Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Durham PA

How to Enroll In a Cosmetology School near Durham Pennsylvania

nail technicians training at Durham PA beauty school Since you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Durham PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction 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 confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Durham residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the best option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

Durham PA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally 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 term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Durham PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide range of specializations including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As earlier stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

Durham PA hairdresser cutting hair There are primarily two avenues available to get cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Durham PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you opt for, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Cosmetology Training

student attending cosmetology school online in Durham PA Online beauty programs are convenient for Durham PA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Degree Programs

Questions to ask Durham PA beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Durham PA residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology college you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 18039 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Durham PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Durham PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Durham PA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology 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 program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s imperative that he or she gets help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develope relationships with Durham PA employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Durham PA?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Durham PA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

Pennsylvania Route 413

Pennsylvania Route 413 (PA 413) is a 31-mile-long (50 km), north–south state highway in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The route runs from the New Jersey state line on the Burlington-Bristol Bridge over the Delaware River outside Bristol, where it continues as Route 413 into New Jersey, to PA 611 in Bedminster Township. The route passes through the lower and central portions of Bucks County, serving Bristol, Levittown, Langhorne, Newtown, and Buckingham. The route intersects U.S. Route 13 (US 13) and Interstate 95 (I-95) near Bristol, I-295 near Penndel, US 1 in Langhorne Manor, and US 202 in Buckingham.

The modern-day alignment of PA 413 roughly follows the Durham Road, an 18th-century road that connected Bristol to upper Bucks County. PA 413 was originally designated in 1928 to run from US 309 (Main Street) in Sellersville east to PA 113 in Blooming Glen. The route was extended to US 122 (now US 202) in Buckingham by 1930. In 1946, the northern terminus was moved to US 611 in Pipersville, with portions of the route between Sellersville and Pipersville becoming parts of PA 113 and PA 152. The route was also extended south to US 13 in Bristol by this time, replacing PA 101 between Bristol and Penndel and PA 113 between Penndel and Buckingham. The route was extended south to its current terminus and moved to its current alignment between Bristol and Penndel by 1950. In 1977, PA 413 was routed to bypass Newtown.

PA 413 begins at the Burlington-Bristol Bridge over the Delaware River in Bristol Township, Bucks County, where the road continues south into Burlington, New Jersey as Route 413. From the bridge, PA 413 heads north as two-lane undivided Veterans Highway, passing over the abandoned Maple Beach community before curving northwest and back north through woodland. The route heads into industrial areas and widens into a four-lane road, bending northeast and crossing Conrail Shared Assets Operations' Bristol Industrial Track. PA 413 turns northwest at an intersection with Otter Street and passes under Amtrak's Northeast Corridor before it reaches an intersection with US 13. Past this intersection, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway and passes between homes to the west and a shopping center to the east, at which point it forms the border between Bristol Township to the west and the borough of Bristol to the east. The route fully enters Bristol Township again and continues through residential areas with a few businesses as a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane, passing to the west of the Lower Bucks Campus of Bucks County Community College. PA 413 becomes a six-lane divided highway as it comes to a ramp that provides access to I-95 to the west.[2][3]

Select the Right Cosmetologist College near Durham PA

Durham PA barber blow drying client's hair Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Durham PA.