How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Program Near Greer South Carolina
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Greer SC, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain 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 Greer home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetics Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues available to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate's degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate's degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Greer SC business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you opt for, it's important to make certain that it's approved by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Greer SC students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Greer residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Greer SC employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Greer SC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the South Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 aspiration is to launch a Greer 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology 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 real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Greer SC businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad 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 considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Greer
Enroll in the Right Greer Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Greer South Carolina.