Is This Program for You?

Do you have a love for style, enjoy helping others enhance their appearance and look their best, and enjoy working closely with the public? If you are also friendly, outgoing, and creative, then a career in Cosmetology may be a perfect fit. Students must complete 1550 hours of classroom instruction to meet the requirements of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). If you want to work in Wisconsin, get licensed in Wisconsin. Make the transition from graduate to licensed Cosmetologist in Wisconsin easy.

Students entering the Cosmetology program should:

• Enjoy working closely with the public.
• Be friendly, outgoing, concerned for other people, and creative.
• Have good communication skills.
• Work well with others.

Program Basics

• Technical diploma requiring three semesters or more to complete.
• Financial aid available.
• Special equipment and uniforms required.
• Opportunities to attend professional salon, beauty, and fashion shows.

Cosmetology students must achieve a grade of C or better in each of the 502 program area courses to be eligible to progress from Semester 1 to Semester 2 and from Semester 2 into Semester 3. Students should check with instructor for updated regulations for taking the state Cosmetology licensure exam.

Note: In order to qualify for licensure for your cosmetology state board exam, you must be 18 years of age, have completed a minimum 1550 hours of instruction and the requirements of the Southwest Tech Cosmetology Program.

To graduate from this program and be eligible to take the state licensing examination, each student must:

• Successfully meet all Southwest Tech program requirements.
• Receive a passing grade of C in all program courses.
• Complete a minimum of 1550 theory and practical hours of training.

Cost of Attendance (COA) 26-27

Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Based on Wisconsin Residents.

Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

Admission Requirements

• Submit Application
• Admissions Preference Policy
  This is a high-enrollment program, which means applications are reviewed on scheduled dates based on where you live. If the program is full, you may be placed on a waiting list.
  
  Learn more about our Admissions and Wait List Policy and review the Waiting List section on this page for more information about how the process works for this program.

Academic Preparedness Requirements

Before you can be fully accepted into your program, you need to complete the requirements below. These are the same requirements you may see in your SWTC Student Portal.


• Submit Official High School, College, Military Transcripts, and Test Scores (Not Required)
  Have documents sent directly to:
  • Email: admissions@swtc.edu
  • Mail: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
• Meet with Your Advisor for an Admissions Meeting
  Schedule an admission meeting with your program advisor to complete your student success plan, including a career assessment and academic map and support plan.
  
  To schedule your meeting, go to the Appointments page. Find your advisor in the list, then select Make an Appointment under their contact information.
  
  Appointments are available on campus or virtually.

If you want to check which of these requirements you still need to complete, log in to your SWTC Student Portal, go to My Profile → Document Center, and make sure All Programs is selected.

This program uses a waiting list because of limited capacity and high demand. That means there are often more applicants than available seats. The waiting list helps make admission fair, consistent, and transparent.

What the waiting list means for you

In-District Applicants
What this means: You live within the Southwest Tech district – Southwest Tech maps of the region, our district and campus

• Review Dates: Fall – November 1 | Spring – March 1 | Summer – August 1
• Applications received before the review date are held until preparedness requirements are complete.
• On the review date, applications are reviewed in the order they were received. If requirements are complete and there is space, you are accepted.
• If the program is full, you are placed on the wait list based on your application date.
• You may remain on the wait list from term to term until you are admitted, as long as you renew your status.

Out-of-District Wisconsin Applicants
What this means: You live in Wisconsin but not within the Southwest Tech district. If you’re unsure, check our Southwest Tech District Map.

• Review Dates: Fall – January 1 | Spring – April 1 | Summer – October 1
• Your application is reviewed after in-district residents.
• If you meet requirements and there is space, you are accepted.
• If the program is full, you are placed on the wait list in order of your application date.
• You may remain on the wait list from term to term until you are admitted, as long as you renew your status.

Out-of-State Applicants
What this means: You live outside of Wisconsin.

• Review Dates: Fall – March 1 | Spring – May 1 | Summer – December 1
• Your application is reviewed after in-district and out-of-district Wisconsin residents.
• If you meet requirements and there is space, you are accepted.
• If the program is full, you may be placed on the wait list, but only for the term you applied for.
• Out-of-state applicants cannot carry their wait list status into future terms. If you are not admitted for the term you applied for, you will need to submit a new application.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of the program, students are expected to be able to:

• Perform shampoo, haircut, and style service
• Perform skin care services
• Perform chemical services
• Perform nail services
• Develop business practices for industry success

This program prepares graduates for licensing as a Cosmetology Practitioner (hair designer). A Cosmetology student can automatically practice all nail services that a Manicurist performs under the Cosmetology License.

Southwest Tech's Career Services Center offers services to assist students looking for job placement.

Credit for Prior Learning

Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options: