Makeup Education Urbandale IA

How to Select the Right Beauty School near Urbandale Iowa

Urbandale IA wedding makeup artist with client Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Urbandale IA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Urbandale residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

Urbandale IA hair stylist cutting hair Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really 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, the majority of states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Urbandale IA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates

nail techs training at Urbandale IA beauty school There are essentially two pathways available to obtain 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 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Urbandale IA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Iowa Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Cosmetology Classes

student attending online beauty school in Urbandale IA Online beauty schools are advantageous for Urbandale IA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology 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 large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Trade Schools

Questions to ask Urbandale IA cosmetology schools Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Urbandale IA home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology training program you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 50322 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Urbandale IA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Urbandale IA 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 recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Iowa school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating 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 broaden 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Urbandale IA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting 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 refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s crucial that he or she gets aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develope relationships with Urbandale IA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Considering Cosmetology Schools in Urbandale IA?

If you are considering attending Beauty School in Urbandale IA or in a nearby area, following is some interesting and useful information regarding the location of your new school campus.

Urbandale, Iowa

Urbandale is a city in Polk County and Dallas County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 39,463. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Urbandale was incorporated as a city on April 16, 1917. In its early days, Urbandale served as a streetcar suburb of Des Moines with four coal mines. Urbandale served as the end of the "Urbandale Line" after plans to build a railroad from Des Moines to Woodward were abandoned because of right-of-way issues. The coal mines had closed by the end of the 1940s while streetcar service ended in 1951.

In 1920, shortly after the city incorporated, Urbandale had 298 people. Its population in 1950 was 1,777, but the city grew rapidly after that along with the rest of Des Moines' suburbs. By 1970 Urbandale had 14,434 people, and in 2000 it had 29,072.[4] Although most of the city's developed area is in Polk County, Urbandale has expanded westward into Dallas County in recent years.

Urbandale IA barber trimming hair Selecting and enrolling in the right beauty college is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. You originally came to this website because you have an interest in learning more about Makeup Education. So 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 cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. 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 Urbandale IA.