How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician Program Near Greenville South Carolina
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Greenville SC, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Greenville residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs are available.
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Esthetics Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues available to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Greenville SC business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it's essential to make certain that it's recognized by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Greenville SC students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Greenville residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected 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 training program you select 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring 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, numerous Greenville SC employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify 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 contacts with Greenville SC salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Greenville SC beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Greenville SC employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Greenville
Enroll in the Right Greenville Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Greenville South Carolina.
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