How to Choose the Best Cosmetology College near Gloucester Massachusetts
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Gloucester MA, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the distinction 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 little bit further regarding that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Gloucester home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
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Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Gloucester MA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
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Cosmetologist Degrees
There are basically two avenues offered to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Gloucester MA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology classes are accommodating for Gloucester MA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetology Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Gloucester MA home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school you enroll in 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 01930 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 Gloucester MA 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? Any cosmetologist college 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 testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Gloucester MA salon owners or managers, or anyone 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 thought of. And finally, check with the Massachusetts 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 Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Gloucester MA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s important that he or she receives aid in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Gloucester MA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, 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 Offered? The majority of beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with 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 available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Online Cosmetology School Gloucester Massachusetts
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal beauty program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in Online Cosmetology School and learning more about the topic Beauty Education. So be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start 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. If you start with that foundation, 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 proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Gloucester MA.
Other Beautiful Massachusetts Locations
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester /ˈɡlɒstər/ is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census.[2] An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam, Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia, Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester.
The boundaries of Gloucester originally included the town of Rockport, in an area dubbed "Sandy Bay". That village separated formally on February 27, 1840. In 1873, Gloucester was reincorporated as a city.
Gloucester was founded at Cape Ann by an expedition called the "Dorchester Company" of men from Dorchester (in the county of Dorset, England) chartered by James I in 1623. It was one of the first English settlements in what would become the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and predates both Salem in 1626 and Boston in 1630. The first company of pioneers made landing at Half Moon Beach and settled nearby, setting up fishing stages in a field in what is now Stage Fort Park. This settlement's existence is proclaimed today by a memorial tablet, affixed to a 50-foot (15 m) boulder in that park.
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