Online education has become increasingly popular over the past two decades. Although the rate has slowed for the first time in more than a decade, more and more students continue to head online for their degrees. According the latest Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States, an annual report by the Babson Survey Research Group, about 5.3 million students have taken at least one online course in the Fall of 2013, which was an increase of 3.7 percent.
Online education is an increasingly popular way to learn
Because practical, hands-on education is so important to technical school education, these programs have faced more difficulty in finding a place online. However, getting an online cosmetology degree has become easier the past few years, even though there are still some hurdles in the way.
Where Can You Get an Online Cosmetology Degree?
Several schools have started offering courses towards an online cosmetology degree. When searching for a school, you want to be sure that it is accredited and adheres to your state’s guidelines. The most important component of any cosmetology school is that you earn the qualifications needed to not just get your degree but to also sit for the exam to get your license. Therefore, you want to be sure that your state licensing board has approved any online education program in which you enroll.
It is becoming easier to get your cosmetology degree online
Many online programs are actually a hybrid, which means that the book learning is handled online but the technical skills are still learned in person. Therefore, you may want to check with your local beauty schools and community colleges to see if they offer any online courses.
What States Allow Online Learning?
One of the biggest hurdles to getting an online cosmetology degree is simply that many state licensing boards do not allow it. Some states have explicitly said no, while others do not have any statues against it, or they only allow it for theory and select topics. Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin are currently the only states that allow at least some form of online learning, according to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools.
Signing Up is Easy
If you live in a state that allows online cosmetology degree, then it is easy to get your online cosmetology degree. You simply have to find an approved college and enroll in the courses, which will be similar to what you would learn in-person. Some programs run on the same semester-based system, while others may allow for self-paced work.
Even if you do an online program, you may have to do in-person practical training
However, you may have to go to a salon or beauty school for a set number of practical education hours before you can graduate. Once you complete your education, you receive your diploma and can sit for your state’s licensing exam.
What About Continuing Education?
Continuing education is the area where online cosmetology courses thrive because more states allow it. For completing your continuing education courses online, you simply have to sign up for a course and complete it to receive your credits and certificate of completion. Many of these programs allow you to do it on your own time, making it easy do around your schedule.
How Can Beauty Academy Help?
With Beauty Academy, you can get your CEs anytime, anywhere
Beauty Academy offers continuing education courses online approved by several state licensing boards, including Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. We are continually working with state boards to add to our list of approved states. The program is tailored to each state and includes all the required courses for your state. It is easy, hassle free, and cost effective solution for cosmetologists, nail technicians, estheticians, and more.
If you are looking for an online solution for your continuing education, check out Beauty Academy’s courses.