# Title 49 — Massage Therapy, Board of

## Article 49-02 — Educational Requirements for Licensure

## Chapter 49-02-03 — Practical Instruction

### § 49-02-03-01. Hours of practical instruction.

The seven hundred fifty total hours of supervised instruction required under this article must include
at least two hundred fifty hours of practical instruction, consisting of practical application and clinical
practice. "Hours of practical instruction" means actual hours of providing massage to another person, or
receiving massage from a fellow student, under the direct supervision of a licensed massage therapist.
In order to provide direct supervision, the licensed massage therapist must have at least three years of
licensed, hands-on experience as a massage therapist.
History: Effective January 1, 2001; amended effective January 1, 2005; January 1, 2017.
General Authority: NDCC 28-32-02, 43-25-07
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-25-07
### § 49-02-03-02. Direct supervision of students.

As used in this chapter and in North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-25, "direct supervision of a
licensed massage therapist" has the following meaning:
1. For a student receiving practical instruction in the classroom setting, the supervising massage
therapist must be in the same room as the student at all times during the massage. A
massage therapist may supervise up to eight massages at a time (sixteen students) under this
subsection.
2. For a student receiving practical instruction through field experience, internship, externship, or
a student clinic, the supervising massage therapist must be present on the premises at all
times during the massage, which means the instructor is readily accessible to the students at
all times. A massage therapist may supervise up to eight massages at a time, sixteen
students, under this subsection.
3. Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, a supervising massage therapist must
exercise an appropriate degree of supervision at all times. Failure to do so is grounds for
disciplinary action by the board.
4. Any student practicing outside of the student's school under a field experience, internship, or
externship in North Dakota must be supervised by a licensed massage therapist with a
minimum of three years of experience. Before applying massage techniques to a member of
the public, under a field experience, internship, or externship, a student must have completed,
or received prior education credit for, at least two hundred twenty-five hours of classroom
instruction and at least one hundred fifty hours of practical instruction in the classroom setting.
A Facility that contracts with a school to provide field experience, internship, or externship
experiences for students may continue to charge the facility's usual fees for the services the
student performs. Students may not be paid for providing these services. Students may
accept tips only, directly from the client.
5. A student attending a North Dakota massage therapy school shall have at least one hundred
fifty hours of instruction before beginning to practice on the public. A student may accept tips
only, directly from the client. A student is not allowed any other remuneration for providing
massage services.

History: Effective January 1, 2001; amended effective July 1, 2010; January 1, 2017; April 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 28-32-02, 43-25-07
Law Implemented: NDCC 43-25-04, 43-25-07
### § 49-02-03-03. Required curriculum.

Repealed effective January 1, 2017.
