MaKami College
Former name | MaKami College of Massage and Holistic Arts |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent Academic Institution |
| Established | 2001 |
| Founder | Marija Pavkovic Tovissi |
Officer in charge | Marija Pavkovic Tovissi |
| Students | 2000+[citation needed] |
| Location | , Alberta , Canada 53°32′23″N 113°25′24″W / 53.5397°N 113.4232°W (Edmonton location) |
| Mascot | MaKami Max |
| Website | makamicollege |
 | |
MaKami College is a publicly-funded career college in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[1] It was incorporated in Edmonton in 2001 as a for-profit private career college, and was designated an independent academic institution in Alberta in 2023. The college became a not-for-profit educational institution in 2024.[2]
History
[edit]MaKami College was founded as a vocational school in Edmonton in 2001 by Marija Pavkovic Tovissi, specializing in massage therapy. The school originally struggled to find an insurer and created its own insurance company to solve this problem. It has expanded to include early childhood education, personal trainer, medical office assistant, health care aide, master instructor, business administration, security, and applied politics.[3]
In 2013, MaKami College opened a second campus in Calgary.[4] In 2019, MaKami College's Edmonton campus moved into the Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre, in a location formerly occupied by the department store Sears.[5] In 2021, a second Calgary location opened in the Marlborough Mall, also in a former Sears space.[6][failed verification]
In March 2023, the school was granted Independent Academic Institution status by the government of Alberta.[7] The Parkland Institute criticized this decision, citing program duplication, the inflated costs of MaKami's programs relative to similar programs, and that the decision could permit private for-profit postsecondary schools to receive public funding in the future.[8]
Programming
[edit]MaKami College has two campuses, located in Edmonton and Calgary.
The Edmonton campus offers programs in Massage Therapy, Early Childhood Education, Personal Training, Medical Office Assistant, Health Care Aide (HCA), Business Administration, Master Instructor, Security, Applied Politics and Continuing Education.[citation needed]
The Calgary campus has programs in Massage Therapy, Early Childhood Education, Personal Training, Medical Office Assistant, Health Care Aide (HCA), Business Administration, Master Instructor, Security, Applied Politics and Continuing Education.
References
[edit]- ^ "Types of publicly funded institutions | Alberta.ca". www.alberta.ca. 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ KameaS (2025-02-06). "MaKami College Completes Transition to Not-for-Profit Educational Institution". MaKami College. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ avenuecalgary (2016-11-01). "Marija Pavkovic Tovissi". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "2014 Profit 500". ProfitGuide.com. Profit Guide. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "Massage therapy school MaKami College to set up in old Sears space in Bonnie Doon mall". EdmontonJournal.com. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "MaKami College Secures Space in Marlborough Mall". Facebook. MaKami College. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
- ^ French, Janet (July 21, 2023). "Alberta premier gives mandate to develop for-profit colleges to offer diplomas and degrees". CBC News.
- ^ "Subsidizing Profit: UCP Quietly Changes Rules for Post-Secondary Funding". Parkland Institute. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
