Bachelor's Degree in Aesthetics

If your career path involves you becoming an esthetician, then you should plan to attend a beauty school or a college of cosmetology to complete your degree program. While a Bachelor's degree in aesthetics is not mandatory for this career path, it will ultimately help you as you begin seeking employment and will likely factor in as to how successful you are in this field. Of course, prior to beginning this course of study you must have obtained your high school diploma. This educational path will consist of classroom courses and hands on laboratory classes. Many learning institutions recommend that their potential graduates choose an area of emphasis

Common choices for focus are: facial equipment, facial masks, waxing and hair removal, chemical peels and techniques, exfoliation, skin analysis, body wraps, cleansing techniques, salon business management, and makeup artistry. Upon completion of your degree program, you will be required to earn a passing score on the state licensing exam for estheticians. Therefore, you will want to be sure that you obtain all of the information that you possibly can while completing your course work. Depending upon which post-secondary school you decide to attend you may be required to complete an internship prior to graduation.

While you may not think this is a necessary requirement that should precede graduation, it will likely positively influence how well you do on your licensing exam. Furthermore, some schools help their graduates find employment following graduation. Should you decide to further your educational degree level; many schools will help you complete the requirements to gain entry into the program of your choice. After gaining your certification as an esthetician, you can also choose to continue your education by becoming a cosmetologist, or by entering a program to become a medical esthetician.

As you begin your career as an esthetician, you will spend your time working with clients to help them improve the appearance of their skin. This will involve you applying your skills set and knowledge in order to create a skin care plan that will specifically fit each of your clients. You will spend much of your time conducting skin care services such as: facial mask applications, deep pore cleanses, analysis of facial skin, and facial massages. It will be crucial to your success that you can effectively communicate with your clientele, choose appropriate skin care treatments, and recommend cosmetics and skin care products. This will require that you stay abreast of current cosmetic related trends and that you know the advantages and disadvantages of each.

It is important to note that regardless of the type of setting you plan to work within, you must first pass your licensing exam before you will be eligible for work. If it is your ultimate goal to open your own salon or business, you will likely benefit from also completing course work related to business management. In addition, estheticians should be prepared to take continuing education courses. This will help to broaden their skills base, which in turn will likely influence their clientele and success rate.

Duties of an Aesthetics

The industry really has opened up over the last 5 or so years as more and more aestheticians are using aromatherapy to help treat clients. Your Bachelor’s degree in Aesthetics will give you a great foundation to build upon as you work in your career. Some of the more detailed duties you’ll have when you start your career include:

- Facials
- Facial Waxing
- Chemical and Soft Peels
- Aromatherapy
- Makeup Techniques

Aesthetics Programs & Courses

A typical Bachelor’s degree will consist of 120 credit hours in which more than half will be core aesthetic related courses including:

- Clinical Dermatology
- Biosciences
- Advanced Facial Treatments
- Medical Terminology
- Business Management
- Professional Communications
- Eyelashes
- Chemical Skin Peels
- Microdermabrasion
- Dermal Therapy
- Tool Sanitation

Career Opportunities

Some of the possible career as an aesthetician has once they graduate with their degree include:

- Aesthetics Clinics
- Physician’s Office
- Fitness Facilities
- Aesthetic Nursing
- Medical Spa
- Hospitals

Salary
Estheticians make on average $37,500 per year. The top 10% earn $42,885. The projected job growth is 30%. We have seen a few postings online where we see some opportunity for a trained aesthetician for $60,000-$70,000.