How to Find the Best Esthetics Course near College Park Maryland
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near College Park MD, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your College Park residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only College Park MD beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:
- Estheticians
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
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Esthetician Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two options available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other College Park MD business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Maryland Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.
Online Esthetician Training
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for College Park MD students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your College Park home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 options 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 Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 20740 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous College Park MD employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying 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 College Park MD salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Maryland 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 Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a College Park MD beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included 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 offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that he or she receives aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with College Park MD businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Evening Esthetician Colleges Near Me College Park Maryland
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses 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 beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Evening Esthetician Colleges Near Me and wanting more information on the topic Esthetician Schools. However, if you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in College Park MD.
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College Park, Maryland
The City of College Park is in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States,[5] and is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the northeast border of Washington, D.C. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 United States Census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the National Archives at College Park, a facility of the U.S. National Archives, as well as to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP).[6]
College Park was developed beginning in 1889 near the Maryland Agricultural College (later the University of Maryland) and the College Station stop of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The suburb was incorporated in 1945 and included the subdivisions of College Park, Lakeland, Berwyn, Oak Spring, Branchville, Daniel's Park, and Hollywood.
The original College Park subdivision was first plotted in 1872 by Eugene Campbell. The area remained undeveloped and was re-platted in 1889 by John O. Johnson and Samuel Curriden, Washington real estate developers. The original 125-acre (0.51 km2) tract was divided into a grid-street pattern with long, narrow building lots, with a standard lot size of 50 feet (15 m) by 200 feet (61 m). College Park developed rapidly, catering to those who were seeking to escape the crowded Washington, D.C., as well as to a rapidly expanding staff of college faculty and employees.
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