Study Cosmetology Birmingham AL

How to Pick the Right Beauty School near Birmingham Alabama

Birmingham AL beauty salonNow that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Birmingham AL, the process starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Birmingham home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right option. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

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Definition of Cosmetology

Birmingham AL makeup school studentCosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Birmingham AL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety 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 have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

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Cosmetologist Degrees

Birmingham AL hair design student cutting hairThere are essentially two options offered to get cosmetology 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 typically take 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 trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Birmingham AL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Alabama Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Cosmetology Schools

Birmingham AL student attending online beauty schoolOnline cosmetology classes are advantageous for Birmingham AL students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Training Courses

Questions to ask Birmingham AL cosmetology schoolsBelow is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Birmingham AL home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 35201 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 Birmingham AL businesses 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 cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Birmingham AL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Alabama school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some beauty 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 example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in Birmingham AL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s important that he or she gets help in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Birmingham AL businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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 Assistance Offered?  Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be available.

Study Cosmetology Birmingham Alabama

Birmingham AL nail tech students in trainingPicking and enrolling in the right cosmetology college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in Study Cosmetology and learning more about the topic Cosmetology Academy. So make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Birmingham AL.

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    Birmingham, Alabama

    Birmingham (/ˈbɜːrmɪŋhæm/ BUR-ming-ham) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. With an estimated 2018 population of 209,880, it is the most populous city in Alabama.[4] Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous and fifth largest county. As of 2018, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 1,151,801, making it the most populous in Alabama and 49th-most populous in the United States. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions of the nation.

    Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, through the merger of three farm towns, most notably Elyton. The new city was named for Birmingham, England, the UK's second largest city and, at the time, a major industrial center. The Alabama city annexed smaller neighbors and developed as an industrial center, based on mining, the new iron and steel industry, and rail transport. Most of the original settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry.[5] The city was developed as a place where cheap, non-unionized immigrant labor (primarily Irish and Italian), along with African-American labor from rural Alabama, could work in the city's steel mills and blast furnaces, giving it a competitive advantage over unionized industrial cities in the Midwest and Northeast.[6]:14

    From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was a primary industrial center of the southern United States. Its rapid growth from 1881 through 1920 earned it the nicknames "The Magic City" and "The Pittsburgh of the South". Its major industries were iron and steel production. Major components of the railroad industry, rails and railroad cars, were manufactured in Birmingham. Since the 1860s, the two primary hubs of railroading in the "Deep South" have been Birmingham and Atlanta. The economy diversified in the latter half of the 20th century. Banking, telecommunications, transportation, electrical power transmission, medical care, college education, and insurance have become major economic activities. Birmingham ranks as one of the largest banking centers in the U.S. Also, it is among the most important business centers in the Southeast.

     

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