Barbizon has schools in more than 200 cities across the United States. Pop singer-songwriter David Archuleta is a former pupil. Founded in 1939, Barbizon accepts only students with the right qualities. The male modeling curriculum includes modeling techniques, photo movement, on-camera TV workshops, professional voice projection and exercising for fitness. Students also take personal development courses that prove useful even if they decide not to follow a career in modeling. Tuition fees vary, so students should contact the school they wish to attend. Many schools have an in-house modeling agency and will help graduates find jobs.
John Casablancas founded the agency Elite Model Management, and his Modeling and Career Centers are worldwide. Male modeling programs include TV commercial acting, runway techniques, professional portfolio development and the business side of modeling. In states where it is required, the centers are licensed with the state Board of Education. Potential students are interviewed to see if they have what it takes to commit to the course. The programs are generally run once a week for three to six hours in the evening or weekends, so they can be taken by those still in school or employed full time. The centers have affiliations with modeling agencies across the globe.
Founded by John Robert Powers, the author of three books on modeling, the Mayo-Hill Center in Houston has teachers that have been with the center for more than 20 years. The center also supplies aspiring models to the Neal Hamil Modeling Agency in Houston; Steven Clark, Frank Dicopoulos and Bryan Mitchell are former pupils. The center's Advanced Male workshop covers runway technique, fashion show presentations, nutrition, wardrobe, grooming, TV commercials and photo sessions. Each lesson is two hours long, and classes meet once a week for 12 weeks. The courses are open to males over age 11.
This academy in Santa Rosa, California, has been in business for 38 years and emphasizes confidence-building and self-esteem. It offers courses in fashion and photo modeling. The platinum-level course consists of 60 hours of training completed over 30 weeks and includes lessons in personality development, trunk shows and retail modeling, promotional modeling, auditions and go-sees, photo posing techniques and television commercial workshops.