Cosmetology
Instructors: Mrs. Chonda Harris and Mrs. Tiffany Johnson
Turn Creativity into Professional Skill
Cosmetologists are trained professionals who combine technical skill, creativity, safety, customer service, and business knowledge to help clients look and feel their best. The field includes hair care, nail care, skin care, makeup, salon operations, client services, and opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Enoree’s two-year Cosmetology program is part of the South Carolina Human Services Career Cluster. Students train under the requirements of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology while completing classroom instruction, supervised lab training, industry certifications, and professional preparation.
What Students Learn
- Sanitation, infection control, and workplace safety
- Professionalism, customer service, and salon management
- Chemistry, bacteriology, anatomy, and cosmetology sciences
- Hair cutting, styling, coloring, and chemical services
- Nail care, skin care, and facial services
- Practical application using mannequins, peers, and live clients
- Scheduling, inventory, client retention, and workplace organization
Certification and Licensing Opportunities
- OSHA 10-Hour certification
- South Carolina Hair Braiding Registration
- Lucas-Cide Safe Space Certification
- Barbicide Certification
- Additional approved industry-recognized credentials
- Eligibility to pursue a South Carolina Cosmetology license after meeting all state and program requirements
Program Credits
Students earn two high school credits each semester and may earn up to eight credits during the two-year program. These credits count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement.
Limited Enrollment
South Carolina licensing regulations limit enrollment to 20 students per licensed cosmetology instructor. With two instructors, Enoree may serve up to 40 students. Because demand is high, acceptance is competitive and students must complete all required acceptance steps to secure their placement.
Year One: Building the Foundation
Cosmetology 1 and 2 | Morning or Afternoon Session at Enoree
Year one introduces students to professional beauty services while developing the safety, precision, organization, discipline, and customer care expected in the cosmetology industry. The program is open to rising 11th-grade students and requires a two-year commitment.
Students begin working toward the 1,000 hours of direct cosmetology instruction that must be completed under the supervision of a licensed cosmetology instructor. Instruction includes sanitation, infection control, safety procedures, salon management fundamentals, and the sciences of cosmetology.
Students apply classroom learning through supervised practice using mannequins, peers, and live clients. They are expected to maintain an organized station, care for equipment and products, follow sanitation procedures, remain engaged, and respond professionally to coaching and feedback.
As students progress through Cosmetology 2, training expands into professional hair care, nail care, skin care, cutting, coloring, styling, manicuring, and facial services. Students also continue developing client communication and customer service skills.
Students must maintain an academic average of at least 75 during year one to remain eligible to continue into year two. They must also remain on pace with their required instructional hours through regular attendance, active participation, and additional scheduled learning opportunities.
By the end of year one, students should have developed a strong technical foundation, an understanding of state and program expectations, and the professional habits needed for more advanced services during year two.
Year Two: Advancing the Skills
Cosmetology 3 and 4 | Morning or Afternoon Session at Enoree
Year two builds on the technical foundation developed during the first year and challenges students to perform at a more professional level. Students continue completing required hours while working with advanced techniques in hair design, color theory, chemical services, nail enhancements, skin care, and salon operations.
Students are expected to work with greater independence, efficiency, and professional judgment. Instruction emphasizes client consultations, service planning, sanitation, product knowledge, time management, scheduling, inventory, customer retention, and workplace communication.
Students also prepare for the NIC written and practical examinations required for South Carolina cosmetology licensure.
Students who want to take the licensing examinations before the end of their senior year must complete the required 1,000 direct cosmetology hours early enough to register. This requires strong attendance, consistent participation in additional hour opportunities, and careful attention to the program’s hour requirements.
Students who earn their license before the school year ends may have the opportunity to participate in work-based learning during school hours after meeting all state-required in-house cosmetology hours.
By the end of year two, students should be prepared to complete the licensing process and transition into salon employment, work-based learning, advanced training, entrepreneurship, or other opportunities within the beauty industry.
Understanding the Required Hours
South Carolina requires 1,540 combined hours before a student may qualify for cosmetology licensure. Enoree students complete these hours through a combination of supervised cosmetology training and academic coursework.
1,000 Direct Cosmetology Hours
Students must complete 1,000 hours of direct cosmetology instruction under the physical supervision of a licensed cosmetology instructor. These hours include classroom instruction, lab practice, client services, approved activities, field trips, and additional scheduled instructional opportunities.
540 Academic Hours
The remaining 540 hours required for licensure are earned through qualifying academic coursework completed at the student’s home high school.
Additional Hours Are Required
The regular school schedule does not provide enough time for students to complete all 1,000 direct cosmetology hours during the normal school day. Students must complete additional instructional hours outside the regular school schedule.
Any time missed because of absences, tardiness, weather closures, field trips, scheduling interruptions, or other circumstances may also need to be recovered. Detailed hour expectations, schedules, and participation requirements are reviewed with accepted students and families during Acceptance Night.
Career Opportunities
Cosmetology can lead to careers involving hair, nails, skin care, makeup, customer service, salon operations, and business ownership. Some specialized careers require additional education or separate licensure.
Cosmetologist
Cosmetologists provide professional hair, nail, and beauty services. They consult with clients, recommend services, maintain sanitation standards, and use technical skills to help clients meet their care and style goals.
Esthetician
Estheticians provide specialized skin care services and help clients maintain healthy skin. This career requires training and licensure specific to esthetics.
Makeup Artist
Makeup artists apply cosmetics for weddings, photography, theater, special events, salons, and other settings. The work requires product knowledge, color theory, sanitation, and safe application.
Salon Owner or Manager
Salon owners and managers oversee scheduling, inventory, customer service, staffing, marketing, financial responsibilities, and daily business operations.
Program Requirements and Fees
Cosmetology students must meet state eligibility requirements, complete all required instructional hours, maintain consistent attendance and academic progress, and purchase the required professional kit and uniform.
State Licensure Requirements
- Be at least 16 years old
- Possess at least a 10th-grade education or approved equivalent
- Successfully complete 1,540 total qualifying hours
- Complete 1,000 direct cosmetology hours under a licensed instructor
- Maintain a class average of at least 75 during year one to remain eligible for year two
- Submit the required application and identification documents, including a birth certificate, Social Security card, and state-issued photo identification
- Pay any required examination or licensing fees
- Pass the NIC written and practical examinations
Year-One Program Fee
The required Cosmetology program fee is $600.
The fee covers:
- An initial professional cosmetology kit containing the equipment and supplies needed to complete the program and take the licensing exam
- One set of black scrubs for classroom and lab use
Students must purchase one additional set of plain black scrubs before the school year begins.
Upon successful completion of the program, the cosmetology kit becomes the student’s property.
The full $600 balance must be paid by July 30 after the student has been accepted into the program.
Payment Options for Accepted Students
Accepted students may pay the full $600 fee at Acceptance Night using cash, check, or MySchoolBucks.
Accepted students using the installment plan must follow this schedule:
- Acceptance Night: $150 non-refundable deposit
- May 30: $150 installment
- June 30: $150 installment
- July 30: Final $150 installment
After the initial deposit, remaining installment payments must be made through MySchoolBucks. The deposit secures the accepted student’s place in the class.
Second-Year Kit Replenishment
Students must replenish consumable items in their cosmetology kits before beginning year two. The replenishment fee is typically approximately $250, but the final amount may change based on inflation, vendor pricing, and product costs. Families will receive the current amount and payment deadline before the second year begins.
State-Board Examination Cost
Enoree Career Center and Greenville County Schools will cover the cost of a student’s first licensure examination attempt after the student meets all state-mandated academic and hour requirements. The student and family are responsible for the cost of any additional examination attempts.
Information for Accepted Students
No payment is required unless a student is accepted into the Cosmetology program. Accepted students and their parents or guardians receive complete payment instructions, deadlines, program requirements, attire expectations, hour requirements, and participation procedures during the required Acceptance Night event.
Work-Based Learning
Students are encouraged to pursue work-based learning opportunities through Enoree’s Work-Based Learning Coordinator. Students who are not yet licensed may not independently provide services that require a cosmetology license, but they can still gain meaningful industry experience.
Opportunities in local salons may allow students to assist with customer service, observe professional stylists, learn salon operations, support scheduling and organization, and build relationships with employers. Students who earn their license before graduation may qualify for additional work-based learning opportunities.
These experiences help students connect technical instruction with real workplace expectations while developing communication, dependability, professionalism, and confidence.
Certification and Licensing Resources
Select an organization below to learn more about safety training, certification, and South Carolina cosmetology licensing.
Local Work-Based Learning Partners
Local salons and employers help students connect classroom and lab instruction with professional beauty-industry workplaces and expectations.
Graduation and college admission note: Credits earned through this program count as electives toward South Carolina high school graduation requirements. One credit may fulfill the CATE/Foreign Language graduation requirement. Most four-year colleges do not accept career center courses as substitutes for foreign language courses required for college admission. Students should review graduation, licensing, and college admission requirements with their school counselor and program instructors.