board removes probationary status at a regularly scheduled meeting after the testing vendor releases the school's pass rate and once the school achieves a pass rate for any one calendar year that equals or exceeds the requirement.

If a school does not achieve the required rate in any one of the two calendar years following placement on probation, approval is subject to revocation or other action (Section 8.15).

8.12 Working through the pass-rate standard

The pass-rate standard is a relative measure, and a few examples show how it works. The numbers below are invented for teaching and do not describe any real school.

Example one. Suppose the average first-time pass rate for graduates of class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the group whose average pass rate sets the benchmark.">comparable programs in a calendar year is 80 percent. The standard is not lower than 10 percentage points less than the average, so the floor is 70 percent. A school whose first-time graduates passed at a rate of 72 percent meets the standard. A school at 68 percent does not.

Example two. Suppose the average that year is 90 percent. The floor is 80 percent. Notice that a school with a 72 percent rate, which met the standard in example one, would fail in example two, even though its own performance did not change. The standard moves with the comparison group.

Example three. The measure uses first-time examinees only. Suppose a school's graduates pass at a lower rate on their first try but eventually pass after retaking. Their retakes do not improve the measure, which looks only at first attempts. The design prevents a weak program from hiding behind repeated attempts.

Probation timeline. The rule places a school on probationary status when its rates do not equal or exceed the required rates for two consecutive calendar years. Imagine a school that falls short in year one and year two. At the end of year two it is placed on probation. The Board may ask the program director to present a remediation plan at a regularly scheduled meeting. The school then has the two calendar years following placement on probation to achieve the required rate. Probation is lifted at a regularly scheduled Board meeting once the testing vendor releases the school's rate and the school has met the standard for any one calendar year. If the school does not meet the standard in any of those two years, approval is subject to revocation or other action.

Students sometimes ask whether a school on probation is a bad choice. Probation tells you that the school's graduates have performed below the benchmark in recent years and that the school is working under the Board's oversight. It is information to weigh along with the school's remediation plan, its recent results and your own goals. It is also one reason to ask the questions in the due diligence table.

8.13 Changes a school must report

An in-state approved school "must notify the board within 90 days of" each of the following (Rule 64B7-32.003(2)):

• changes in curriculum;
• changes in address;
• changes in name;
• changes in class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the person authorized by the school to sign transcripts and submit graduate lists.">approved signer;
• changes in ownership.

Each item matters for a reason. A curriculum change can drop a program below the minimum. An address change affects where classroom hours are being completed, which the transcript must identify. A name change affects how graduates are identified. A change of approved signer affects who may validly sign transcripts and graduate lists. And a change of ownership triggers a separate review, described next.

8.14 A compliance calendar for school owners

Rule 64B7-32.003(2) requires an approved in-state school to notify the Board within 90 days of changes in curriculum, address, name, class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the person authorized by the school to sign transcripts and submit graduate lists.">approved signer and ownership. For an owner, a short routine prevents lapses.

Keep a change log. Whenever any of the five items changes, write the date of the change and the date notice was sent to the Board. A log makes the 90-day deadline visible and gives the school a record if the Board asks.

Notify early. The rule sets 90 days as the outer limit. Sending the notice as soon as the change is decided avoids last-minute errors. Keep proof that the notice was sent and received.

Update the approved signer promptly. A transcript signed by someone who is no longer an approved signer, or a graduate list submitted by an unauthorized person, creates problems for graduates. When a registrar leaves, name a replacement and notify the Board.

Review the curriculum annually. A curriculum change that drops a subject area below the required hours can place a program below the minimum. Compare the current schedule to the chart each year, and when the Board amends the chart, update the schedule.

Prepare for an ownership change. A change of ownership triggers a Board review of approval. A buyer should ask the Board how the review works before the sale closes, and a seller should disclose the requirement to a buyer. A purchase does not guarantee that approval carries over unchanged.

Track pass rates. The standard is measured each calendar year, so an owner who watches results through the year has time to act before probation becomes a risk.

Accuracy in every submission. The rule makes knowingly false documents a ground for revocation. Every transcript and graduate list should be checked before it is sent, and the school should have a procedure for correcting errors promptly.

8.15 When approval is revoked or other action is taken

Grounds. Rule 64B7-32.003(3) says approval "shall be revoked or other action taken if the school":

1. Modifies its class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school.">course of study to fall below minimum standards, or fails to require its students to complete the course of study in order to graduate;
2. Submits on behalf of an applicant for licensure documents containing information the school, through its owner, manager, faculty or other employees or agents, knows to be false;
3. Violates any standard applicable to the school through Department of Education licensure;
4. Violates any applicable rule in the chapter; or
5. Does not achieve the required passage rate for any one calendar year during the two calendar years following placement on probation.

The second ground is worth emphasis. A school that graduates a student who has not completed the hours, or sends a transcript it knows to be inaccurate, endangers its approval. And because licensure depends on those documents, the problem does not stay with the school (see Chapter 5 on false statements in the application process, and Chapter 18 on grounds for discipline).

Process. If the school, or any owner, manager, faculty member, employee or agent, is alleged to have violated Chapter 480 or Chapter 64B7-32, the rule (subsection (4)) sets this process:

1. The Board informs the school in writing of the alleged violations.
2. The school responds in writing and may request an appearance before the Board at its next scheduled meeting to explain mitigating factors.
3. If the Board finds noncompliance, it may impose one of two consequences: corrective action required (with a stated time period for compliance), or rescission of board approval.
4. The Board informs the Florida Department of Education of the action taken.

Change of ownership. Under subsection (5), the Board "shall review approval" of a school when a change in ownership occurs. If it finds noncompliance, it may require corrective action with a time period to demonstrate compliance, or revoke approval. A purchase of a school is therefore not a guarantee that approval carries over unchanged.

8.16 The school's process, step by step

When the Board believes that a school or one of its owners, managers, faculty, employees or agents has violated Chapter 480 or Chapter 64B7-32, the rule sets out a process. Seeing it as a sequence shows that a school has a chance to respond.

First, the Board informs the school in writing of the alleged violations. The notice should state what the Board believes happened. A school that receives such a notice should read it carefully, note any deadline and consult an attorney if the matter is serious.

Second, the school responds in writing. It may also request an appearance before the Board at its next scheduled meeting, to explain class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="circumstances that may reduce the seriousness of a violation.">mitigating factors. Mitigating factors are circumstances that may reduce the seriousness of a violation, such as prompt correction, cooperation, or the absence of harm to students. A school should prepare its response with care, because the written record is the foundation of the Board's decision.

Third, the Board decides. If it finds noncompliance, the rule allows it to impose one of two consequences: corrective action required, with a stated time period for compliance, or rescission of board approval. The first lets a school fix a problem and continue. The second ends the program's status as board-approved.

Fourth, the Board informs the Florida Department of Education of the action taken. This reflects the two layers of approval you studied earlier. An action by one authority is communicated to the other.

A few lessons follow. A school should never ignore a written notice. A clear, factual, timely response is the best defense. Corrective action is an opportunity, and a school that completes it on time shows the Board that it takes the rule seriously. And a school should keep records, because the record of what the school did and when often decides how the Board views the facts.

8.17 What students and employers should check

Because the consequences of an unapproved or noncompliant program fall hardest on students, a few practical checks are worth making.

• Is the school approved by the Board, and licensed by the Department of Education? Both matter (Section 8.2).
• Does the class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school.">course of study contain every subject area at the required hours, and is it delivered in the manner the current rule requires (Section 8.7)?
• Is the school on probation? The Board's meeting records show probationary status and remediation plans.
• How and when will the school send your transcript or graduate list? Ask about the sealed-envelope procedure and the 10-business-day graduate list.
• For employers: a new graduate's ability to be licensed depends on proof of graduation from an approved program. Do not rely on a diploma alone.

8.18 Employers and the new graduate

Employers are the third audience for this chapter, and their stake is practical. An employer who hires a new class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="a student who has completed a course of study at a board-approved school.">graduate before the license issues has a decision to make, and the rule helps her decide well.

The first point is that a diploma is not a license. A new graduate may do many things for an employer, such as learning the establishment's systems or doing tasks that are not massage therapy, but she may not perform massage therapy until the license is issued. Chapter 5 explained that waiting is not practicing, and Chapter 20 explains the penalties for unlicensed practice.

The second point is that an employer should know what proof of graduation the new hire's application requires. If the graduate asks for time off to attend to the process, or needs a letter confirming her employment, the employer can help. An employer who understands the transcript rule will not be surprised when the graduate says that the school must send the document directly.

The third point is that an employer should verify the license before assigning clients, as Chapter 3 taught. The Department's records show whether a license is active. A dated record that the employer verified the license is a simple, effective protection.

The fourth point concerns hiring graduates of different schools. A graduate's training is only valuable to her licensure if the school is approved and the program was completed. An employer who hears about a school that seems unusual should not assume the worst, but she may ask the graduate to confirm that her application has been accepted, and she should wait for the license before assigning clients.

8.19 Studying this subject well

The Florida laws and rules class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="a specific area of focus that makes up part of the course of study.">subject area is only ten hours of a 500-hour program, but it is the one subject that you will use in every week of practice. A few study habits make the material stick. Read each provision with its citation, so that you can find it again. Turn every rule into a question you could be asked by a client, an employer or an inspector. Practice the scenarios aloud, explaining the answer in your own words. Make a one-page summary of the numbers, because dates, hours and deadlines are the details most easily forgotten. Finally, return to the text after a few weeks, because spaced review fixes what a single reading does not.

8.20 Frequently asked questions

Does every state require 500 hours? This course concerns Florida only. The Florida rule requires the 500-hour minimum described in class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="the minimum 500-hour course of study with every hour a classroom hour.">Chart A. If you trained elsewhere, Chapter 5 and Chapter 7 explain how out-of-state training and licenses are treated, and the Board can tell you whether your program qualifies.

Can a school count practice hours I did at home? The rule defines classroom hours as hours completed at an approved campus or facility in the physical presence of a faculty member. Instruction hours may include other delivery methods only as the current rule allows. Ask the school and the Board how your hours are classified.

My school was approved when I enrolled but lost approval later. What happens? Contact the Board and ask how the loss of approval affects graduates. The answer depends on the dates and on the Board's action, so ask in writing and keep the reply.

Is a school on probation unapproved? No. Probation is a status under which the school remains approved while it works to improve its pass rates. Approval is subject to revocation if the school does not meet the standard within the time the rule allows.

May a school give me credit for experience? The rule requires each student to complete the course of study in order to graduate. Ask the school how it applies the rule to students who have prior training, and ask the Board if the answer is unclear.

Who decides whether a program qualifies? The Board approves programs, and the Department of Education licenses schools. A school's statement that it is approved is not a substitute for confirming its status with the Board.

8.21 More scenarios to practice

Scenario E: The fast program. A school advertises a 500-hour program that can be completed in nine weeks. A prospective student asks whether that is possible. What should she conclude?

Discussion. The rule limits study to six hours per day and thirty hours per calendar week. At thirty hours per week, 500 hours requires at least 17 calendar weeks, so a nine-week schedule cannot satisfy the limits. She should ask the school how the schedule complies with the rule, and she should not enroll until she has a written answer that fits the rule.

Scenario F: The missing campus address. A class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="a student who has completed a course of study at a board-approved school.">graduate's transcript omits the address of the campus where she completed her classroom hours. The Board does not accept it. Is the Board being picky?

Discussion. No. Rule 64B7-32.002 requires the transcript to identify the campus or facility, by address, where classroom hours were completed. The requirement ties the record to the place where the rule says classroom hours must occur. She should ask the school for a corrected transcript with all required elements, sent directly to the Board in a sealed envelope.

Scenario G: The weak first-time rate. A school's first-time pass rate is 66 percent in a year when the average for comparable programs is 80 percent. Does it meet the standard?

Discussion. The standard is not lower than 10 percentage points less than the average, so the floor is 70 percent. At 66 percent the school is below the standard for that year. If the same happens for two consecutive calendar years, the school is placed on probationary status, and the Board may require a remediation plan.

Scenario H: The unreported signer. A school's registrar leaves, and the owner asks a front-desk employee to sign transcripts. The owner does not tell the Board. What are the problems?

Discussion. The rule requires notice of a change in approved signer within 90 days, and transcripts must be signed by an approved signer with name and title. A transcript signed by someone who is not an approved signer does not meet the rule, and graduates may be delayed. The owner should designate an approved signer, notify the Board and correct any documents signed improperly.

Scenario I: The false hours. A school's administrator, to help a struggling student, records hours she did not attend and sends a transcript stating the course was completed. What are the consequences?

Discussion. Submitting documents the school knows to be false is a ground for revocation under Rule 64B7-32.003(3). The student is also at risk, because a license obtained on a false record may be denied or later challenged, as Chapter 5 explained. The kindest course for a struggling student is to help her complete the hours honestly.

Chapter summary

A Florida massage therapy school needs two layers of approval. The Department of Education licenses it as an educational institution under Chapter 1005 or it is part of the public school system, and the Board approves its massage therapy program after an application on the form the rule incorporates. The school must offer the required class="term" tabindex="0" role="button" data-def="all classes required to complete massage therapy training at a board-approved school.">course of study and meet the graduate pass-rate standard.

Rule 64B7-32.001 defines the key terms. A classroom hour and an instruction hour are each at least 50 minutes of any one clock hour. Classroom hours must be completed at an approved campus in the physical presence of a faculty member. Instruction hours may include other delivery methods. A graduate list is an electronic list submitted within ten business days of graduation, and an approved signer is the person authorized to sign transcripts and submit lists.

The minimum course of study in Chart A is 500 hours: 150 in anatomy and physiology, 100 in basic theory and history, 125 in clinical practicum, 76 in allied modalities, 15 in business, 15 in hydrotherapy, 10 in Florida laws and rules, 4 in ethics, 3 in HIV/AIDS education and 2 in prevention of medical errors. Study is limited to six hours per day and thirty hours per calendar week. A temporary Chart B allowed some hours to be delivered as instruction hours from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2025. Unless the rule has been amended, Chart A governs afterward, and confirming the current text is essential.

Proof of graduation is a graduate list or an official transcript sent directly from the school or custodian of records to the Board in a sealed envelope. The pass-rate standard is relative to comparable programs, limited to first-time examinees and measured each calendar year. Two consecutive years below the standard lead to probation under Chapter 120, and failing to meet the standard during the following two years makes approval subject to revocation.

A school must notify the Board within 90 days of changes in curriculum, address, name, approved signer and ownership. Approval is revoked or other action taken for modifying the course below standards, knowingly submitting false documents, violating Department of Education standards or rules, or missing the pass rate after probation. The Board's process involves written notice, written response, a decision to require corrective action or rescind approval, and notice to the Department of Education. A change of ownership triggers a Board review.