Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Oklahoma City OK

How to Select a Beauty College near Oklahoma City Oklahoma

nail technicians training at Oklahoma City OK beauty school Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Oklahoma City OK, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Oklahoma City home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Oklahoma City OK makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Oklahoma City OK beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some 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, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

Oklahoma City OK hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially two pathways offered to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Oklahoma City OK business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Cosmetology Courses

student attending cosmetology school online in Oklahoma City OK Online cosmetology schools are advantageous for Oklahoma City OK students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetology Degree Programs

Questions to ask Oklahoma City OK beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Oklahoma City OK home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 73101 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Oklahoma City OK employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetologist institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Oklahoma City OK salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Oklahoma school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that specializes in 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a hair salon in Oklahoma City OK, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s essential that he or she gets support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develope relationships with Oklahoma City OK businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Oklahoma City OK?

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

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City (/oʊkləˌhoʊmə -/), often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County,[8] the city ranks 27th among United States cities in population. The population grew following the 2010 Census, with the population estimated to have increased to 643,648 as of July 2017.[5] As of 2015, the Oklahoma City metropolitan area had a population of 1,358,452,[9] and the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,459,758 (Chamber of Commerce) residents,[9] making it Oklahoma's largest metropolitan area.

Oklahoma City's city limits extend into Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties, though much of those areas outside the core Oklahoma County area are suburban or rural (watershed). The city ranks as the eighth-largest city in the United States by land area (including consolidated city-counties; it is the largest city in the United States by land area after Houston, whose government is similarly not consolidated with that of a county or borough).

Lying in the Great Plains region, Oklahoma City has one of the world's largest livestock markets.[10] Oil, natural gas, petroleum products and related industries are the largest sector of the local economy. The city is in the middle of an active oil field and oil derricks dot the capitol grounds. The federal government employs large numbers of workers at Tinker Air Force Base and the United States Department of Transportation's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (these two sites house several offices of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Department's Enterprise Service Center, respectively).

Find the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Oklahoma City OK

Oklahoma City OK barber blow drying client's hair Finding and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter 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 prepared to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Oklahoma City OK.