Arkansas Hair Design Schools and Programs
If you want to make styling and cutting hair your profession, then Arkansas is a great place to spend some or all of your career. In addition, many Cosmetology Professionals start with hair cutting or designing licenses and move into other exciting careers including makeup and fashion, event planning, pageant work, and even beauty product creation. Bobbi Brown and John Frieda both started somewhere!
Cosmetology is exciting and fast paced, whether you work in a small neighborhood salon or an upscale downtown spa. So if you’re ready for a positive career change, it’s a great time to start training.
Find Hair Design Programs in Arkansas
You must attend a school that is approved by your state to provide training in the discipline you want to practice. Check with the school and the state board to be sure that your program of study will prepare you for any applicable state licensure.
Hair Cutting and Design Licensing Requirements in Arkansas
To obtain your license to cut and design hair in Arkansas, you have to complete training at an accredited school and you have to pass both a Written and a Practical Exam in English, Spanish, Korean or Vietnamese. Apprenticeships do not qualify as Training Hours. You can work as either a Cosmetologist or Barber in Arkansas and work with hair.
Both Cosmetologists and Barbers must complete 1500 Hours of Training before they will be allowed to sit for Written and Practical Exams. Once you pass your exams, the Arkansas State Board of Cosmetology will issue your license.You have to renew your license in Arkansas every two odd years before your birthday. For example, if your birthday is June 1st and you were licensed in August 2012, you will have to renew in 2015 by June 1st. Cosmetologist License renewals cost $100 and Barber License renewals cost $40. If you run your own salon, you have to renew your license annually by December 31st and the cost is $100. There are currently no CEU requirements to renew your license, but Arkansas residents keep up with all modern trends in style and beauty, so staying current is the key to having a successful career here.
If you are currently licensed in another state and you want to work as a Cosmetologist or Barber in Arkansas, you must pay $150 and submit a Reciprocity Application. Your home state will have to provide the Board with proof of the Training you’ve completed and you will have to pass the Board exams for the field you are transferring into. If you have not completed at least 1500 Training Hours in your home state, you might have to take additional exams.
Though many states will license Barber Apprentices, Arkansas will not accept apprentices that are just out of apprenticeship training from any state other than Louisiana (Louisiana requires three years of apprenticeship). You have to have some Training Hours (as determined by the Board) after your apprenticeship to transfer your license to Arkansas. However, if you have had a Barbering License for three years in your home state, you can work professionally as a Barber in Arkansas.
The Board will have the final say when it comes to transfers both from domestic and international applicants. The Board will consider every applicant differently based on the proof they provide of experience and training. However, all applicants must take the Board Exams before starting to work.
Employment Outlook for Hair Stylists in Arkansas
Arkansas has tons of cool places to work in the Cosmetology field. If you’re looking for a fast fun pace, try the college towns of Jonesboro or Fayettville or the thriving, business-minded city of Little Rock. Other diverse boom towns of various sizes include Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, Bentonville, Springdale, Fort Smith and the rapidly expanding Rogers. You can expect to earn $20,000 or more as Cosmetology or Barbering professional in Arkansas, according to the BLS.