How to Choose the Right Esthetician Program Near Douglasville Georgia

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Douglasville GA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Douglasville residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the best choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of courses are available.

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Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

There are primarily two options available to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate's degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate's degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Douglasville GA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it's important to make certain that it's approved by the Georgia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Douglasville GA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Douglasville residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Douglasville GA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Douglasville GA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Georgia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a Douglasville GA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Douglasville GA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Douglasville

Enroll in the Best Douglasville Esthetician Course

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Douglasville Georgia.

 

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