Merit Award
$2,500 – $6,000
For applicants with documented prior bodywork training, a published case study, or 1,000+ hours of independent practice. Letters of reference must speak to hands-on skill, not academic record.
Cohort XII · Enrollment Open
Applications are open for the Spring 2026 cohort.
The 600-hour Meridian Therapy Master Track convenes its twelfth cohort in Boulder, Colorado. Applications close February 14, 2026. Interviews run through March. Orientation begins April 6. Read the calendar below, weigh the tuition figures, then submit your application when you are ready.
Tuition & Investment
Three tracks. One standard of clinical mastery.
All figures are in U.S. dollars and reflect the 2026 academic year. Tuition includes supervised clinical practicum, weekly rounds, and lifetime access to the Clinical Shiatsu Journal archive. Materials and textbooks are listed separately so you can source them on your own terms.
| Line Item | Meridian Therapy Master Track |
Continuing Education (per 100-hr module) |
International Placement (14-country network) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $18,400 | $3,950 | $22,900 |
| Clinical Practicum Hours | 600 hrs | 40 hrs | 600 hrs |
| Weekly Clinical Rounds | Included | Optional add-on | Included |
| Textbooks & Materials (est.) | $420 | $140 | $420 + $310 visa support |
| AOBTA / IASI Credential | Both, on graduation | Module certificate | Both, on graduation |
| Payment Plan | 12 months, 0% interest | 3 months, 0% interest | 18 months, 0% interest |
Veterans, active-duty service members, and dependents may apply the GI Bill® toward the Master Track. International applicants should review the visa-support line item; our admissions office can coordinate with your local consulate.
Cohort XII Calendar
Five dates. One decisive year.
The Spring 2026 cohort runs April through December. Each milestone below is firm; please do not apply if you cannot attend orientation in Boulder in person.
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01
Application Closes
14 February 2026
All materials — application form, two letters of reference, a 600-word personal statement, and a 10-minute video of hands-on work — must be received by 23:59 MT. Late submissions are held for Cohort XIII.
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02
Interview Window
23 February – 27 March 2026
A 45-minute virtual interview with a faculty member and a current student. Practical assessment scheduled separately for shortlisted candidates. Decisions released weekly on Thursdays.
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03
Orientation & First Week
06 April 2026
A six-day in-person orientation at the Boulder campus. Students meet their clinical mentor, receive their practicum placement, and begin supervised work with real patients in week one.
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04
Certification Ceremony
12 December 2026
Graduation and presentation of AOBTA and IASI credentials at the Pearl Street auditorium. Family and partners welcome. Cohort XIII application window opens the following Monday.
Scholarship Pipeline
$2.1M disbursed since 2019. Four named tracks for Cohort XII.
Scholarship funds are applied directly to tuition and do not require repayment. A single application covers all four tracks; the committee reviews each file against every award. Decisions are released alongside admissions decisions.
Diversity in Bodywork
$3,000 – $8,000
Established to broaden the practitioner base across race, gender, age, ability, and socioeconomic background. Recipients join a peer mentorship circle that meets quarterly through graduation.
Veterans & Service Members
Up to full tuition
Open to U.S. veterans, active-duty personnel, and their dependents. Stacks with the GI Bill®. Includes a dedicated transition counselor and a 12-month post-graduation placement concierge.
International Bridge
$4,000 – $10,000
For applicants traveling to Boulder from outside the United States. Funds cover visa-support fees, the first 90 days of housing, and one return flight home during the program.
Scholarship funds do not require repayment and may be combined with a 0% payment plan. The committee meets three times during the application window; the final round closes 28 March 2026.
Admissions Philosophy
A dialogue, not a gate.
We do not believe a license to practice bodywork begins with a credential. It begins with hands that listen.
The admissions committee reads every application twice — once for hands-on aptitude, once for personal discipline. We look for prior exposure to bodywork of any kind: a weekend workshop, a formal apprenticeship, six months of independent practice on family and friends. We do not require a prior degree, a specific age, or a particular background. The personal statement should describe a moment when touch changed how you understood another person. The video should show your hands at work on a willing partner, lit from a single window, in three minutes or less.
We interview every shortlisted applicant because Shiatsu is a relational practice, and a transcript cannot tell us whether you will be a careful clinician. Our completion rate is 92% because we admit people we believe can finish, and we support them when the work gets hard. If you are uncertain whether you are ready, apply anyway — the interview is where that question gets answered honestly.
— Master Hiroshi Tanaka, Founder & Lineage Holder, Namikoshi Tradition
Outcomes by the Numbers
The four facts a serious applicant weighs first.
- Graduate Placement within 90 days
- 84%
- Certified Practitioners since 2003
- 4,800+
- Hiring Partner Clinics
- 1,247
- Cohort Completion Rate, 2020 – 2024
- 92%
Verified by independent audit, 2023.
Across 14 countries.
Actively recruiting Shiatsu Pro graduates.
Across all programs, all locations.