Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Clarksville TN

How to Select a Beauty School near Clarksville Tennessee

nail technicians training at Clarksville TN beauty school Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Clarksville TN, the process starts to find and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear 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 upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Clarksville home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not always the right option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

Clarksville TN makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Clarksville TN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by 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 previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees

Clarksville TN hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two options available to receive cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Clarksville TN business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, 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 essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Cosmetology Training

student attending cosmetology school online in Clarksville TN Online beauty schools are accommodating for Clarksville TN students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant 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 many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. 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 Cosmetology Degree Programs

Questions to ask Clarksville TN beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Clarksville TN residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 37040 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Clarksville TN employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references 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. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Clarksville TN salon owners or managers, or anyone 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 thought of. And last, consult the Tennessee 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 Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad 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 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. 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 dream is to start a hair salon in Clarksville TN, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s crucial that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Clarksville TN employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, 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 respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Clarksville TN?

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

Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States.[8] It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.[9] The city had a population of 132,929 at the 2010 census, and an estimated population of 153,205 in 2017.[10]

It is the principal central city of the Clarksville, TN–KY metropolitan statistical area, which consists of Montgomery and Stewart Counties in Tennessee, and Christian and Trigg Counties in Kentucky. The city was founded in 1785 and incorporated in 1807,[11] and named for General George Rogers Clark, frontier fighter and Revolutionary War hero,[2] and brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.[12]

Clarksville is the home of Austin Peay State University; The Leaf-Chronicle, the oldest newspaper in Tennessee; and neighbor to the Fort Campbell, United States Army base. Site of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell is located about 10 miles (16 km) from downtown Clarksville, straddling the Tennessee-Kentucky state line. While the post office for the base is located on the Kentucky side, the majority of the base's acreage is on the Tennessee side.

Pick the Right Beauty Program near Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN barber blow drying client's hair Finding and enrolling in the ideal beauty college is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Clarksville TN.