Before you can attend a cosmetology school, you must have a high school diploma or GED. Many cosmetology schools also require that you are at least 18 years of age.
All states require you to attend a licensed cosmetology school. The average program lasts nine months, if you attend full time. If you need help finding a school in your area, start with the website www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com/
Pass your state's written licensing exam and gain work experience.
Many cosmetology schools require their instructors to take additional classes in teaching methods, curriculum and lesson plan development. These classes can be found at a local community or technical college.
Some states also require cosmetology instructors to have an instructor's license. This varies from state to state, but usually you need a certain number of hours as a cosmetologist, courses in teaching, and to pass a written exam.