The minimum qualification is a high school diploma, but applicants who have any type of college degree and/or taken classes in flight attendant training usually have an advantage over someone with less formal education. People with education in fields such as travel and tourism, hospitality, communications, nursing, psychology and other disciplines that stress dealing with people are even more desirable to the modern airline. There are multiple colleges that have vigorous flight attendant training programs.
Rio Salado College offers a certificated training program for airline flight attendants. They also offer classes and/or degrees in the following fields that could be useful for a flight attendant: telecommunications, nursing, culinary service and foreign languages.
In addition to an airline flight attendant certificate training program, Orange Coast College offers degrees and classes in the following fields: commercial airline professional pilot and flight crew; foods, nutrition and wellness studies; ethnic, cultural minority and gender studies; hospitality administration and management; and psychology.
In addition to the airline flight attendant certificate training program, Glendale Community also offers classes and degrees in desirable disciplines such as: airline commercial professional pilot and flight crew; foreign languages and literature; health and physical education; international business, trade and commerce; French and Spanish language skills.
Mount San Antonio College offers an airline flight attendant certificate training program as well as classes and degrees in these related disciplines: commercial airline professional pilot and flight crew; emergency medical technology technician; EMT paramedic; family and consumer sciences; human sciences; health and physical education; hospitality administration; management; international business, trade; commerce; tourism and travel services; and marketing and operations.
Once hired, everyone then has to attend the airline's training school, typically lasting six to eight weeks, during which time they must take periodic tests designed to weed out unsuitable candidates. Trainees who successfully complete training receive the FAA's certificate of demonstrated proficiency. This certification must be periodically renewed.