Studies & Degrees in Cosmetology
Cosmetology Study Programs
Cosmetology is the study and practice of beauty treatments for hair, skin and nails. Kirtland Community College in Michigan, one of the schools in this list, describes it as the study and application of beauty treatments, encompassing hairstyling, skincare, nail care and makeup artistry. The word is used mainly in the United States; in the United Kingdom, Australia and Spain the same training is usually split into hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy.
Training is practical. Students learn to cut, colour and style hair, to give skin, nail and make-up treatments, and to work safely with chemicals and tools. Programmes also cover sanitation, customer service and salon management, and a large part of the hours is spent on real clients in a training salon.
Qualifications and levels
Cosmetology is vocational training. How it is organised depends on the country.
- United States. All states require barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists to be licensed, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Candidates typically graduate from a state-approved cosmetology programme and then pass an exam, which has a written test and in some states a practical or oral part. Programmes usually lead to a certificate or another postsecondary non-degree award, and the requirements differ from state to state. Kirtland Community College, for example, offers a cosmetology certificate, an Associate in Applied Science and an esthetician certificate; its cosmetology students complete 1,500 clock hours, the certificate can be earned in one year, and the programme is approved by the State of Michigan. Skincare specialists (estheticians) follow a state-approved cosmetology or esthetician programme.
- Spain. Hair and beauty training belongs to the vocational training (FP) family Imagen Personal. Its official qualifications include Técnico en Peluquería y Cosmética Capilar, an intermediate cycle (grado medio) of 2,000 hours that is open to holders of the compulsory secondary education certificate, and higher cycles (grado superior) such as Técnico Superior en Estética Integral y Bienestar, also 2,000 hours, and Técnico Superior en Estilismo y Dirección de Peluquería. Private academies also teach their own courses: C&C Academia Casanova lists hairdressing courses of 14 and 24 months. Ask a private academy what recognition its qualification has.
- United Kingdom. Further education colleges teach hairdressing, barbering and beauty therapy by level. Cornwall College, for example, covers hairdressing, barbering, beauty therapy, make-up artistry and complementary therapies, with courses for school leavers and adults and a Level 2 hairdressing apprenticeship.
A licence or qualification from one country, or one US state, is not automatically valid in another. Students who plan to work somewhere else after training should ask the licensing authority there what it accepts.
Where to study cosmetology
SpainExchange lists 22 active schools for cosmetology. Fifteen are in the United States and three in the United Kingdom; Greece, Australia, Spain and Argentina have one each. Most of the US schools are community and technical colleges, among them Kirtland Community College, Alamance Community College, Somerset Community College, Century College and Citrus College. In the United Kingdom the list has Cornwall College, Gloucestershire College and West Thames College. It also includes Holmesglen in Australia, the Nikos Amarantos hairdressing school in Athens, C&C Academia Casanova in Badalona and Fundación CIEP in Villa María, Argentina.
Teaching is in the language of the country, and the work depends on talking to clients, so a good working level of that language is needed from the first day in the training salon.
Careers
Graduates work as hairstylists, barbers, colourists, nail technicians, make-up artists and skincare specialists in salons, spas and retail, and many become self-employed or open their own salon. In Spain the official profile of the higher cycle in aesthetics lists roles such as beautician, technical director of a beauty business or spa, and micropigmentation technician.
In the United States the BLS projects overall employment of barbers, hairstylists and cosmetologists to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 80,300 openings a year, and employment of skincare specialists to grow 9 percent over the same period.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to study cosmetology?
It depends on the country and the qualification. Kirtland Community College in Michigan requires 1,500 clock hours and says its certificate can be earned in one year. The official Spanish cycles in hairdressing and aesthetics have 2,000 hours each.
Do I need a licence to work as a cosmetologist?
In the United States, yes: all states require a licence, obtained after a state-approved programme and an exam. Elsewhere the rules differ, so check the requirements of the country where you want to work.
Is cosmetology the same as beauty therapy?
Not exactly. Cosmetology in the US sense covers hair, skin, nails and make-up in one programme. In the United Kingdom and Spain hairdressing and beauty therapy or aesthetics are usually separate courses.
Can I use a cosmetology licence in another country?
Not automatically. Licence requirements vary even between US states, so ask the authority of the place where you plan to work whether it recognises your training.