How to Select the Right Aesthetician School Near Des Moines Iowa
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Des Moines IA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Des Moines residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are offered.
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Esthetics Certificates and Degrees
There are primarily two options available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate's degree. Certificate programs usually call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate's degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Des Moines IA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you opt for, it's important to make sure that it's recognized by the Iowa Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.
Online Esthetician Programs
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Des Moines IA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Des Moines residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Des Moines IA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Des Moines IA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Iowa school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a Des Moines IA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Des Moines IA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Des Moines Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Des Moines Iowa.
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