SIT's Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage was the first named massage degree programme to be approved in New Zealand. It has been taught since 2002.
The Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage (BTSM) is a 3-year programme that can be studied full-time over 3 years or part-time over 5 years.
Year 1 of the degree is taught face to face on our Invercargill campus. If you don’t live in Invercargill, we may have options for you – please contact the Programme Manager. In years 2 and 3 of the degree you have the option of online learning and teaching via HyFlex ('Hybrid-Flexible') and face-to-face classes. HyFlex means students will have the flexibility to remain in their hometown massage therapy clinics and communities. Teaching occurs using a mix of online learning, practical experience, and traditional classroom teaching during compulsory block courses in Invercargill.
Three years full-time
2025 Semester 1: 10 February to 21 November
This programme is eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme.
International Fees can be found here.
SIT's Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage was the first named massage degree programme to be approved in New Zealand. It has been taught since 2002 and students have been graduating since 2004. Health care delivery has moved beyond clinical competence and beyond copying previously successful clinicians. Today's practitioners need to relate to a wider health care team and respond to the expressed needs and expectations of families, pressure groups, professionals and the wider community (Higgs & Edwards, 1999).
Backed by SIT's recognised infrastructures and academic community, the programme promotes research driven education, strong training in a community based clinic, and exceeds suggested industry requirements in both academic areas and clinical practice.
Graduating students from this degree have good opportunities for employment, both nationally and internationally.
Graduates are critical thinking, reflective practitioners with technical and professional competence, sound reasoning and research literacy, and have a capacity to manage knowledge and its acquisition during their working lives.
The Year 3 programme is available via Blended Delivery flexibility to remain in their home town massage therapy clinics and communities.
Year 3 is comprised of four papers, MT7340, MT7350, MT7360, MT7370. Each paper is 30 credits. All four papers are now taught using blended/HyFlex delivery. These papers will challenge and develop your skills, knowledge and clinical practice in massage therapy. Approximately 320 massage therapy clinical / industry hours are completed within papers MT7350, MT7360 and MT7370.
Send us an email to learn more.
Learn More about Blended Learning for our Year 3 of the Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage
Year One (120 credits)
Aim: To train wellness and relaxation massage therapists who can work independently and communicate with other professionals.
Course content:
REHB5601 Massage Theory to Practice (15 credits)
REHB5602 Wellness Dimensions and Client-Centred Care (15 credits)
REHB5603 Musculoskeletal Surface Anatomy (15 credits)
REHB5604 Human Anatomy and Physiology (15 credits)
REHB5605 Sports Massage
REHB5606 Te Hīhiri (15 credits)
REHB5607 The Professional Practitioner (15 credits)
REHB5608 Relaxation and Wellness Massage Clinical Practice (15 credits)
Year Two (120 credits)
Aim: Equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to provide remedial massage services and progress to higher-level massage therapy qualifications.
Click here for more details on each paper, including compulsory block courses and online sessions
REHB6601 Functional Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (15 credits)
REHB6602 Advanced Techniques 1 (15 credits)
REHB6603 Pathology for Massage Therapy (15 credits)
REHB6604 Clinical Practice 1 (15 credits)
REHB6605 Massage for Physical Performance (15 credits)
REHB6606 Advanced Techniques 2 (15 credits)
REHB6607 Research for Massage Practitioners (15 credits)
REHB6608 Clinical Practice 2 (15 credits)
Year Three - HyFlex Delivery (120 credits)
Aim: The aim is to prepare graduates who are independent health care professionals who work with people of all ages and varying stages of health and wellness. Graduates will provide culturally safe massage therapy practice in a variety of social and cultural contexts. They will comprehend, critique and apply knowledge within a legal and ethical framework which recognises the values of the individual and other health professions. Graduates will be versed in evidence based practice supported by research.
MT7340 Research and Advanced Professional Development (full year)
To enable the student to conduct small-scale research, undertake data analysis, draw conclusions and report findings in a scientific format.
Credits: 30
MT7350 Advanced Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Practice IIITo provide the student with an advanced clinical placement to develop and apply further skills in clinic management, differential diagnosis, clinical reasoning and wellness and rehabilitation interventions. Students will demonstrate independence and accountability in clinical practice. Students will develop a business plan for their “own business”; and apply skills in operating a business in Clinical Practice III.
MT7360 Advanced Professional Studies
This paper is designed to further develop the personal growth and professional knowledge and skills of advancing practitioners within a clinical and industry setting.
MT7370 Therapeutics III
This paper enables massage therapists to develop knowledge and skills in wellness and rehabilitation principles and practices for a range of musculoskeletal conditions. The student will be able to apply this knowledge to wellness and rehabilitation massage therapy interventions for a range of client groups in clinical or industry settings.
Graduates may work as therapists and sport massage specialists in the following settings:
Therapeutic and sports massage specialists will work with individuals and groups of all ages, assisting those recovering from or dealing with injury, illness or disability, as well as individuals and groups looking for stress management intervention and injury prevention strategies.
School Leavers
NCEA Level 3 - three subjects at Level 3, made up of:
Mature ApplicantsApplicants in this category will have achieved the age of 20 by March 1 of the first year of enrolment in the programme and have provided evidence of relevant prior learning and experience.
Provisional Part-time AdmissionAn applicant who does not meet academic criteria may be provisionally admitted to enrol in one or more Year One papers. Upon successful completion of the papers, the student may apply for special admission or admission by mature entry.
Additional CriteriaIn addition, the following requirements also apply to applicants in all admissions and categories:
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 6 with no band score lower than 5.5 TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score 5 TWE) TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 60 (with a writing score of 18) Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools or C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill. OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic) Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42 Language Cert - C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than distinction in any band
* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current
In order to be awarded the Bachelor of Therapeutic and Sports Massage (BTSM), a student must have been credited with all required papers as specified in the programme schedule.
A student undertaking the BTSM will normally complete the programme within three years. Please note: students failing to attend for 80% of timetable programme hours may forfeit their Zero Fees entitlement.
Graduates can continue their education with:
Master of Applied Health Sciences (Wellness and Rehabilitation)
Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Health Science (Wellness and Rehabilitation)
Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Health Science (Wellness and Rehabilitation)
All timetables for Term 1 will be available in early February 2024.